Coast Guard statistics show that the changes haven't hurt boating safety. While the number of recreational boats in the United States has soared over the past 35 years–from 5.5 million in 1971 to 12.7 million in 2006, boating-related fatalities have plunged, from 1,582 in 1971 to 710 last year. (The National Marine Manufacturers Association estimates the total number of recreational boats in use at almost 18 million.)

"That's a pretty spectacular track-record," Hoedt says.

HOMELAND SECURITYU.S. COAST GUARD PA2 ALLYSON E. T. CONROYA Coast Guard crewman carries an armload of marijuana bricks from a seizure.

Perhaps the biggest change came after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when the Coast Guard was thrust into a central role in the nation's new homeland security effort and was transferred to the new Department of Homeland Security.

Almost overnight, the service intensified its efforts in tracking and inspecting commercial freighters and passenger vessels, stepping up port security and policing coastal waters and harbors to detect potential saboteurs. Boarding crews were heavily armed. Ultimately, it even adopted a new SWAT-team-style work uniform.

The Coast Guard also began a massive shipbuilding program designed to provide an array of new vessels, from oceangoing warships to faster, more heavily armed patrol-boats capable of pursuing–and challenging–possible threats to U.S. security, both within U.S. waters and offshore.

And, over the past two years, the service has undergone a major reorganization that has integrated many of its missions and resources. The new structure has given more authority to so-called sector commanders in each of 35 major maritime areas to help coordinate Coast Guard activities. And it has gathered its special enforcement units–strike forces, law-enforcement teams and port security units–under a single nationwide command.

The service also is working to set up a nationwide database of registered recreational boats–authorized by Congress almost 20 years ago–that Coast Guard and state officials could use in law-enforcement activities. Some 12 states already have signed up to participate in the program, and more are expected to join once the system goes into effect.

Finally, the Coast Guard is putting into operation an automatic identification system (AIS) for larger vessels that will broadcast a ship's position, course, speed and other information to law-enforcement activities and other vessels–a boon for tracking and locating ships for search-and-rescue efforts and for homeland security purposes.

Coast Guard officials say the AIS program isn't likely to affect small pleasure-craft directly anytime soon, and they haven't yet decided what to do about keeping tabs on recreation boats.

"The Coast Guard is looking at all options, and has decided none," Hoedt says, with emphasis. Nevertheless, it's clear that concerns about potential terrorism involving small boats are on the commandant's mind.

But, as Admiral Allen himself found out, there are limits to how far the service can go. Musing about the homeland security threat in a speech a year ago, Allen threw out the notion that the Coast Guard might require mandatory licensing to help keep tabs on recreational boating.