Tooling around the more scenic stretches of coastline on Bainbridge Island in a high powered speedboat might sound to some like the ideal day off, especially on those fast-approaching sunny summer days.

But, for Bainbridge Island Police Department Sgt. Ben Sias and the dozen or so other island officers of the BIPD Maritime Services Unit, it’s just another day at the office.

A fast-moving, often unpredictable office.

The specialty unit patrols the island coastline and surrounding waterways, working closely with Harbormaster Tami Allen (who often comes along on patrols), keeping an eye out for hazards and obstructions, unsafe boating practices, injuries, accidents and pirates.

Or not. Pirates are admittedly a less than significant issue around here.

But illegally placed buoys are a very real danger, and so are derelict and unregistered vessels.

With backup in short supply and no telling what one will encounter from this minute to the next, maritime patrol boasts many of the same dangers as police duties on land and then some.

But that’s not to say it’s no fun either.

The unit’s primary vessel, the 35 ½-foot, 750-horsepower response boat “Marine 8,” is a pleasure to operate, Sias said.

It really spoils the driver with it’s agility and delicate handling, he said. Also, though maritime patrol tends to be less stressful than typical patrol in many ways, it can also be quite a bit more so in others, including some that might be less obvious.

“It’s just different,” said Sias, who oversees the seaworthy squad. “There’s not a whole lot of assistance for us out here if we have an issue. The weather, too. The weather on land doesn’t really matter. It doesn’t scare me, but out here we’ve been threatened a number of times.”

Though his supervisory duties keep him from spending as much time on the boat these days as he once did, Sias recently returned to the waterways to fill in for another officer who was injured. He missed the work. A bit of variety, a specialty duty that’s enjoyable, ultimately makes for better cops in the long run, he said.

“The additional specialty makes the job wear better over time,” he explained. “I’ve been doing it a long time and I still have a good time with it. People usually when they get a little bit longer in the job, they just kind of slow down and don’t do a whole lot anymore, but this keeps it fun.

“Most of us have mountain bikes. I’ve got the boat.”

Of the island’s 20 officers, Sias said that about a dozen are trained and qualified to operate the boat. He was an unlikely candidate himself to run the program, he added, remembering his early days of the force.

“It’s become kind of a passion,” he said. “I had absolutely no interest in boats until I started coming out on this, back when I was a reserve [officer], even before I got hired as a full-timer back in ’99.”

Sias once conducted dive charters out of Eagle Harbor, and did some tug and barge work, as well.

“If you talk to people who are avid boaters, some people it just kind of gets them,” he said. “I ended up going from being part-time on the boat to being the lead for the program. And then I wanted to be the very best at it. That’s why I took time off of work and went to captain’s school, and when I’m not working, I’m out on boats.”

The division of responsibilities between the police boat crew and the Coast Guard is not exactly definite, Sias said, though the Coasties tend to concern themselves less with recreational boating, and the police are also more attuned to smaller, specific locations of responsibility.

Memorial Day weekend begins the busy season for the maritime unit.

It is, Allen said, one of the busiest of the whole year and unexpectedly dangerous, too. It’s the first time many boaters are putting their vessels in the water for the year and technical glitches, equipment malfunctions and rusty skills often lead to incidents requiring assistance, she explained.

Things usually quiet down by the Fourth of July, though, the other most eventful weekend of the summer.

The three primary concerns for Allen and the Bainbridge police department are ensuring the use of lifejackets, increasing general education and training among vessel operators and encouraging people not to mix alcohol and boating, Sias said. Those are the “big three” of preventable measures, all of which have proven to be extremely effective in heading off potentially deadly incidents.

Allen advises boaters and would-be boaters to visit the Washington State Parks website (www.parks.state.wa.us/435/Boating) for reliable information and training resources. Also, the annual Bainbridge Island Boater’s Fair is a good place for islanders seeking maritime safety and legal info.