Letter to the Editor

Coast Guard overkill

Thu, 07/03/2014 - 8:00am

Dear Editor:

Nice job on the Windjammer Days by the new group. I know they expended considerable efforts to put that whole thing together and we participated in previous years. I really appreciate that.

One downer: The heavy hand of law enforcement in the form of the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. We had six or eight schooners, but we had more Coast Guard Auxiliarists with blinking lights. I understand their intentions, but that's not a great sign. Too, the Coast Guard was all over the commercial boats because they were too close to the schooners, who were maneuvering easily, in a no wind situation.

I have been concerned over the years, as some folks well know, about Coast Guard enforcement efforts in the Boothbay Harbor area and what it does to people wanting to come (or not come) to the harbor. Here's another instance of overkill.

Jon R. Doyle
Augusta