USCG __ Wild and Crazy Guys

[Freestyle]

Last night around midnight I crossed the Gulf Stream from West End to Fort Lauderdale in flat seas under dark skies. I sat on the flybridge going 5 knots under one engine (see other thread) looking at radar, scanning with binoculars, listening to XM Radio and perversely enjoying a mid-watch that I hated so much in the Navy.

Every now and then in the distance I saw a light flash on and then disappear. Over an hour or so it generally passed to starboard and I quit tracking it as my radar is blind back there and I am lazy and don't always get up and spin 360 degrees on my binocular scan.

I tracked a few targets on either side of my bow but had this strange feeling something trailed me which at 5 knots means you will see them.

I looked to port and scanned my stern then turned around. Suddenly a dark mass stood still and unlit on my bow. I pulled the throttle and hit the Q-Beam.

At 300 yards across my bow stood a USCG Cutter entirely blackened out. I called on the VHF, identified myself, and received no response. I then lit up all of the Q Beams and sent some kid looking through infra red to sick bay.

The cutter then spun around and left still blackened out with no contact on VHF.

I just did not need this little fun to add to my 30 hour essentially singel handed passage.

Your tax dollars at work.

Bruce

Freestyle
1976 43 DCMY
Tampa

 

[MarioG]

Coasties Probabaly searching for smugglers. must of been a little creepy.

 

[Pascal]

"I then lit up all of the Q Beams and sent some kid looking through infra red to sick bay."

creepy maybe but indeed our tax dollars at work.

I would have never lit up that boat, those guy are working for us, they're on out side keeping us safe, why taking chances hurting their eyesight ?? that's just plain irresponsible.

 

[whaler23]

How would you know what it is without lighting it up? The CG knows that if it's gonna run around stalking boats without lights it's gonna occasionally get blasted with someone elses... Irresponsible, I don't think so.

 

[garyd]

They were lucky it was Freestyle. In this day and age they may have been lit up by more than a Q-beam. Let me tell you if someone pulled in front of me in those circumstances about the time he focused his IR he would be looking down the barrel of a loaded and cocked rifle.

"Irresponsible" That has to be the dumbist thing ever suggested on this forum!

If anyone was acting iressponsibly it was the Coast Guard. With the equipment they must of had on board they knew exactly what they were dealing with. In my opinion they were acting in a threatening manner. They were lucky they didn't provoke Freestyle into protecting his family if they were on board.

 

[(Nobody You Know)]

Bruce has a point. I would be hard pressed to be convinced that the Coasties did not have Bruce on their system, and realized that he was/is on a colision course. Stalking or not at some point I think they should have displayed the ship's marker lights.

To give the CG any benefit of any doubt I would think that, short of monitoring terrorist activities, stalking cartels or a boat load of Cubans (no offense Carl) would not warrant prolonging a blackout at the risk of approaching boaters.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Good point. With night vision, radar, etc., the CG had to know that he was approaching and they also must have had a pretty good idea that he was a pleasure craft returning home. That, plus that fact that he called on the VHF, would give them almost no reason to think any differently.

They knew what they were doing and they just didn't want to break radio silence. It seems to me that since they saw him coming and knew his course, they should have gotten out of the way. That would be the best scenario if they were trying to stay covert.

 

[Genesis]

Running blacked out is illegal as hell no matter who you are. Yes, including the USCG.

If they had been hit they would have been monstrously on the wrong side of that one. If they had provoked a violent incident - ditto.

BTW, it used to be both fairly common (and legal) for private citizens and corporations to keep cannons. Those days need to return.

There is no excuse for this sort of thing. To shadow him blacked out is one thing, but to put themselves across his bow is another. That is a hostile act and doing so while blacked out is beyond unbelieveable. If they want to board him, then do so.

He was running at a reasonable rate of speed, displaying proper lights and even using the radio! This was not someone trying to "sneak around" aka "Midnight Express".

I think some letters to the press are in order here. Betcha you can get some ink spilled on that one.

 

[garyd]

The captain of the CG cutter could of done this:

Slide up beside freestyle from behind with a bull horn and said captain this is the USCG ship stealth we want to maintain radio silence and run silent and dark. We will follow you close behind for awhile. Close enough so our radar image and yours blends and looks like one.

If you are going to maintain this present course and speed flash for nav lights twice. Thanks Captain enjoy your evening USCG cutter Stealth out.

Ole Bruce would of felt a sense of pride and sucurity rather than a ting of what the @#$@# is going on.

Course that would of taken brains. Like I said before I admire their hearts but not their brains LOL.

 

[Tawney1]

And exactly what was the purpose of the CG's stealth here? NO VHF response..., NO lights?

Just how were they "protecting" us..., or Bruce in this instance? I understand and fully appreciate the generally excellent work of the CG. They are generally invaluable to us. But covertly lying in wait on a collision course with a smaller watercraft? "Irresponsible" -- I don't think so. There is NO reasonably acceptable explanation whatsoever for such conduct under the circumstances Bruce describes. Their instruments and electronics make night into day, and they knew exactly who and what was approaching their position!

So the CG doesn't comply with its own rules and regulations when encountering civilian/recreational watercraft? What if this had been an encounter with a captain less seasoned than Bruce? Would we ever have heard the truth about what actually happened to the sunken pleasure craft? What do you think would have happened if the darkened stealth vessel had been Freestyle?

I have never cruised at night. That doesn't mean I won't at some point in the future. This scenario is a lesson for us, and should frighten us all. Bruce, thank you for alerting us to this, ill-chosen pattern of conduct by the CG.

 

[Freestyle]

To clarify, I hit the Q-Beam after no response just to see what I was faced with. I only thought about the guyr's night vision as an after thought and got a tasteless chuckle out of somrone's mysery.

In the Navy, when we played war games we ran dark a lot and there were a lot of us. One of my first thoughts was that I had not checked Notice to Mariners and had wondered onto a war game playing field (albeit in a really busy sea lane.) I also considered that the ship could be from another Navy and that English spoken with my accent was not understood on the bridge -- sort of like at Immigration this morning (another story).

I think the best guess is that they were practicing an interdictment on a known benign target. They could have responded on the hailer, or just yelled as close as they were, and told me to go on my way.

Most importantly my wife, boat, and 15 bales of dope all made it safely to Fort Lauderdale, cleared customs by phone, and immigration with just a cab ride.

(The dope part is a joke).

Bruce

Freestyle
1976 43 DCMY
Tampa

 

[neosin]

wonder how they knew he wasn't a drug runner ... lol Is it a rule drug runners can't use a hatteras? LOL

Coasties Probabaly searching for smugglers. must of been a little creepy.

 

[neosin]

I would of hit it just to take a quick look with the light, notice USCG, and with no vhf contact to "motor vessel" i would of acted like i didn't see them and shutup, changed course and moved on. I've head the USCG has had intel of smugglers trying to bring in the dirty fun by private boats. Don't think for a sec your fiber walls are unable to be looked in... They know what'ca got lol coasties have all the goodies now days.

I'd bet anything they was waiting for someone. Maybe tucked around after you passed with your big ole light giving them away for 10+ miles. lol

USGC has been busy the past few weeks here in the Galveston bay area. They normally are very nice and laid back with people they know from around here... But they have been buzzing all around, even seen one of them small cutter like vessels, maybe 60 - 70 feet long just sitting out in the bay all day.

"I then lit up all of the Q Beams and sent some kid looking through infra red to sick bay."

creepy maybe but indeed our tax dollars at work.

I would have never lit up that boat, those guy are working for us, they're on out side keeping us safe, why taking chances hurting their eyesight ?? that's just plain irresponsible.

 

[krush]

what size cutter was it?

edit: don't blame the coasties, it's the politicians and the "war on drugs".

 

[StratPlan61]

IF what you observed was indeed a USCG/USNAVY vessel, it was clearly operating in an illegal manner and an unsafe manner. I would have hailed the vessel twice via VHF and hearing no response would have also lit him up with wahtever lights I could use. In addition, I would file a formal complaint with the USCG Captain of the Port for that maritime security area.
Professional military leaders do not operate their vessels, aircraft or other surveillence assets in this manner - and if found to be doing so need to be called via formal complaint for such practice.
Way too many LE personnel already believe they can operate above the law - it's BS and must be vigorously pursued by the 'silent majority'!!

 

[Freestyle]

Quote{ I would of hit it just to take a quick look with the light, notice USCG, and with no vhf contact to "motor vessel" i would of acted like i didn't see them and shutup, changed course and moved on End Quote

Dude, I have one engine and limited turning ability with a 200+ foot ship a couple hundred or less yards away all with the Gulf Stream playing its game.

If my wife had been on watch I think she would have hit them unless they moved. She, and probably a lot of non-Navy trained or experienced seamen, would have hit them unless they moved first. It was pitch black and they were blacked out laying across the bow.

Some of you guys need to get your boats off the docks and quit living in theory where everything works out and cruise a little.

Night cruising always scares me. Losing an engine always scares me. Random stuff in the surf at night scares me. Weather scares me. My government does not need to intentionally scare me while I have all of the above in play. They have plenty of opportunities to check on my slow poke boat and its cargo without a mid sea collision threat.

Bruce
Freestyle
1976 43 DCMY
Tampa

 

[Pascal]

thks for the advice about cruising... i rarely stay at the dock more than a few days in a row...

these guys know that they're doing, they're not going to put themself in a position where you could have hit them... they have far more equipement on board than you and probably more training as well.

what i called irresponsible was the comment about sending the coastie looking thru night vision to sick bay...

funny how the bad guys can run without lights, overloaded, overcrowded vessels but some feel the USCG can't use he same tactics to protect us...

I've encountered one of they big Ribs running in the dark around here... the big one with the alum cabin... frankly, I was happy too. indeed out tax dollars at work doing what they are supposed to be doing instead of being ambushed by a no wake sign or conducting random boarding.

 

[Starman]

I must chime in here, and with all due respect to those that have different opinions.

In North Carolina ( as in most other states ) the police are exempt from obeying the rules of the road while performing their duties. I expect the armed forces have this same exemption while performing their duties.

While I am not asking for written documentation as proof that is is illegal for them to run dark and silent, I am also quite sure that "command" especially in the times we live have complete authority to override "the book".

I compare this to the "Sounds of Freedom" as Chris ( Boss Lady ) is well aware that many time while we are on the phone a copter flies overhead and we can not hear while on the phone. This is a tiny price to pay for these men and women to " be Ready" when they are called into service.

The local forces here ( USCG/Marines etc....) know they can stop in our marina for fresh , hot and Free coffee whenever they want. It is the least we can do.

The bad guys run silent and dark. Maybe they were actually using this ship as cover for larger prey that was not seen by the captain. And if this were true, why would they respond and "blow their cover".



Bottom line is this:

They are here for us, lets support them.

 

[garyd]

Hey Paul how the heck ya doing?

Please don't confuse the issue here. No one is saying that we don't or won't support our boys. The issue to me is a member of this forum calling another member irresponsible. Pascal was way out of line!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought that little dink he made was pretty cool. Now I wouldn't take one if he gave it to me.

I could see your buddy Chris now going oh I'm so sorry you pulled your unlit boat in front of mine causing me to react so I didn't ram you. Oh pardon me my fault for trying to get my boat back on one engine minding my own business, how untoughtful of me. Ya right.

The Coasties are there for our protection not there to scare us.

Keep feeding them donuts and coffe and see what they do when you accidently put an extra drop of oil or diesel in the water. When your paying the $25,000.00-$35,000.00 fine remember to keep supporting them. LOL

Anyway have a wedding in a couple of weeks in myrtle beach how far is that from you? Like to stop in and see your digs.

 

[neosin]

this is true... but we have already given them all the power... lol kinda hard to take it away now...

IF what you observed was indeed a USCG/USNAVY vessel, it was clearly operating in an illegal manner and an unsafe manner. I would have hailed the vessel twice via VHF and hearing no response would have also lit him up with wahtever lights I could use. In addition, I would file a formal complaint with the USCG Captain of the Port for that maritime security area.
Professional military leaders do not operate their vessels, aircraft or other surveillence assets in this manner - and if found to be doing so need to be called via formal complaint for such practice.
Way too many LE personnel already believe they can operate above the law - it's BS and must be vigorously pursued by the 'silent majority'!!