Striper finders not always keepers

The pre-dawn January morning was chilled with a light breeze while wisps of fog clung to the distant skylines of Portsmouth and Norfolk. Slowly, a golden-red sun climbed the horizon, painting the white hull of the 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Shearwater with a soft light as the crew pulled the ship away from the pier.
The crew of the Shearwater was underway for Operation Striper Swiper, a federal...