[Synchro Joe]

The Coast Guard’s primary law enforcement authority is derived from 14 USC 89 (made law in1949) which states in part, “The Coast Guard may make inquiries, examinations, inspections, searches, seizures, and arrests upon the high seas and waters over which the United States has jurisdiction, for the prevention, detection, and suppression of violations of the laws of the United States for such purposes, commissioned, warrant and petty officers may at any time go on board of any vessel subject to the jurisdiction, or to the operations of any law, of the United States, address inquiries to those on board, examine the ship’s documents and papers, and examine, inspect, and search the vessel and use all necessary force to compel compliance . . .”
If you are expecting the Courts to reverse decades of decisions finding that 14 U.S.C. 89 searches are not in conflict with the Fourth Amendment, forget about it. In today’s society where everyone is subject to mandatory searches without probable cause every time you board an airliner, enter a government building, state or federal, or major sporting event, the power of the Coast Guard to search any vessel at any time is not going to be fettered. It will take an act of Congress and that will never happen. U.S. Courts over the last 200 years have consistently validated the right of the Coast Guard to board and inspect vessels, probable cause or not.

To refuse permission for Coast Guard personnel to board may subject them to a penalty of $500. Forcibly resisting is a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $10,000.00 fine. The fourth amendment has never been bestowed to boats You can refuse all you want you’re still getting boarded.

Obviously 9/11 had a huge impact, and changed the emphasis from a boating safety or vessel registration check, so much more serious areas. It is what it is unless Congress changes the laws.