I was boarded today

I was boarded today in st. Augustine Florida by customs and sheriff’s deputies. My wife saw them get close and told me we would be boarded. I told her they would hail us first. A minute later we turned around and three officers were already aboard with their dog.

They were all courteous, but, it seemed strange to be boarded without warning.

They just boarded with out a word spoken ?

Hmmm. Sounds like the were looking for something or somebody. I was once at a boat ramp where they boarded a guy the same way with a dog. They were looking for an escaped convict.

Gordon J said:

I was boarded today in st. Augustine Florida by customs and sheriff’s deputies. My wife saw them get close and told me we would be boarded. I told her they would hail us first. A minute later we turned around and three officers were already aboard with their dog.

They were all courteous, but, it seemed strange to be boarded without warning.

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Where were you going from and where to?

Hmmm, did you ask them about not hailing?

And did you notice CG personnel with them?

I would follow up with a courteous question to Commander CG Station JAX (Mayport). While they were not under his command I would like to hear what he says.

Did you get any post inspection documentation?

General rule is to ‘ Ask permission to board” that makes for a totally legal find, if any contraband is found . By not giving permission things get muddy

Gordon J said:

I was boarded today in st. Augustine Florida by customs and sheriff’s deputies. My wife saw them get close and told me we would be boarded. I told her they would hail us first. A minute later we turned around and three officers were already aboard with their dog.

They were all courteous, but, it seemed strange to be boarded without warning.

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St Augustine has a CBP training facility on the San Sebastian river so they are probably trying out their new skills perhaps.

You will see all kinds of CBP Le craft tear assing around town in high speed boats.... Kind of common now

Wow. Need more information

Sailor of Fortune said:

St Augustine has a CBP training facility on the San Sebastian river so they are probably trying out their new skills perhaps.

You will see all kinds of CBP Le craft tear assing around town in high speed boats.... Kind of common now

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See last couple of pics in this post!

Marsh Harbour To Home, and Seeing Our Nation’s Finest At Work! | AtAnchor.com

If they had asked for permission to board you, it would have been purely out of courtesy. If you, the captain, had said NO, they would have stop being nice, escorted you back to a dock, detaining you until they got search warrant.

I have dealt with marine law enforcement for 20 years. I have never seen a boarding happen without some communication prior to stepping on board. We may be missing some facts.

OldDan1943 said:

If they had asked for permission to board you, it would have been purely out of courtesy. If you, the captain, had said NO, they would have stop being nice, escorted you back to a dock, detaining you until they got search warrant.

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Saying "no" would have probably enabled the reasonable suspicion clause of their contract. I expect boats are treated the same way as cars when it comes to searches.

Heading toward a totalitarian state, what else would you expect, saw the same attitude coming through customs from Canada. The fish rots from the head..

When you say hail...radio or just pull up next to you? Perhaps there is more I’m missing.

Arc said:

General rule is to ‘ Ask permission to board” that makes for a totally legal find, if any contraband is found . By not giving permission things get muddy

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Customs/Border Patrol has similar authority as USCG. They can board you at anytime. They might ask "Permission to come aboard Captain" but they're not really asking.

menzies said:

See last couple of pics in this post!

Marsh Harbour To Home, and Seeing Our Nation’s Finest At Work! | AtAnchor.com

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That's why I asked his from and to as there's a very high level of activity toward those returning from the Bahamas right now. I have a friend who is a professional captain and they were returning yesterday and a helicopter pulled overhead. He heard someone say they didn't believe that was the boat but he then spoke and said he was the boat under the helicopter. They asked details of nationality of those aboard and made a boat to tell them to call when they entered but then he informed them he used ROAM and they said they'd see him there and that was the end of it.

The feeling is that they're on very high patrol looking for potential Bahamian stowaways. They've been put on a no tolerance policy.

If the police thought a murder was currently underway in a neighbor’s house, do you think they would knock on the door politely and ask if they could come in to talk about it? They probably had a good reason to board. Most boaters don't have VHF 16 on anyway. And I’m not sure I could hear them hailing through their speaker with the racket my boat makes.

So if the cops go to a crack house they should phone ahead and as a courtesy let them know the cops are coming. Sounds like a plan to me.

Huh? What did you say? Sorry, I'm old and hard of hearing.

you can't compare boats to cars or houses. Rules are totally different. Safest rule to follow is that if you're in waters open to the coast guard or customs, they can search whenever they want. I think that dates back to the 1700's and has been affirmed by the US supreme court 30 years ago. Much greater protections in cars or houses.

So Gordon's boat is a floating crack house?

Think if I had LE board without courtesy permission or some contact I would have taken them to task right there and demanded an explanation. Followed up with complaints to on high. That's BS!

78puget-trawler said:

Think if I had LE board without courtesy permission or some contact I would have taken them to task right there and demanded an explanation. Followed up with complaints to on high. That's BS!

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You might be demanding that explanation while in handcuffs and face down on the deck.

As in most cases, if armed men board your boat, you're probably better off doing what they say.

It seems pretty dangerous. If the OP had changed course or speed as the boarding was taking place it could have resulted in a serious injury. The boardings I have seen they get the capt. attention with lights and siren...tell him or hear to maintain a slow steady course.....and then they board.

I see the biggest danger to a silent boarding at night when anchored.

In FL folks are protected by the Castle Law, if they feel there home is being invaded.

A shot gun with 00 buck could spread enough so a vest might not be a big help.

Then it would be a he said , she said ,about notification of boarding.

The cops call it testalying .

I too have been boarded just south of Charleston without a call (that I know of)...And just south of St Augustine but was contacted. Without contact they had the blue lights on...with contact without. Maybe the courts have defined the blue lights as sufficient warning.



Can ask for permission...but not required.

Think about this.

Would they have done the same in the dead of night? Just quietly stepped on board a moving vessel?

[Edit: saw FF's comment after]

sbu22 said:

So Gordon's boat is a floating crack house?

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Only if he as bent over doing some maintenance!

Yes, Law Enforcement is trained to do the dangerous.

They will do whatever the mission dictates.

Take away the imperitive, and they will go back to reacting to a different threat.

Whether you believe they are doing the right thing, they believe they are, making light of it it just shows a disregard for how serious law enforcement takes their mission, whether or not their supervisors have figured out whether it's right or wrong.

For now, I have a .45acp one the night stand and a 12ga in the closet.
The dead of night, I am silently boarded, they better say something..... before they enter the stateroom.