Sea Pirates?? Here's the real deal.

[Duke41]

The industries reputation is earned by its actions. There are no heros here just opportunists. All the heros are with the coast guard.

[seadogg]

listen, my idea isn't to make enemies here, but to refer to assistance towers or salvage companies as "opportunists" is ridiculous, flat out. Have any of you ever been involved with a marine salvage or witnessed one first-hand? maybe, but it's not likely. i have, many times, and i can tell you for instance that when Sandy passed through and the fire department called us to save a vessel that had broken off its mooring and another that was minutes from sinking, there was no opportunism involved. i know that when we were out there in sixty-knot winds and 6 to 8-foot seas and i had to get aboard the rapidly sinking vessel to put emergency pumps on it, i felt like a proffessional doing a dangerous job and i felt i deserved to be paid for it. furthermore, the crew and i were friends with the owner and he couldn't seem to thank us enough. if you will argue against that, i'd gladly take one of you along next time and you can climb into the cabin of a vessel that could go down and take you with it. To believe "poor me" tales without experiencing things first hand is an amateur mistake not only in boating, but in life.

[Chesapeake Bill]

Originally Posted by seadogg

Have any of you ever been involved with a marine salvage or witnessed one first-hand? maybe, but it's not likely. i have, many times...

I spent many a day in teh early 80's sitting 100 yards off a disabled vessel while Tim Peregoy played his games just to get his way and push the entire "marine salvage" policy of the Coast Guard. I've watched first hand in my 23 years of service and have to say that most of the actions I've seen are befitting of the name "pirates" given to the industry.