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ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Blue uniforms and orange life vests on the horizon. "Sir! Please reduce your speed and come to a stop. We are going to conduct a random safety boarding. Have you ever been boarded by the Coast Guard before?"

Touted as Alaska's year around playground Big Lake sits at the west end of the Matanuska-Susitna valley, 60 miles north of Anchorage. The community of about 2,000 full-time residents receives a lot of summer and weekend recreation activity.

Ensign Kevin Lamb and Petty Officer Second Class Mark MacDonald from the Coast Guard cutter Hickory teamed with Sergeant Shannon Fore from the Alaska State Troopers to conduct boater's education and safety training (BEST) during the 4th of July weekend on Big Lake.

On July 3, nine members of the Coast Guard Marine Safety and Security Team (MSST) from Anchorage joined them. The MSST trailered one of six 25-foot defender class small boats from their base in Anchorage. The boat, built by SAFE corporation, has rigid foam collar that aides in buoyancy and is non-marring. The vessel uses twin 225-horsepower outboard engines. The boat's speed was useful in pursuing and boarding wave runners, jet skis and cigarette boats that were able to out run the smaller trooper vessel.

The two teams worked together to board as many vessels as possible and cover the lake. The State Troopers can only board a vessel if they note a violation while on patrol or the members of the vessel are engaged in fishing. The Coast Guard has the authority to board any vessel for any reason, however, by having the troopers present they can levy stricter fines for things like registration violations and deal with warrants that come back as a result of background checks.

During the course of the weekend the teams boarded 44 vessels and personal watercrafts, terminated 11 vessels voyages for insufficient number of lifejackets onboard and inoperable or no fire extinguishers. One individual had an outstanding warrant and the Coast Guard turned him over to Alaska State Troopers.

No boaters were found to be operating vessels under the influence of alcohol.

The Coast Guard cutter Hickory is a 225-foot sea going buoy tender based in Homer. The crewmembers from the Hickory are trained Coast Guard law enforcement officers and were training and assisting Alaska State Troopers to keep our waters safe during the holiday weekend.

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