Subjects reported satisfaction with the conduct of the boarding but experienced different amounts of anxiety during the encounter that ranged from low to relatively high levels. Boarding crews received high marks for their demeanor and activities, and subjects felt such boardings contributed to navigational safety. Further, the constitutional and statutory authority of boarding practices was not questioned. Some subjects indicated that effective interdiction of drug smuggling requires methods other than random boardings and that licensing pleasure craft skippers may obviate the need for random boardings. The authors conclude that U.S. Coast Guard boardings should be concerned with those who experience high anxiety levels and that training and sensitivity to deal with this group needs to be emphasized. 14 references, 12 endnotes, and 6 tables