Originally Posted by
Dr. Keith
Some states do charge and I have friends who have been charged. I wasn't aware that Coast Guard does not charge, so thank you for correcting my bad assumptions. That is pretty cool.
Yes, the HowStuffWorks link mentioned that some states and local authorities had started to charge for search-and-rescue. And I can see the logic in it, what with austerity (which hits even harder on local authorities than on national) and with ever more totally inexperienced people going on some sort of adventure. But the open sea is a harsh mistress, and inexperienced sailors there are few and far between, so I'm glad to see the Coast Guard doesn't charge people.