Publish Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Location: Lake Worth, Florida
We’re back in the United States, having crossed over from the Bahamas last Sunday. We planned and executed an overnight cruise from Chubb Cay (near Nassau) to the Lake Worth Inlet in Florida (near Palm Beach). The weather was as we hoped based on the data we had: 10-15 knots of wind out of the southeast, 2-3 foot waves in the Gulf Stream. It was an uneventful cruise right up until the moment we entered at Lake Worth Inlet…
Shortly after we entered we were hailed by the U.S. Coast Guard. They asked us our last port of call, and when they heard it was the Bahamas, they informed us that they would be boarding us for an inspection. Yikes! We had just cruised for about 20 hours, we were tired, and the boat was a mess. But we decided it was not a big deal — we were certainly in compliance, and all of our documentation was in order.
They asked us to maintain course and speed, and they pulled up along side. Three young men boarded the boat through the cockpit door, and introduced themselves. They said it would be a brief boarding: they would check our documentation and my driver’s license, and if everything was okay, they would be on their way. They were very polite and professional, and they were on and off the boat in about fifteen minutes. It was early Sunday morning, and I’m guessing they used the opportunity as a training exercise for a couple of the men. We thanked them for their service, and they wished us well on our cruise.
Kathryn and I discussed the fact that this was a relatively low-stress event in our own country, but we wondered how we will feel when this same sort of thing happens in another country? I suppose it will depend on the country and the situation, and I’m guessing we’ll find out soon enough. In any case, it’s nice to know our borders are not as porous as the news sometimes portrays, and it was a pleasure to meet these young men in service to our country.
You might want to read about others who have been boarded or stopped at the links below. It seems that other countries have the same dedicated young men standing watch protecting them. Though it is hard to not to feel that there are none better than our own.
http://setsail.com/s_logs/dashew/dashew349.html
http://kosmos.liveflux.net/blog/2009/02/18/passage-to-gran-canaria-days-1-and-2/#more-964
Dave, We were boarded 4 times from Seattle WA to Boston MA. Once by USCG, twice by Mexico Navy and once by Costa Rica Navy. Language was a challenge, but we got by. They are respectful and official, never a concern there. However the drug activity in Central Mexico and violence has increased significantly. I would be VERY careful if someone approaches you at night. Have the USCG San Diego phone number handy and don’t hesitate to call on satphone if your gut tells you something is wrong. Do NOT approache pangas nor respond to requests for agua or food. Keeping your family safe is your priority, its simply not worth the risk of exposing yourself to a potentially dangerous situation. NOTE this is just a Mexico issue, I don’t think you will face it on the East Cost of MX?
Safe voyages, Scott