John, et al:

Getting the VSC safety check is a great idea for many reasons, but it
does not assure immunity from further boardings.

We had the VSC done on our boat at the AGLCA Spring Rendezvous in
April of 2005 by one of the USCGA volunteers.  We proudly placed the
decal on our port window of the main cabin.

We were involuntarily boarded by the  USCG, on our port side, in Card
Sound, Florida, on the following March 6th (2006) -- not quite 11
months later.  Granted, it was another calendar year, but the
boarding party did not ask or check if we had an earlier inspection
or boarding.

As we would suggest everyone behave in such a situation, we
graciously welcomed the boarding party and their thorough inspection,
and didn't mention the dark scars their heavy boots left on our decks
and bulwarks, nor the scrape mark one sidearm made on our teak passageway.

Frankly, we were sort of proud of the three young men in the boarding
party and their coxswain.  And we thanked them for volunteering to be
out there doing their job.

Get the inspection, folks!

Bill Donovan
formerly of "Integrity"

At 07:11 PM 2/22/2007, you wrote:

John:

Perhaps I missed it, but I have never seen any document/statement that says
the Coast Guard will not conduct "random" checks on vessels that have
current VSC stickers. I was stopped on the Chesapeake and two friends of
mine were stopped on the Atlantic ICW in 2006. I was not cited, nor were
they, for any violations; our boarding's were part of the normal operating
routine for the day.

Ted Stehle
Good Times
45 Californian

----- Original Message -----
From: "John & Judy Gill" twojscom@quadnet.net
To: "AGLCA Subscriber List" AGLCA-2007@googlegroups.com; "Loop ListGreat,
Loop List" great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 7:11 PM
Subject: GL: Avoid Unnessary Boardings

Ted,

I believe you're correct that there is no official policy that says a VSC decal
is a free pass to avoid boardings, but think of how the system works in
practice.

A boarding team goes out for a day on the water with instructions to do ten
random boardings if their work load allows (i.e., no SAR cases to respond to).
They just finish with up with the boarding paperwork from visiting their last
customer, and they start looking around to see who the next lucky boater is to
make their acquaintance for that day.

As they look to select the next boat to board, if they see your trawler with a
current year VSC decal on display, telling them that you took the time to get a
voluntary safety check this year, and they also see another nearby boat without
the VSC decal, guess which one will probably get their attention first?

Of course, there's another side of this coin to - if they still need a few more
boardings before the end of the day to make their quota, and you are the only
boat in sight, well guess what? VSC or no VSC, call Momma down below and let her
know some cute young men are coming over to pay ya'll a visit!

Kevin

Those voluntary safety checks are a wonderful idea and are very helpful in
maintaining the proper equipment required by law as stated by previous
postings.

The reason enforcement officers will still stop you and conduct an inspection
is that the required equipment can change and often does on your boat.  You
may pick up more passengers and have insufficient personal floatation devices,
fire extinguishers go flat, battery's become uncovered and unsecured, blower
motors quit, etc.

The best way to get stopped and inspected while operating on the water is to
draw attention to yourself.  You can do this in many ways.  If your boat
stands out from all the others by an operation infraction, even a very minor
one and marine law enforcement officers are in enforcement mode, prepare to be
boarded.  They will be doing what they are paid to do if done in a
professional and efficient maner.

Dan Bowers

----- Original Message -----
From: Ted Stehle
To: John and Judy Gill ; AGLCA Subscriber List ; Loop ListGreat, Loop List
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 9:25 PM
Subject: Re: GL: Avoid Unnessary Boardings

John:

Perhaps I missed it, but I have never seen any document/statement that says
the Coast Guard will not conduct "random" checks on vessels that have
current VSC stickers. I was stopped on the Chesapeake and two friends of
mine were stopped on the Atlantic ICW in 2006. I was not cited, nor were
they, for any violations; our boarding's were part of the normal operating
routine for the day.

Ted Stehle
Good Times
45 Californian

----- Original Message -----
From: "John & Judy Gill" twojscom@quadnet.net
To: "AGLCA Subscriber List" AGLCA-2007@googlegroups.com; "Loop ListGreat,
Loop List" great-loop@lists.samurai.com
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 7:11 PM
Subject: GL: Avoid Unnessary Boardings

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--- "Dan & Peggy B." dpbow@one-eleven.net wrote:

idea...

Last year a group of us were on three small boats
near Cape Lookout NC, trying without much success to
catch fish.  A Coast Guard boat was anchored in the
cove.  Its orange inflatable motored around the area,
checking every boat there (about a dozen).
I didn't have a recent Power Squadron inspection
sticker, so I was boarded.  The Coasties were armed,
polite and efficient. And the blonde, she was very
attractive.
All three boats passed inspection and were given
paperwork certifying same.  We were told we now had a
"free pass" for the next year: show it if we were
stopped again and any Coast Guard patrol would wave
good-bye.

Wade Ehlen
Albin 36 Miss Happ
New Bern, NC

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