Latitude 38 December 1996

LETTERS

I told him 1 didn’t appreciate having to play chicken with a vessel the size of Toby Tide that wasn’t under command. His sorry reply was that I didn’t show up on his radar. 1 told him to take his head out of his radar bucket and look out the window. There was at least 10 miles visibility at the time. I also told him 1 was going to let his supervisorknow what had happened.

His final apologetic reply was that I didn’t show up on radar and that 1 should have a good day. It made him sound even more stupid. This clown has some serious seamanship deficiencies: 1) He needs radar to see where he is going in clear weather. 2) He apparently believes that vessels don’t exist unless they 'paint'

on his radar. 3) He’s operating his vessel at 12 knots in a congested area

without looking forward.

1 reported the incident to the Coast Guard, the skipper’s boss — Who was very embarrassed and apologetic — and to Exxon. I’m looking forward to meeting this guy pretty soon, and he won’t needa radar to see me.

Sean Kellythorne Ecstacy

Channel Islands Harbor

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Sean — We’re in no way apologizing for the watch that was apparently not being kept on that vessel, but would nonetheless advise you to treat all large vessels as though nobody were on the bridge. It may take a little extra time and effort, but it means that you — rather than someone else — are in charge of your own life.

Mdope importers

Having been boarded three or four times by the Coasties during the past 15 years, I feel that you and some of your 'little Lord Fauntleroy' readers are blowing the matter out of proportion. It’s safe to say that the dope 'importers' will use almost every kind of oceancapable craft afloat. Our Coasties can’t tell by looking which has, and which has not, got the life-demeaning and destroying junk onboard.

The matter of search and seizure — without a search warrant—on a boat is not the same as search and seizure of one’s house on shore. Shoreside households cannot relocate or move around, but can still be entered without a warrant on basis of 'probable cause'. On the other hand, ocean going vessels can travel hundreds of thousands of miles with their illicit cargo.

The times I’ve been boarded, Coasties were the very soul of courtesy. They searched without leaving much or any mess.

With the growing dope addiction in our beloved country today, I say the Coasties are doing as good a job as can be done to minimize the influx of drugs. They should not be hampered or heckled in their efforts to do their job.

Alfred Anderson Trenayle Oakland

Alfred — It’s estimated that 90% of all attempts to smuggle drugs are successful. If that’s a good job of drug interdiction, we’re J. Edgar Hoover. The truth is that our borders and shores are almost totally porous to drugs and illegal aliens. Our government’s response? Harass recreational mariners and pretend to be addressing the problem. Brilliant.

If your goal is to eliminate life-destroying drugs in the United States, why not advocate giving police the same authority to search homes and businesses as the Coast Guard has to search boats? Given that ammunition, it would be easy to win the 'war on drugs'.

By the way, anyone with half a lick of sense can tell if a boat has been at sea for a long time or if she’s Joaded down with cargo. As far as we can tell, not that many people are still smuggling dope in recreational boats.

Page 74 • LaLUmU 32 • December, 1996

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December, 1996 • UKUM32 • Page 75