Coast Guard gun boat submarine escort

Today we were stopped by the Coast Guard. We were transiting a section of the waterway by a submarine building facility. It just happened that while we were there making our meager 5-knot headway, a huge high-tech submarine came speeding in the inlet escorted by two Coast Guard gun boats. The first came roaring up to us with a man stationed at the machine gun on the bow, eying us seriously.

Then the second gun boat came to back up the first. We stated our intentions to stay clear to the west and wait out the passing submarine. The gun boat stayed with us to make sure that we didn’t mean any funny business! Imagine us meaning funny business with a nuclear submarine!!!

Nuclear submarine and Coast Guard gun boat escort

The strange thing was how seriously the 18 year-old machine gunner was eying us. He never took his eyes off of us. I sat there admiring his tether (safety strap connecting him to his boat and gun) and wondering if he was cold.

The sub passed quickly, and soon the gun boats went roaring off to escort him into the sub “yard.”

What a blast!