May 30, 2008

Come see what happened when I went boating this past weekend!

This past Memorial Day weekend, I traveled with some friends to my house in Seal Harbor, Maine. One of the highlights of being in that beautiful corner of the world is to spend a little time on the water. We went for a rather chilly cruise aboard my Hinckley Picnic boat – Skylands II. While off the coast of Mount Desert Island, we were paid a surprise visit from the US Coat Guard! Come see my photos.

Here we are being approached by the U.S. Coast Guard, who asked us to
prepare for an inspection-boarding. The sea was a bit rough and they
granted us permission to motor into Seal Harbor for the procedure.
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Kevin was all wrapped up and napping soundly when the Coast Guard stopped us.
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The Coast Guard has many boats like these patrolling the coastal waters - I always feel very safe when I see one of these very fast, well-equipped vessels.
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The Coast Guard circling Skylands II, as I prepare to restart and move into the calmer waters of the
Harbor.

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My 'Captain' Bryan Dow, talking to the officers.
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Strong, handsome, and friendly - they were doing their job, inspecting pleasure craft, as well as fishing and commercial vessels for appropriate safety equipment and licenses.
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Francesca could not figure out what was going on - I think she wanted to make sure she had her life jacket aboard - we always keep the halters and leashes on the dogs, just in case.
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As we pulled up to one side of dock, the Coast Guard vessel pulled up on the other.

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here they come

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Bryan is also my property manager in Maine and is a retired coast guard officer himself.
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This was our first day out in the boat this season and fortunately, I had carefully checked the safety equipment - the life jackets, the life preserver, the survival suits, and flares before we took off that afternoon -  Bryan had done an excellent job of readying the boat for the summer's outings.
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Brian is discussing the EPIRB - Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon - with one of the officers.  If needed, this location device uses satellite signals so that rescuers can find you.
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My friend, Charles Simonyi, smiling during the boarding process - he has a boat, also, and understands the necessity of proper safety equipment, drills, and procedures.
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The inspection was successful - we were not in violation and we passed muster.  As owner, I had to sign an electronic form.

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Brian discussing more details

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Notice that Francesca has watched the entire procedure with great interest - luckily, she didn't bark.
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The Coast Guard left us in good humor and said it would be okay to post the experience on my blog.
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