Coasties recieved good training back then given that they did duty at sea as law enforcement, search and rescue, etc.. They sailed into storms to rescue people and have earned a well-deserved reputation for valor and professionalism under duress. The bootcamp was longer and more rigorous than the Navy and the missions the the Coasties carry out include everything from maintaining aides to navigation to law enforcement, border patrol, combat river boat coxswains, search and rescue, etc.

Governors Island was a large CG base with a training center as well as a base of ops for the entire East Coast area of operations.

When a drug boat was busted at sea on the East Coast it would often end up at the Y dock at Governors Island where it was unloaded. Often, for every bale of grass or cocaine that went up the gangplank and into a transport vehicle, another went over the side into a small boat for "local distribution". In this way hundreds of pounds of the stuff would be appropriated by crewmen for sale and sharing. This involved complicity at a number of levels but the Guard was a brotherhood in this sense.

Another route of acquisition was to strike before the boats made landfall by slithering over the side with a rope tied to ones body. A brief swim would be rewarded with all the dope one could hide. Who wanted to pay $35-40 an ounce if one could get it for "free" and sell it at a discount to one's buddies? Geez, think of the fame and respect....

I recall one of the guys at the Electronics Training Center on Governors Island, NY was rather enamored with this second idea. After he was shipped out to his duty station on the Northern Pacific coast, in Puget Sound I think, this character got a chance to acquire some grass the "easy" way.

The Coast Guard cutter he was stationed on managed to catch a sailboat with a load of weed on it. The sailboat was towed by the Cutter but, for some reason, that night it was not underway. So it was anchored with the sailboat secured on a towline downcurrent.

Our nominee decided to tie a rope to himself and swim over to the sailboat after stripping down to his skivvies. The young man, a fellow from the landlocked and hot South, leaped into the freezing winter waters of the Northern Pacific and was found the next day in a tangle of line and dead of hypothermia. He was probably unconscious within a minute or two.... heck, most of us thought it was easier to simply buy it at the park from a Jamaican guy....

Submitted on 11/30/2007

Submitted by: lungfish001@yahoo.com
Reference: pre-internet.... 1980-81

Copyright © 2007 DarwinAwards.com

Bruce said:
Neutral: Personal Account
Two of my uncles were in the USCG in the 60s-70s and never mentioned rampant drug use. During my 15 years in the USCG Auxiliary I went to Governors Island a few times myself, and while I never saw any signs of it either it wouldn't surprise me if there was some drug abuse going on. I do wonder about the end of this story though. From my training I would be surprised if a cutter dropped anchor while towing another boat. The likelihood of the lines tangling or the vessels hitting would be too high. Either the sailboat would be rafted to the cutter (tied securely alongside) or a crew would be put on the sailboat to anchor it by itself. A watch would also be set up to keep an eye on the sailboat. The watchstander would take action if the towline broke or tangled, if the two vessels were about to hit, etc. Of course I'm basing all this on current day USCG training, which has evolved significantly over the past 30 years. Considering this only qualifies for a PA, however, I'll give it a nod.

Chip said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
I have the same reservations, Bruce. I was in the Air Force in the 70's and while we did have beer machines, drug use was not rampant and I doubt it was in the CG either. In addition, I live on the Puget Sound. While the water is cold, it is NOT cold enough to kill in a couple of minutes. Nevertheless, this is a PA so I will vote accordingly.

James said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
Coast Guard Boot Camp tougher than the Navy?? I THINK NOT!!! :-) Anyway, I was a Midshipman the year the Navy decided to go "zero tolerance" (circa 1983). Before that, drug use in the military certainly was more rampant than today (my fellow long-time Army Bandsmen attest to this), and whacky tabbacky was the drug of choice! I am quite familiar with Governor's Island, having lived in NYC all my life and having served there with the Naval Reserve, so I have a nice visual on all this! I will vote PA because it shows the extent to which one will go for a quick high!

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