Ukba Boarding Vessels At Sea In An Intimidating Manner

[Cronky]

This post appeared in HM Government's 'Your Freedom' website:

 

Stop UKBA boarding vessels at sea in an intimidating manner

 

UK yachtsmen and boaters in general are being boarded at sea by officers of the UK Borders Agency that are intimidating and going towards terrifying. These boarding’s are unannounced and usually without any or much legitimate suspicion that the target is up to no good. The boarding can be at night, conducted by a team of officers coming alongside your vessel at high speed, then ‘storming ‘over the side, without permission or introduction and going below to start immediate drug swabbing and rummaging activity – apparently the boarding party is split so that some stay up top with the skipper, in case there are booby traps on board! The officers are in a black powerful inflatable boat – dressed in black overalls, like riot police, have black crash helmets and largely have little ‘people skills’

 

Have any local Yachties experienced this?

[thebees]

No, but I was nearly pushed off the road by a fire engine the other week. I find all the emergency/security services a little on the thuggish side. I'm sure sirens didn't used to be as loud as they are now (maybe my hearing improved) during TT week some bikers and my friend and I were scared half to death by the police screaming down Broadway, they could have waited til they'd past the pedestrians before putting their sirens on. Maybe the mirrored shades are effecting their brain waves.

 

Anyway cronky, it's all for your own protection Feel safe knowing big brother is here, protecting you, from drugs & bombs. Although it has to be said there are a lot of drugs about and also those who wish to bomb, generally do. A waste of money then, isn't it? but where else do you get to play soldiers without having to get into dirty wars? I blame action man.

[ballaughbiker]

Quite. I love the bit about lack of people skills. Er, just like anyone holding a post connected with security along with (their) perceived moral high ground of protecting us from ourselves, you don't need people skills. They are just optional.

[cheeky boy]

We were intercepted one dark night by a black rubber boat. It bore down on us at high speed and as I could see both red & green lights it could only be headed straight towards us ( the nav lights are angled in such a way as to make this certain)

 

At the time we were up to no good and the skipper was panicking. Realising we were bang to rights I advised we carry on regardless and bollocks to them.

 

The craft drew abeam about 20 meters and raked us with the searchlight. The no good we were up to was not the no good they were looking for so they sped off without a word.

 

Did rather make me wonder why our taxes are spent on both customs vessels and a fisheries protection boat to do two different jobs in the same area

 

By amalgamating the two services we could either have twice the covereage or half the cost, they may even have enough spare time on their hands to harass innocent yachtsmen and possibly arrest not so innocent lobster fishermen

[MilitantDogOwner]

Yes, wouldn't it be great if the nasty men put up pirate flags so the authorities knew which boats to board and which ones to leave alone.

 

Or maybe the authorities should write to all sea farring types asking them be on their best behaviour and not transport naughty things like guns, drugs, people etc.

 

 

 

Boohoo, some yahoo yacht owner got inconvienienced for a brief time while the authorities confirmed that they weren't up to no good.

 

"Although it has to be said there are a lot of drugs about and also those who wish to bomb, generally do. A waste of money then, isn't it?"

 

Soooooo, some drugs and other nasty things get through, so why bother trying to stop them in the first place? I know lets declare Manx waters open season.