FWC Vessels

[big bend gyrene]

Ok, so last trip out of Ecky I get stopped by FWC for a safety / reg inspection, but instead of seeing the usual

contender.jpg (12.72 KiB) Viewed 3234 times

I get pulled by this

Big Ass Patrol Vessel.jpg (28.47 KiB) Viewed 3234 times

Seriously, this thing had about 30 officers on board, took 3 of them about 10 minutes to get in their dingy and push it out, and it made what normally is a 10 minute p.i.t.a about a 45 minute much bigger P.I.T.A.

Ok, just me or does having 27 officers twiddling their thumbs on an 80' boat while 3 do an inspection out of a dingy about 10 miles out of ECONFINA seem like a big waste or not? Geesh, I had gotten stopped a few weeks earlier by five officers in a 30' contender and thought that was overkill...

Anybody care to explain why so many tax dollars are warranted for such boats in our area? By the way, had to laugh that in what is very likely my last check of the year they give me a 2011 safety inspection sticker that they say will give me a pass for the rest of the year... passed multiple earlier checks this year and they didn't say a word about the sticker.

[silverking]

Come on, BBG, you remember training exercises from your Corps days, don't you?

While in this particular case it does seem like an overkill (not to mention the proverbial pain), this vessel is typically tasked with offshore patrols for fish-trap, shrimping, etc. enforcement. Sounds like they were probably on a training mission and you happened to be the lucky subject.

FWC law enforcement does have a wide variety of patrol craft, everything from this one down to airboats and Gheenos for undercover/shallow water surveillance.

Not saying this wasn't an excessive use of manpower and resources, just looking at a likely reason why you got stopped.

Besides, they always stop those with shifty eyes and yellow hulls.

[Gulf Coast]

Had this same boat pass us up this past Sunday. Guess the seas were to bad for them to check us or they felt sorry for us !

[big bend gyrene]

To tell the dayum truth, Silverking, they didn't have to chase me down... I pretty much ran to them. Besides being in the middle of my intended path BACK IN from an offshore trip, from a few miles away I marveled at whatever the bloody heck it was on the horizon towering far above anything I had seen before on the water. Truly just kept my course which brought me right to them with their blue lights-a-flashin'. Heck, if I hadn't made it a point to purposefully get near them, probably would have taken them an hour to check me.

And no joke, Silverking, the VERY FIRST thought I had on seeing the "hurry up and wait" look of the 27 extra guys on board was, "Dang, reminds me of my old reserve weekend drills!"

[silverking]

Aaah yes, the old SNAFU.

We had a few more choice descriptions when I was in the squadron, waiting around while command changed our orders five times.

If truth be known, the FWC is probably getting extra "free" bucks from NOAA for conducting grouper enforcement. You know, kinda like when FHP activity coincidentally picks up right around the end of the month? The Obama administration likely mandates a printing press on board to run off new regs along with all that stimulus dough they're papering everything with (let's see if Keels reads this).

You sure you weren't smuggling Occupy protestors inshore for the massive Wacissa demonstration? They've been deprived of their rights to freeload off society, you know! Lenin was a fly-fishing nut, I hear.

[fishinfool]

Compared to our current administration and these "Occupy" nutjobs, Lenin looks alot like Ghengis Khan.
We could clear out all these "Occupy" sites by offering the attendees a shower and a job.

[MrGreenJeans]

I got pulled by the same boat at the K tower about 6 weeks ago. The officers decided not to board ( I guess rough seas as well being around 4'). I was curious but not curious enough to ask if they had jurisdiction in Federal waters.

[EddieJoe]

Aaah yes, the old SNAFU.

We had a few more choice descriptions when I was in the squadron, waiting around while command changed our orders five times.

If truth be known, the FWC is probably getting extra "free" bucks from NOAA for conducting grouper enforcement. You know, kinda like when FHP activity coincidentally picks up right around the end of the month? The Obama administration likely mandates a printing press on board to run off new regs along with all that stimulus dough they're papering everything with (let's see if Keels reads this).

You sure you weren't smuggling Occupy protestors inshore for the massive Wacissa demonstration? They've been deprived of their rights to freeload off society, you know! Lenin was a fly-fishing nut, I hear.

Well, Dave you and I know there is nothing new in the "big boat" (which comes courtesy of NOAA) being used at the behest of the feds, offshore and inshore. The FWC gets paid to do the fed's bidding and they are glad to get it, especially now. However, this deal goes back continuously into the days of the old Marine Patrol in DNR and is not a black helicopter invention of the current administration, despite what some of you guys may believe (and unfortunately, facts rarely trump strongly held beliefs). No matter what, it always amounts to a big PITA for a small boat guy when he or she gets boarded from either the big state boat or CG. I have gotten boarded in my 20' boat by both offshore, too (with guys in flack jackets and AR-15's), and they had to run many miles to come to me anchored up. Whey I asked why me, they laughed and said they saw me on radar so there is no escaping their loving touch when each intercept is money in the bank. No way around it, I guess, but it has nothing to do with politics, the stimulus, or anything else like that. It's just $ for the state agency, and always has been.

This is starting to feel like a political thread, so I'm stopping.

EJ

[silverking]

EJ,
I did know that background and have no problem with the FWC getting fed $ for enforcement. Those comments were made in the JT tradition of stirring the pot. Guess they worked, huh? It's all part of the right-wing conspiracy.

[EddieJoe]

Yup. Meanwhile, the FWC went along with the feds, again, on gags. I'm thinking the Commission should change that slogan:
"Florida, Fishing Capital of the World" , to:

"Florida, Commercial Fishing Capital of the World". Maybe they were afraid the feds would recall the big boat and quit paying for offshore fish and safety checks if they didn't play ball. In any case, it's gutless, clueless, or perhaps they just agree that grouper are best sold by a few rather than caught by individuals.

EJ

EJ,
I did know that background and have no problem with the FWC getting fed $ for enforcement. Those comments were made in the JT tradition of stirring the pot. Guess they worked, huh? It's all part of the right-wing conspiracy.

[big bend gyrene]

Left wing... right wing... federal... state... I'll show my independent roots here and say I don't care... having 30 guys twiddle their thumbs while checking bay boats out of Econfina is a huge waste of TAXPAYER dollars. I would fear a single bad ass officer with an AR15 coming at me in a 150hp 18' Maverick as much as the naval freakin' battleship above. Don't care if it's Obama or Bush, Lawton Chiles or Rick Scott allowing it to happen, still a big azz waste of OUR TAXPAYER dollars. It's this type waste we should be challenging our Federal AND STATE officials to STOP, not pursue.

Well past time to start challenging our govt to sensibly allocate OUR dollars, and just sayin' that 30 guys taken almost an hour to check out a very few boats out of Econ is ridiculously wasteful.

The independent stuff out of the way, would think libtards would be especially upset as I'm a dayum sight certain that the 80' battleship is less green than a Maverick would be.

[Jumptrout51]

A kayak is less green than a Panga.
If you would sell the Panga and buy kayaks for the Occupiers then 80 people could fish. Share your greed.

[Dubble Trubble]

Isn't that the old boat that sat near C-Quarters down at Carrabelle for years?

Dubble

[big bend gyrene]

Almost certain it is, Dubble... spent lots of tax dollars fixing it up to chase down Econ sea-bass fishermen.

[Flint River Pirate]

Your tax dollars at work! Why don't they send that boat full of cops down off the coast of Miami and stop some of the drugs being smuggled in? We can handle Econfina for them while they are gone.