I have battled with the coasties for many years. Some areas are great about responding, some suck. Hawaii sucks. Broken down and drifting out to sea in a 14 foot inflatable halfway between and just outside Kahoolawe and Lanai, I call for assistance. Amost two hours later I fixed the problem, they informed me they were still waiting on permission to launch there boat. Ft Bragg CA ( no it's not a typo, it's a town) one night, call on the radio, boat loose in the river in heavy surge. In the time it took me to go to the store 1/4 mile away, get a salad and a beer and drive back by, the coasties had manned two boats and there quarters are several miles away, only the radio guy on duty, tied of to the errant fishing vessel and were trying to get it under control.
Kodiak AK, I left my boat running while I went to the ship supply, as I cam back to thedock I notice lots of red diesel in the water and a coastie RIB there. Im thinking someone is in big trouble! The close to my boat I got, teh thicker the oil became. I had broken a fuel return line and had pumped 50-100 gallons of fuel in the harbor. Just then the coasties motored through it and didn't say a word.
Homer AK. Thanksgiving night, -20 with 30kts of wind. We had a dinner on the island and as I had the only big boat amongst our group, I was the taxi. SOmehow, both hooks slipped and my boat, the only boat on the island drifet into the night. Called the coastis and was told it would be 4-6 hours before they could muster a crew! Local water taxi came and got me and we found my boat anchoe in rocks 20 yards from a crashing shoreline.
Homer AK, November 2001 Three japanise war ships are found anchored in Kbay. The coasties ( just after 9/11, mind you had just recieved a bunch of money to fight teror) solution to the problem of forigen vessels in out waters, war ships non the less was to call teh harbor master and ask who ther were!
Homer AK winter of 2000, -20 with 100kts gusts of wind just around the corner. A 32 foot boat made it through all that then rolls in calm water due to ice build up. Coasties finaly made it out, called in divers (did you know the coasties dont dive) teh diver on teh radio said there is no way anyone could be alive so lets just get this over with. They found a "dead" body in a hatch and called it good. Keep in mind the boat is still floating. In 30 kt wind and 10 foot seas a 110 foot cutter decided it was too rough and anchored up for teh night. No marking on the boat, just left it. Next AM a local knowing the currents went looking for teh boat and found in in the first place he looked, aground. He tapped on the hull and some one taped back. He took his boat out and awoke the sleeping coasties. They tried to cut through several inbches of fiberglass with a battery skill saw. Same local went and got his chainsaw and gave it to them. They refused to use if out of fear of hurting someone. He cut a hole and pulled the still alive fisherman out. His brother who was also aboard had just recently died....I ripped them apart in the paper for that one!
So wat was it you wanted to know?
