Coast Guard Detains Uncooperative Boater After Chase On SF Bay

[captain58sailin]

My thanks to you all, for being there, more than once in an hour of need, I almost joined when they rescued us when I was nine, commercial fishing, broke down in a heavy fog, the "Ironwood" came and took us in tow, my brother and I got to ride on the "Ironwood" they had chocolate cake and milk in the galley, that was the best sales pitch ever.

[roverhi]

Looks like the sailor was taking too many of the chemicals available in the Bay Area. He was identified by his accent on the Mayday call and had been acting extremely erratic which resulted in a call to the authorities from someone on shore.

Latitude 38 - 'Lectronic Latitude

[tamicatana]

Sailing Anarchy discussion. Looks like the ol'boy was having one on:

Running from the coast guard?... not a good idea... - Sailing Anarchy - Sailing Anarchy Forums

[hellosailor]

If he could:
a) stand up
b) figure out how to turn on a radio
c) figure out how to pick up a mic
d) figure out how to press the transmit key

Than the problem was not USING drugs, the problem was a drug SHORTAGE.

Given adequate drugs, he'd have been unable to do any of that. Sounds more like a drunk than a stoner but of course there's a wide range of other drugs in between.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Khagan1227

Looks like this is in Bash's neighborhood.

Sigh. Yes. I know the boat. One of our darling Richardson Bay anchor-outs, giving liveaboards everywhere a bad name.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Bash

Sigh. Yes. I know the boat. One of our darling Richardson Bay anchor-outs, giving liveaboards everywhere a bad name.

You shoud have him over for dinner sometime.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Don L

You shoud have him over for dinner sometime.

Actually, he took a mooring at my yacht club. Didn't fly a burgee, for some reason. He was part of the view from my dinner table Friday night.

As I understand it, he rowed over to our guest dock, dropped off his oars, and then hand-paddled back to his own boat. Then he began to cast bags of sails overboard in protest of the Americas Cup. (Which is strange because the Kiwis haven't lost a race yet. You'd have thought it would be an Italian protesting the proceedings?)

Looks like I'll be helping pay for his dinners for the next ten years to life, with time off for good behavior.

[sailorboy1]

well that explains a lot, bad batch of weed

and I though some good stuff was available in SF

[zeehag]

Deep Trouble for Troubled Kiwi

July 24, 2013 – San Francisco

While the New Zealand America's Cup team is basking in the glory of an unbroken string of Louis Vuitton Cup wins, one of their countrymen has been making a very different sort of headline.

As reported Monday, New Zealander David McCormick (a dual national who also holds an Irish passport) was arrested on Sunday 2.5 miles outside the Golden Gate by a heavily armed U.S. Coast Guard boarding party. He was charged in U.S. District Court yesterday with making false distress calls, failure to heave to, and assault on a federal officer: When the boarding party moved to cuff him, he reportedly smacked one of the officers several times — always a bad idea.


McCormick's vessel Fortune was towed to a Coast Guard facility for inspection.
© 2013 CBS San Francisco / goo.gl/tW2dHq

The more we learn about this bizarre case, the more we wonder about McCormick's state of mind. As reported on SFGate today, at roughly 9 a.m. Sunday morning the Coast Guard received a call "from a male voice with an Australian accent saying, 'Mayday relay, mayday relay, spots overboard, oh he’s over mate and he needs some help. He’s over, um, in the fog somewhere in the Bay, I don’t know where, but I’m trying to search for him so if you boys got a pretty quick boat to whip over here, get over here, jiffy, cheers, buddy, thanks.'" The USCG launched a search-and-rescue helicopter in response, but found no one, and could not confirm the location of the caller.

Several hours later, however, they heard the same voice stating that the lost shipmate had been found. Soon after, a CG patrol reportedly located McCormick aboard his boat Fortune, which was moored off the Sausalito YC. When confronted, he told the Guardsmen, "This is a peace ship and any attempt to board my vessel is an act of war." He also claimed to have firearms aboard, so the officers reportedly backed off and called for backup. While other assets were en route, McCormick cast off and made for open ocean, apparently thinking he could outrun the Coast Guard vessels which pursued him — another bad idea.

But there's more to the story. According to Sausalito YC member Jeff Zarwell, Fortune had been moored on one of the club's guest buoys for several days, but by Sunday morning some members had become alarmed by the captain's behavior. Saying something about an America's Cup protest, McCormick left his dinghy oars on the club dock — apparently on purpose — and hand-paddled out to his boat. Soon after, he was seen tossing several of his own sailbags overboard. That behavior precipitated a call to the Marin County Sheriff, but their boat was unavailable, so the Coasties were alerted. There the two accounts converge. Due to jurisdictional issues, a Sausalito policeman was also involved with the pre-escape confrontation — he arrived at the club carrying a loaded shotgun.

One thing that still remains completely unclear is the nature of McCormick's AC protest — and how dumping sailbags into the Bay could possibly strengthen his cause. No doubt we'll hear more about this embattled sailor because — based on the seriousness of the (federal) charges leveled against him — he is likely to remain in the Bay Area long after his Emirates Team New Zealand countrymen have returned to Auckland.

- latitude / andy

[hellosailor]

Dumping sailbags into the bay? That's plastic overboard inside the 3-mile limit, what is that a $10,000 MARPOL violation for each bag?

I wonder if they simply deport him, whether Ireland or NZ has the better psychiatric care system?

[ryon]

Okay, that's bizarre. Even for San Francisco.

[Viking Sailor]

Originally Posted by ryon

Okay, that's bizarre. Even for San Francisco.

Obviously you haven't spent much time in SF.

[psneeld]

If it weren't for the last 3 posts I might have considered this thread a waste of time...

[nimblemotors]

being crazy is not illegal, but it is not looking good for Mr. McCormick.

Has he been vanishing his wooden boat without adequate ventilation?

[bill352]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

All of my interactions with the USCG have been completely professional...They have always been a friend and aid to me...at sea and shore side, they have always been respectful and considerate, and a well font of information that they willingly share with anyone who cares to ask.

Couldn't agree more. I have a cousin retired from the CG, they have helped me out more than once, and I still have fond memories of the day we had to divert to Elizabeth City and were met with hospitality above and beyond the call.

But - they are effectively a military organization doing police work. Red flag.

They have so much power that their officers have to discuss the proper amount of restraint to be used. What happens when those officers are replaced by others less restrained?

What happens when the chain of command above them changes? They are military. They will follow orders.

I am posting this because my previous post about "the innocent have nothing to fear" was maybe a little snarky, although I do feel that anything sounding like that should be challenged on the spot.

But mostly I am posting to say, once again, that while we do indeed need law enforcement, and we need to delegate power to accomplish it, that power has to be kept on a very short leash.

Today, Lassie - tomorrow, Cujo. Don't let your guard down.