We used to have the utmost respect fro the CG until we were boarded in March 2006 a few miles from Miami while returning from the Bahamas. two young guys came on board and were friendly and courteous. Everything checked out, we had everything required and then some. But suddenly there were whispered conversations on the radio and we were told there was a problem with our paperwork. What's the problem? We can't tell you but a more senior person will have to come aboard. Since we were living on the boat we had every piece of paper along from the time we first looked at the boats and then bought it. Not good enough, there is a problem. What's the problem? We can't tell you but you have to go into the CG station in Miami.
Up to this point we thought this was just part of the cruising adventure. They left the two young guys aboard and the big CG cutter followed us into Miami. The guys were having a good time, they had never been on sailboat. We were coming straight back from Nassau, having been under way for almost 24 hours now, we asked if it would be OK to go below and take a shower, sure no problem. Coming up on the Miami sea buoy I started to turn into the wind to take the sail down and the two guys almost wet their pants. I guess they thought we were going to make a run for it, our 52HP Perkins against their 50,000HP cutter.
Coming into the CG station they made us tie up to a huge concrete dock meant for the cutter and had to literally pull us up the side to get off the boat. My wife scraped her knees and elbows pretty bad. Then we had to stand behind a building, out of sight of our boat while they did whatever they did. Part of it was putting a dog aboard which left muddy paw prints all over the deck and cockpit cushions. Whenever I asked what was going on, there was no answer. They finally told us we were free to leave. I started making a scene because I wanted some answers. Finally some other guy came up and told us the our boat had been involved in some drug activity in 1999, hence the search. That was absolute BS because in 1999 the boat spent the whole year in a slip in Kemah, TX, while we were working on it to get ready to go cruising.
They finally did offer my wife some band aids but we told them what they could do with them. At this point it was dark so I asked if we could append the night but were told that we had to leave. Luckily we had been at the anchorage we were heading for before, otherwise it would have been really exciting anchoring at night in a new location.
I spent two years writing letters asking for when and where this alleged drug activity took place and who was aboard. After getting the run around for a year I finally gave up.
After that experience I put the CG right down there with the customs people at the airports, bullies with badges and guns that give them the right to harass, intimidate and bully the people who pay their salary.
Any current or ex CG who might shed some light on what happened that day?
Bob
Let me share with you some VERY old news from those in the know. They have the capability to read your radar signals and are able to detect who bought that Radar, GPS, or VHF and where, and when. If a name comes up on their "we've been wanting to meet this guy list"-you might get the treatment. I sold a 48' fast sailboat (yes they exist) back in the late 80's that belonged to a "quite open about his source of income" guy living in a mansion on Miami Beach-quite open on his running fast from Jamaica to Miami only in heavy sea's and storms, and to top it off he was half Palestinian and half Jamaican. I sold her to a fellow from Germany, who owned a home in Ecuador, but kept her in Cartagena Colombia. He used to haul for repairs in Cuba. So he's bringing the boat to me to resell 4 year later, and the shaft fell out (probably why you never hear people touting Cuban boat yards!) between Cuba and here, so he pulls into Key West. Did I mention that he never changed the name of the boat, and that the centerboard well had been filled in with foam? He said "You couldn't believe the delight of the Coast Guard when I showed up". They had a field day, they were ready to bring out the TV crews for a press conference. BUT- he was a founding member of the United Nations, and in one phone call to obviously somebody pretty high up- they apologized for the inconvenience and towed him over to a boat yard.
Moral of the story? Always unplug your electronics when coming from places that's nobody's business, change the name of your boat if bought from a known outlaw, and pay cash for your electronics IF your a outlaw.
AND better yet, have a friend in high places.
Another time my son (back when he was young and cute) and I was given a tour of a navy spy boat by a long time client who turned out to have been a quite high up guy with the DEA. This stealth boat had a BIG room inside it like a Star Trek movie set =totally surrounded by big screens (back when there were no such things as big screens) and it was tracking every boat and airplane in a 360 radius, and they zoomed into just one, and pulled up where registered, and what electronics it had, where bought by whom, with what credit card and where. WOW. And that was BEFORE the NSA.
That all said, I've come back and forth from the Bahamas "forever" on boats with no electronics at all, and I've never even seen law enforcement boats, much less been boarded. At the boat ramp locally I've been asked "you have any foreign citizens onboard?" as I loaded the boat on the trailer.. "Nope" was the answer they were looking for-so that's as far as it goes. Also- having been in rooms in Bimini stacked to the ceilings with cocaine, I'm pretty sure that the guys who sell it-immediately phone their cousins who work for the Bahama Royal Defense force, who call the US Government to report who-what -when, and where, so they can all go on happily doing business as usual. lol
Oh, wait a minute I just remembered a "river blockade" the Feds had on the Miami River, checking every boat coming in (early 90s) and I was told on the radio by boatyard owner to "don't come today, they're stopping and searching every boat"-so since I was on a schedule, and didn't want to wait until tomorrow, I put my big Confederate Flag up on the transom of my 50' Pilothouse Powerboat, and came up the river with Hailer announcement "I'm a CSA boat not bound by your laws" and much to my surprise they parted and I steamed on. I think they figured "ok, sounds good to us". lol