On Patrol

on patrol Story by Nick Weldon Photos by Steven J. Conway

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t h ro u g h t h e m i d d l e o f l a k e e r i e . b o sto n w h a l e rs p ro t e c t i t it’s hot. the forecast on this mid-august scorcher in port clinton, ohio, called for temperatures to reach the low 90s, but with the soupy humidity, the heat index eclipses the century mark. out on lake erie, both the lorain county sheriff’s 32-foot boston whaler justice and the ottawa county sheriff’s 27-foot vigilant are smothered in haze. the mission is national security, which means there are no breaks for these floating sentinels, even on a day when the lake’s western basin has become a steaming cauldron.

“We are directly on top of the U.S.-Canada border right now,” says Olen Martin, the coordinator of this 58-agency task force, known as the Northern Border Initiative (NBI). Established by Ohio’s department of Homeland Security, the NBI brings together, among others, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and numerous city and county police units to protect Lake Erie’s lengthy coastline against terrorist incursions as well as the illegal smuggling of goods, people and drugs.

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“There iS no o�er program like �iS in �e counTry,” olen SayS. “iT’S a unique SiTuaTion wi� �e long, open border wi� canada.”

Though �e u.S. ShareS amicable relaTionS wi� iTS neighbor To �e nor�, by 2007 �e relaTive eaSe of enTry acroSS �e lake had become a concern for homeland SecuriTy, prompTing �e incepTion of �e nbi. “people could geT To �e puT-in-bay ferry and ride inTo �e conTinenTal u.S. wi� no checkS,” olen explainS. prevenTing Smuggling haS been a prioriTy for greaT lakeS law enforcemenT going back To aT leaST prohibiTion, he addS, buT heighTened aTTenTion To �e �reaT of TerroriSm urged �e creaTion of an unprecedenTed SecuriTy efforT on �e lakefronT. “Two-thirds of the U.S. population lives within an eight-hour radius of Lake Erie,” Olen says. “And on any given weekend in the Western Basin, there can be 3,000 boats on the water.” In the face of these somewhat daunting figures, the NBI has turned to Brunswick Commercial & Government Products (BCGP) to custom-build many of their patrol boats. BCGP, which began as a Boston Whaler division and primarily features Whaler models, specializes in building superior quality craft for a range of activities, including combat, special ops, fire and rescue, law enforcement and commercial work.

Olen’s fleet of patrol boats includes both 27-foot Vigilant and 32-foot Justice models from Boston Whaler. “We’re happy with our Whalers—they fit our needs,” he says. “e hulls are huge, with a different rise that can take on bigger water. We’ll run the Justice out in 6-foot waves. It really fits the conditions on Lake Erie.” e nearly 10,000-square-mile lake—by surface area, the 12th-largest in the world—is infamous for its fitful turns. ough today the lifeless water can barely muster a ripple, “give it five minutes,” Olen quips. “e conditions can change in a second, literally.”

Olen says that, in addition to the characteristic toughness of Boston Whaler boats—BCGP Whalers are built of the same sturdy, unsinkable construction as recreational Whalers—the NBI chooses them for the brand’s willingness and ability to customize the crafts to fit their exact needs. Both Ottawa County and Lorain County’s Whalers feature a number of special modifications. Grab rails surround the boats and allow for easy entry from any direction. Giant bow and side storage compartments and deep, oversized floor lockers create space for anything from 50-inch guns to scuba gear for diving missions.

Lorain County’s Justice has a rear panel with laptop holder and a flat surface for note taking; it also features a massive stern tow reel. Both consoles have communication radios installed and switch panels for controlling searchlights and sirens.

BCGP also equipped the Boston Whalers with state-of-the-art electronics, including Garmin GPS for the Justices and sophisticated multifunctional navigation systems on both models. From the main console display, the crew can access satellite maps, charts, helicopter-angle views and bird’s-eye views. “We’ll sit on the border, put the radar up to full range— a 25-mile radius—watch targets and be ready to intercept,” Olen says. “is is why we continue to work with BCGP. ey know our situation and what our mission is and fit the boats with electronics and customizations that we need. at puts Whaler over the top.”

Olen has been so pleased with the Vigilant and Justice boats that the NBI is already working with BCGP to build the first Whaler patrol boats based on the 345 Conquest. “ese boats will have FLIR thermal imaging cameras and preventative radiological and nuclear weapon detection devices custom-installed,” Olen says. “Instead of an aft cabin, there will be hydrogen-3 tubes concealed and embedded into the gunnels that can detect beta and gamma radiation.” e NBI, which currently uses twin Mercury FourStroke Verado® outboards to power each of its Vigilant and Justice boats, will up the ante with triple 300-hp Verados on the new 345s.

“We’re staying with the Verados because the care and maintenance is so easy,” he says. ough the NBI’s overarching mission centers on national security, Olen stresses that it is an “all-crimes task force.” e day-to-day job con-

(Opposite) The NBI patrol boats make a run through Put-in-Bay, passing by Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, which commemorates the peace established between Great Britain, Canada and the U.S. a�er the War of 1812. (Here) The Lorain County Sheriff’s crew takes its Boston Whaler Justice to the international border.

Lorain County’s Justice at full thro le; Olen Martin, the NBI Task Force coordinator; the O awa County Vigilant crew inspects a charter boat at the border.

sists of routine, around-the-clock “runs” like this one—each made up of three- or four-man crews who operate in six-hour shifts. Search-andrescue missions take priority. ese can vary widely in magnitude and frequency. Over the previous weekend the task force answered four separate search-and-rescues for individuals. Last winter, they responded to a single call where 350 fishermen had gotten stranded on a two-squaremile ice floe that had separated from the main sheet.

Roasting in the midday sun, it’s hard to imagine that parts of this sprawling body of water ever freeze. Above the Justice’s center console, a flutter of wind briefly animates the American flag and exits through the tails of Ohio’s state pennant, as if to subtly remind the crew how quickly the situation can change. Below the banners, the Garmin radome ceaselessly gyrates, keeping constant vigil. David James, retired from the U.S. Coast Guard and now the head of NBI officer training, sits at the helm and watches the output on the navigation display. With the border just 14 miles from Port Clinton, the patrols don’t have a lot of room for error if an unknown craft slips past.

Several stationary blips on the radar screen represent boats at rest.

“We vector boats down on the radar,” he says, explaining that they use the navigation’s positioning system to give them exact heading when running down a boat. He abruptly halts his lecture when a new dot creeps into the picture from the corner of the screen. It’s making a beeline for the border. e Ottawa County team comes over the radio: “We’ve got this one.” David flicks on his lights and powers the Verados toward the approaching craft to provide backup.

e boat turns out to be a Port Clinton fishing charter, on its way home from a day of trolling the Canadian side of the lake. One of the Ottawa County crew shouts out, “What’d you catch?” An angler hoists a hefty walleye with a smile. e good-natured exchange takes place as the officers board the charter for a routine inspection. NBI boats are permitted to board any craft crossing to the U.S. side of the lake; they keep an open line with the Canada Border Services Agency and the Ontario Provincial Police for when boats head the other way. “We communicate regularly,” Olen says. “If someone runs over to their side of the border, we call them.” e charter boat checks out, and the officers share a quick laugh with the fishermen, thanking them for their cooperation. e sun finally relents, dropping toward the horizon and signaling the end of the shift. e Lorain County and Ottawa County crews throw the throttles for a quick run by Put-in-Bay, and then finally pack it in for Jefferson Pier in Port Clinton. Olen, his gaze masked by dark shades, takes a last look out before settling in for the ride back. Off in the distance toward Oak Harbor, Ohio, the distinct hyperboloid figure of the Davis-Besse nuclear reactor seems to convey the gravity of the NBI’s mission.

Olen has coordinated this task force since the beginning, and the teamwork he’s seen among all the parties involved has inspired him.

“Everyone’s a partner. We’ve all put our egos aside—it’s incredible,” he says. “is is the model for national maritime cooperation. It’s neat to see 58 agencies come together for a common purpose.”