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NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 2
Contents Page
2012 EDITION DEADLINES
Jan 06 * Apr 01 * Jul 01 * Oct 01
Please submit all articles in
Microsoft Word to:
Wesley Craig, DSO-PB
NORTHWIND
The official publication of the
United States Coast Guard Auxil-
iary, District 11North.
Vol. 18 Issue 3 July 2012
Editor: Wesley Craig, DSO-PB 11N
Contributing Editors:
Victor Beelik ADSO-PB 11N
Design and Production:
Wesley Craig, DSO-PB 11N
Proofreaders:
Victor Beelik, ADSO-PB 11N
Chris Jewell
Jen Wuest Garcia
Kenna Craig, D-AA
Webmaster:
Jimmin Chang, DSO-CS
Web: d11nuscgaux.info/
Northwind/index.html
NORTHWIND
Commander (dpa-n)
USCG Coast Guard Island
Building 50-2
Alameda, California 94501-5100
Editor:
Wesley Craig, DSO-PB 11N
All uncaptioned photos are in
public domain.
Children's photos have pa-
rental/guardian releases on
file.
Telephone numbers and addresses of members are protected by the Privacy Act of 1974. As a matter of policy, rosters of names, addresses
and telephone numbers shall not be made available to the general public or any outside organization. Privacy of all rosters shall be safe-
guarded and the page clearly labeled. The publication of these rosters addresses and telephone numbers on any computer on-line service
including the internet is prohibited by the 1974 Privacy Act.
Editing and Disclaimer:
The NORTHWIND reserves the right to proof read and edit-copy all articles submitted. It takes
no responsibility and accepts no liability for damages caused by errors left in the document.
It cannot accept responsibility for the validity of web sites that link from this publication. It also
cannot accept responsibility for any content submitted by any author.
Articles published in the NORTHWIND must be consistent with the stated policies of the U.S.
Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Page 3 Rod Collins, DCOS
Page 4-6 Rich Thomas, DCAPT
Page 7-14 A Dream Comes True
Page 15-16 A Vintage Vessel Seeks a Modern Safety
Check
Page 17-20 COPTREX, 2012
Page 21 Crescent City Flotilla Receives Coast Guard Recognition Page 22 St Patrick’s Day BBQ Page 23-25 Flotilla 64 Farewell to LT Suckow Page 26-27 Lake Tahoe Can Kill Page 28-30 What they Reported
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 3
Rod Collins, DCOS 11NR
2012 Mid-Year Re-Cap
I do not know about everyone else but this year seems to be flying by for me! We are already at the end of June
and I’m starting to look at the end of year activities. I'm amazed at what has been accomplished in such a short
time. So let’s look at what have we done so far this year.
We had a great PCA Fair in February. Our District is fortunate to have this type of training offered to our members.
In addition to the training we have a great group that does the planning for these events and perform a great
event. There are very few other Districts that offer this type of training, not to mention the quality of our pro-
grams and instructors, to their members. Along with the exceptional curriculum we also are lucky to have the fa-
cilities at Coast Guard Island available to us. These facilities allow us to have a large offering of classes that ap-
peal to many of our members. PCA keep up the great work!
DTRAIN. What can I say? It was great. The weather could have been better but that did not dampen the spirits of
the members or the attendance at the activities. The facilities in Monterey were excellent and from the results of
our survey a good time was had by all. Planning for DTRAIN 2013, which will be back in Monterey, has already
started and looks to be even better. If you attended this year we look forward to seeing you back in 2013. If you
were unable to attend this year don’t miss next year. It has been said before but again Thanks to all of our mem-
bers who made it a great DTRAIN in 2012.
National Safe Boating Week was once again filled with many activities, events and many hours put in by our mem-
bers. We are still waiting for the final reports but the schedule of events that were going to be put on by or at-
tended by D11N members was huge. Every year I am impressed by the hours that are put in on this event. It is a
fantastic platform to get our message out to the public. It was great to go out and see the support that was pro-
vided. It is assumed each year that D11N will have an excellent showing for NSBW and each year it gets even bet-
ter. Keep up the great job!!!
Those are just a few of the events that come to mind. There are many other local activities that have been held,
sponsored and attended that I just do not have the space to comment on. However the one thread that runs true
through all of these activities is the unselfish giving of time by you, the members of District 11 North. It is no won-
der that this District has a reputation of being able to get the job done.
In the not so distant future we have the PCA Fair, NACON (National Conference), District elections (all of EXCOM
this year), Americas Cup races, Fleet Week and Elected officer training. Not to mention all of the Air and Surface
patrols, vessel exams, RBSVP visits, Marine Safety missions, etc. For all of the new members there are many areas
for you to get involved with, just pick one or two and go for it.
Have great summer and hope I see many of you at the District meeting and elections in September.
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 4
RICHARD THOMAS, DCAPT
Support and Planning
Liaison to Divisions 1, 3, and 5
Coast Guard Auxiliary: An Honor to Serve
Over these past few years I have been amazed at all the opportunities the Coast Guard Auxiliary has
provided all the volunteers. When I first joined the Auxiliary I was under the opinion that the Auxiliary
functioned mostly with program visitor, vessel examiners, public safe boating classes, and crew/
coxswain activities. Perhaps this is because I joined in a small rural area that primarily does only these
functions.
I have become very overwhelmed at all the opportu-
nities outside these basic services we provide and
wanted to share a recent honor I had as an Auxiliary
member of the U.S. Coast Guard. I was contacted by
the FS2 onboard the Coast Guard Cutter Sockeye ask-
ing if I could fill in as duty cook for five days over the
memorial day weekend. Although I had a set sched-
ule for that weekend I immediately jumped on this
great opportunity and told FS2 we would cover those
days and as it ended up I did 2-1/2 days and Tommy
Holtzman [Division Three] covered the other 2-1/2
days.
The five days underway was a phenomenal experi-
ence and one more feather in the cap for the en-
tire Auxiliary for the service we provide when
given the opportunity. The experience started on
Thursday morning of Memorial Day weekend with
having my menu reviewed and approved by the
CO and then accompanying the FS2 to Safeway to
do all the shopping. When one normally goes
shopping we likely use one cart. This was the first
experience I had moving up and down the aisles
with five carts. Once all the groceries were
unloaded and stocked onboard we departed for the Richardson Bay area and moored off-shore. Even
though we were in the bay, the first night was amazing as we had 46 knot winds and to say the least
cooking and sleeping was a little abnormal to me.
Battleship Iowa nearing the Golden
Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
Cutter Sockeye- 87 foot cutter with a
crew of 12 and stationed in Bodega Bay.
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 5
The real treat for this experience came on Satur-
day as the Sockeye had orders to escort the bat-
tleship Iowa out of the San Francisco Bay for her
final resting place as a museum at pier 87 in Los
Angeles, California. This honor was a historic
event overshadowed only by the history of the
Iowa.
This great ship had an impressive history: USS
Iowa (BB-61) was the lead ship of her class of
battleship and the fourth in the United States
Navy to be named in honor of the 29th state.
Owing to the cancellation of the Montana-class
battleships, Iowa is the last lead ship of any class
of United States battleships, and was the only
ship of her class to have served in the Atlantic
Ocean during World War II.
During World War II, she carried President
Franklin D. Roosevelt across the Atlantic to
Casablanca en route to a crucial 1943 meeting in Tehran with British Prime Minister Winston
Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin. She has a bathtub - an amenity installed for Roosevelt,
along with an elevator to shuttle him between decks. When transferred to the Pacific Fleet in 1944,
Iowa shelled beachheads at Kwajalein and Eniwetok in advance of Allied amphibious landings and
screened aircraft carriers operating in the Marshall Islands. She also served as the Third Fleet flag-
ship, flying Adm. William F. Halsey's flag at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay. During the Ko-
rean War, Iowa was involved in raids on the North Korean coast, after which she was decommis-
sioned into the United States Navy reserve fleets, better known as the "mothball fleet". She was
reactivated in 1984 as part of the 600-ship Navy plan, and operated in both the Atlantic and Pacific
Fleets to counter the recently expanded Soviet Navy. In April 1989, an explosion of undetermined
origin wrecked her #2 gun turret, killing 47 sailors.
Auxchef Rich Thomas and MK1 ready for chow.
The Coast Guard Cutter Sockeye along- side
Battleship Iowa as we reach the Vallejo area.
Battleship Iowa in action
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 6
Iowa was decommissioned for the last time in 1990, and was initially struck from the Naval Vessel
Register in 1995. She was reinstated from 1999 to 2006 to comply with federal laws that required
retention and maintenance of two Iowa-class battleships. In 2011, Iowa was donated to the Los An-
geles-based non-profit Pacific Battleship Center and will be permanently moved to the Port of Los
Angeles to serve as a museum and memorial to battleships.
I think we all have to admit, volunteering in
the Coast Guard Auxiliary often takes us to
places and events that cannot surpass any
other volunteer organization in America.
Final turn to end the Sockeye duties as escort as the
Iowa prepares to go under the Golden Gate Bridge
A farewell salute by the San Francisco Fire Department
Bridge Crew during escort day Casual moment on board the Sockeye
Not much galley space compared
to home - but Semper Paratus!
Speaking of Space - sleeping quarters were “tight” - and
I was a little disappointed that I was not given my re-
quest for a room with private bath and balcony!
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 7
Have you been dreaming to
go and sail the high seas on a
magnificent sailing ship with
three masts reaching for the
blue sky, carrying 22,000
square feet of white canvas
pulling the ship at a speed of
close to 20 knots?
Dee Dee Kincade, member of Flotilla 11N
-11-01, had her dreams fulfilled this past
April when she was invited to join the
crew of USCG Barque EAGLE as a guest on a 12 day journey from the EAGLE’s home
port, the CG Academy in New London Connecticut to New Orleans Mississippi.
The Eagle, commissioned in 1946, is a 295-foot barque used as a training ship for future
officers of the United States Coast Guard. She is one of only two active commissioned
sailing vessels in American military service, the other be-
ing the USS Constitution.
The Eagle began her existence in 1936 as the Horst Wessel,
a school ship, for the German Navy in Hamburg, Ger-
many. Her keel was laid on February 15, 1936 and she
was commissioned in September that year.
At the end of World War II the Horst Wessel was taken as
a war prize by the United States. She was first sent to
Wilhelmshaven, Germany, then to Bremerhaven, and was
commissioned into the United States Coast Guard as the
Coast Guard Barque Eagle on 15 May 1946.
Each year the Eagle conducts cruises with cadets from the
United States Coast Guard Academy and candidates from
the Officer Candidate School for periods ranging from a
week to two months. These cruises fulfill multiple roles:
By: Vic Beelik,
ADSO-PB D11N
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 8
the primary mission is training the cadets and officer candidates, but the ship also per-
forms a public relations role.
The Eagle has a seasoned permanent crew of six officers and 50 enlisted personnel main-
tain the ship and provide a strong base of knowledge and seamanship for the training of
up to 150 cadets or officer candidates and can accommodate an additional 20 to 30 guests.
The Eagle offers future officers the opportunity to put into practice the navigation, engi-
neering, and other professional theory they
have previously learned in the classroom.
More importantly, the challenges of living
aboard and working a large square-rigger at
sea build the teamwork, character, and lead-
ership skills necessary for success in the Ser-
vice.
Dee Dee Kincade joined the crew of the Ea-
gle in New London CT, as a guest on April 5,
2012. Dee Dee was the only auxiliarist on
board the Eagle during this voyage.
Under the command of Captain Eric Jones the Eagle departed the following day, April 6,
for New Orleans where she planned to join a fleet of “tall ships”. The tall ships assem-
bled in New Orleans will sail along the East Coast of the US / Canada and plan to visit
ports during the months of May through August. After clearing the coastal islands in the
vicinity of New London, the Eagle headed out to sea in search of favorable winds that
would send her south to Key West Florida.
After clearing the coastal waters under power, the Eagle found her element as the ocean
waves created by distant storms in the Atlantic made her feel like the seagoing vessel she
was designed for. The training of the 150 cadets started in earnest. Watches were set on
a 4 hours on and 8 hours off basis.
Everyone, including the guests, if they so de-
sired, stood watches under the supervision of
the permanent crew of the ship. Watch-
stander duties include tasks such as Helm,
Navigation, Lookout, Engine Room, Sailing
and Cleanup duties.
Order of the day starts with Reveille 0615,
Breakfast 0630-0700, Weather briefing 0700,
Officers meeting 0745, Muster 0800, Cleaning
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 9
0815-0900, Training 0900-1100, Lunch 1100-1230, Training 1300-1600, Dinner 1700-1830,
Evening program 1900, Star gazing 2100, Lights out 2200.
First and foremost part of the training in-
volves the learning of the “Sailor’s Lan-
guage”. When first boarding the ship most
cadets think a “sheet” is something you put
on your bunk. Soon they will learn that a
“sheet” is a line that controls a sail.
Every line and part of the ship has a name
and it’s important that every crewmember
not only knows the name but the location
and function of all 190 lines. The second
part is the learning of becoming a member
of a team. Teamwork, coordination and
following commands are essential for safety and efficiency of maneuvering a sailing ship.
Seamanship and setting sails involves go-
ing aloft of the 147 foot mainmast and
foremast and working on the yards to
furl and unfurl the giant sails day or
night in all kinds of weather.
The first few days the weather was nice
but cold with favorable winds in the 15 to
20 knot range. Foul weather gear and
warm jackets were the order of the day
especially when on helm duty or lookout
watch.
To steer the Eagle a unique “three wheel” helm is
used. It usually takes two helmsmen, but in tight
quarters or heavy winds it might take 6 to handle
the helm.
Navigation at sea training involves all aspects of
determining the ship’s position and planning fu-
ture waypoints and a course to sail based on pre-
vailing winds or storms.
In addition to training in the use of electronic navigation gear such as radar, GPS and
chart plotter, gyrocompass, the cadets are taught precise position plotting, basics of celes-
Under full sail
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 10
tial navigation and analyzing weather maps and determining the true wind direction
based on observed ships speed, relative wind speed and direction data.
As the Eagle approached Florida, the wind died.
In order to meet his schedule captain Jones or-
dered to furl all sails and start the 1,000 horse-
power Caterpillar Diesel and continue under
power.
At Key West the Eagle dropped anchor
and picked up some VIP guests. While
at anchor the crew was treated to a brief
afternoon “swim call”.
Next day the Eagle weighed anchor and pro-
ceeded toward New Orleans under power.
The following day a slight problem developed in
the Caterpillar engine cooling system. The elec-
tric salt water pump that supplied cooling water to the en-
Plotting
FIRST AID AND CPR CLASSES
WERE HELD ON DECK
Celestial Navigation
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 11
gine was malfunctioning. After contacting the USCG station in Miami it was decided that
a spare pump would be dropped by air to the Eagle.
A USCG HC-144 “Ocean Sentry”
with the spare pump aboard was
dispatched. Petty Officer 3rd
Class Patrick Allensworth and
Petty Officer 2nd Class Carlos
Camacho retrieved the replace-
ment saltwater pump that was air-
dropped for the Coast Guard Cut-
ter Eagle.
The new pump was installed
and the Eagle proceeded with
fair winds toward her destina-
tion: New Orleans.
Coast Guard photo by Petty
Officer 1st Class Brandyn Hill.
Coast Guard photo by Petty
Officer 1st Class Brandyn Hill.
SETTING THE MAINSAIL
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 12
“STARGAZING”
In the evenings, with a clear sky, Captain Eric Jones , gives lectures to all aspiring navi-
gators pointing out the well known “NAVIGATION STARS” and planets as well as all
the constellations.
Captain Jones uses a powerful laser light
to help pointing toward the stars he is dis-
cussing.
DEAD DOWN WIND IN A GOOD BREEZE.
CAPT ERIC JONES
LAND HO!
BREAKWATER ENTRANCE
TO THE MISSISIPI RIVER.
SUNSET NEAR THE END OF
THE OCS CRUISE.
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 13
Eagle arrived as scheduled on April 18. Unfortunately the crew dressed in whites was
greeted by a tremendous downpour.
Nevertheless they tied her up in an orderly fashion in front of the picturesque New Or-
leans waterfront.
New Orleans is about 100
miles from the mouth of
the “OLD MAN RIVER”
Mississipi
EAGLE tied up
at New Orleans
waterfront
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 14
The “TALL SHIP” fleet gathering at New Orleans
April 19, 2012. Captain Eric C. Jones, Eagle's 26th
and current Commanding Officer.
BM1 Crystal Linskey after arriving in New Orleans.
Crystal who was once stationed in Station Tahoe,
met Dee Dee Kincade there. Crystal is now serving
on CG Barque Eagle. She invited Dee Dee to partici-
pate on the Eagle’s cruise.
The author would like to thank
Dee Dee Kincade, member of Flo-
tilla 11N-11-01 serving North Lake
Tahoe, for providing all the photos
and particular information used in
this article.
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 15
Earlier this month, an unusual request was received through the US Coast
Guard Auxiliary 11th District North, Vessel Safety Check (VSC) website. Could a
Vessel Safety Check be conducted on a 54 year old, 30 foot Chinese Sailing Junk?
The junk was originally built in Hong Kong in 1958, was in the process of being re-
stored and was currently berthed at “A”
dock in the Monterey Harbor. Vessel
Safety Examiner Tony Budlong jumped at
the chance to respond to this unusual re-
quest.
Vessel Safety Checks are conducted by
members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
for anyone desiring them at no cost. Upon
request by a boat owner, an Auxiliarist VSC
Examiner will travel to the vessel’s location
and conduct a thorough safety examina-
tion. If the vessel passes, a safety decal is awarded and affixed to the port bow of the
vessel. Although the decal does not offer any immunity whatsoever from boarding by
any law enforcement agency while on the water, if the U.S. Coast Guard, County
Sheriff’s Office, or any other law enforcement agency does encounter the vessel while
underway, the probability of the vessel being boarded for a “boarding equipment ex-
amination” is lessened because it would be apparent by the decal that the vessel has
already been examined. There are
numerous cases of vessel safety cita-
tions costing boat owners thousands
of dollars if their vessel isn’t equipped
with the proper safety equipment.
If a vessel doesn’t pass the check, the
boat owner is notified of the safety de-
ficiencies and allowed to correct the
deficiencies to obtain the decal. No
law enforcement agency is ever noti-
fied of any vessel safety issues.
Story and Pictures by Jerry B. Edelen, PAO, Flotilla 113-06-04
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 16
Although most vessel safety checks
are conducted on more modern,
operational vessels; Tony jumped
at the rare opportunity to examine
this piece of history and said yes.
On Wednesday, June 13th, Tony
met with China Dragon’s owner,
Susan Bradley. Due to the unique
nature of the vessel and the fact it
was being renovated, Tony spent
the next 1½ hours examining the
vessel and explaining important
safety considerations to Susan.
The vessel didn’t “pass” the safety examination this time around; but, the deficiencies
were relatively minor and will be easy to fix. Tony is really looking forward to returning
to China Dragon to re-examine her and award her the coveted VSC decal.
To obtain more information about this floating piece of history, China Dragon, visit the
website: http://www.historicalchinesejunkboatmuseum.com/
Stephen Chan, DCDR 04 reports that: Ricardo Moreno (FC FL49) was on temporary duty assignment as an interpreter
in Mozambique for the Coast Guard and US Navy 08 thru 24Jun. He is fluent in
Portuguese.
And
A rescue incident at Lake Calero on 09Jun - Three women on a small boat got
stranded on the lake. They managed to come in at the 3rd pier by using a small
electric motor. FL49 member Jose Pereira and a Park Ranger went down to help.
As the electric motor would not re-start, the Park Ranger left to get a rescue boat
to tow the boat to the main pier. Meanwhile one of the passengers removed an
old battery and replaced it with a new one. She used her fingers to tighten the
connections. She started the engine and it blew up. The engine caught on fire.
Another passenger grabbed a fire extinguisher but did not know how to use it.
Jose grabbed the fire extinguisher from her and used it to put out the fire. Jose
even performed a VSC for the boat at the parking lot after the incident.
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 17
On the morning of May 9, 2012, as a last accom-
plishment before his Change of Command, OIC of
Station Rio Vista, Senior Chief Rob Goley, offi-
cially welcomed officials from more than 15 North-
ern California public safety agencies to a day of on
the water training at Brannon Island State Park, near Rio Vista. The event is formally
called the Rio Vista Multi Agency Training Day, but is informally referred to as “The
COPTREX” by those who attended the training.
Senior Chief Goley’s goal during the
day-long training exercise was to in-
crease communication, promote in-
teroperability, and improve on the
water skills of the various law en-
forcement agencies that work to-
gether in Northern California. Senior
Chief Goley also requested the use
of the Auxiliary communications
trailer belonging to the Sellstroms, as
well as a cadre of Auxiliary surface
assets and AUXChefs to support and enhance the training mission. Under Incident
Commander Rodney Impey from Station Rio Vista, Kevin Sellstrom served as the
Situation Unit Leader, and Fred Sellstrom was the Comms Unit Leader. Steve Allen
served as the Auxiliary Unit Leader and coordinated the Auxiliary support efforts
throughout the day, while Rich Thomas headed up the Food unit and AUXCHEF
team.
Law enforcement attendance included
more than 130 members who manned
more than 18 boats from the surrounding
state, county, and city agencies. Nine
Auxiliary vessels participated as support
teams and scenario role players. Opera-
By; Fred Sellstrom and
Kevin Sellstrom, ADSO
-CM D11N
Photos by; Fred Sell-
strom and Bob McCaw,
Flotilla 35
The event is formally called the
Rio Vista Multi Agency Training
Day, but is informally referred to
as “The COPTREX” by those
who attended the training.
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 18
tions Petty Officer, ME1 Rod Impey and BM3 Danelle Hauther from Station Rio Vista
were instrumental in making sure the event ran smoothly from sun-up to sun-down.
Working out of the Auxiliary Communications
Unit, BM3 Hauther and Auxiliarists Kevin and
Fred Sellstrom worked closely to assure the
communications part of the exercise ran
smoothly, dispatching for the various scenarios
underway, keeping each event on-schedule,
responding to situational needs, providing radio
guards for each Auxiliary facility, tracking the
portable radios issued to each boat crew, and a
multitude of other communications related as-
signments. By relieving Station Rio Vista and
Sector San Francisco of the burden of providing
radio guards for the plethora of Coast Guard and
Auxiliary assets on-scene, those communication
units were able to carry on normal operations
without being impacted by the needs of a large
scale exercise such as this. During the day,
communications were channeled through the ar-
ray of analog and digital radios housed in the
c o m m u n i c a t i o n s
trailer.
Also in attendance were four helicopters, including a Bell
Auxiliary helicopter
piloted by Carol
Simpson and Doug
Kerr, as well as
emergency units
f ro m Ca l s ta r ,
Reach and the
Sacramento County Sheriff. During the day,
the Auxiliary Aviators provided information to
the agencies as to their mission capabilities, and provided aerial support by flying
Coast Guard leaders overhead to observe and photograph the entirety of the days
operations. The communications trailer provided a portable wind sock, and air-to-
ground communications to vector in the various aircraft as they arrived and departed.
The boat teams participated in six undisclosed scenarios requiring quick reactions,
and smooth boat handling skills. Personnel from Station Rio Vista acted out various
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 19
roles that might be en-
countered in daily safety
and enforcement situa-
tions, and provided on-the
-water training in boat
handling, pursuit maneu-
vers, and boating safety.
Scenarios included high-
speed buoy drills, re-
sponse to a boating under
the influence accident,
suicidal subject on a boat,
recreational boarding
training, and a shooting accident requiring naviga-
tion skills to reach the incident. Auxiliary surface
assets were on-hand at each of these events to as-
sure that the event ran smoothly and safely, and to
provide vessels for the training scenarios.
Additional Auxiliary vessels were on-hand to shuttle staff and equipment to the
events, and to provide a platform for event photographers from the various agencies.
Overall, this was the second very successful OPTREX, providing a superb multi-
agency training event and netting national attention for Senior Chief Goley and the
crew of Station Rio Vista. The day showcased a model of how a multitude of agen-
cies can work and train together for success.
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 21
Crescent City Flotilla Receives Coast Guard Recognition Bruce Rogerson DCDR 08 11NR/SO-PB
At their June Flotilla meeting in the meeting hall on Crescent City Harbor, members of
Flotilla 8-11 received letters signed by Vice Admiral Brown, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard,
Pacific Area, at the time the citation was approved, awarding them a Special Operations Ser-
vice Ribbon. Presentation of the award letters and ribbons was made by Commander Edmis-
ton, Operations Officer, Group Humboldt Bay, assisted by CWO Barthel, Assistant Surface
Operations Officer, Group Humboldt Bay
The Special Operations Ribbon was
awarded for outstanding support for the United
States Coast Guard, Sector San Francisco, Uni-
fied Command Center Team during the recovery
and clean up following the tragic and damaging
tsunami event at Crescent City Harbor, Califor-
nia on March 11, 2011. Members of Flotilla 8-
11 provided outstanding support which included
critical and empathetic liaison with members of
the local fishing community who lost their boats,
sunk or damaged in the harbor, escorting boat
owners in a safe and secure manner to the loca-
tions of their stricken vessels. In addition, on the
day of the tsunami, Flotilla members turned out in
the early morning darkness to safeguard a critical
asset of the United States Coast Guard, namely the
25-foot Safe Boat 25543 which was recovered and trailered to a safe location prior to the arri-
val of the tsunami in the harbor at Crescent City.
During the period from March 11 to April 14, 2011, 15 members of Flotilla 8-11 con-
tributed a total of 374 hours in support of the Unified Command Center at Crescent City Har-
bor.
The Flotilla 8-11 members receiving the ribbon are: Bill Barlow, Becky Barlow, Evelyn
Santillan, Ed Wright, Anthony Barron. Jill Munger, James Rumble, Mary Messal, Richard
Hendricks, Richard Postal, Robert Griffin, Roger Gitlin, Thom O,Connor and Tom Dennis.
Flotilla 8-11 members crew and
operate a Coast Guard 25-foot RBS 25543
as the inshore rescue unit for an AOR from
the Oregon border to the Klamath River on
the north coast of California. Members
also provide both recreational and com-
mercial fishing vessel exams at the busy
Crescent City harbor and area launch
ramps. The flotilla regularly offers boating
safety classes locally and annually, as part
of their National Safe Boating Week ac-
tivities, go out into the local schools to talk about water safety and life jackets for children.
"CMDR Edmiston, CWO Barthel, Rick Postal,
Greg Stewart, DeAnna Stewart, Bill Barlow, Tom
Dennis, Stevin Strickland, Ed Wright. Front row:
Thom O'Connor, Jill Munger, Beverly Noll, Becky
Barlow"
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 22
Members from Flotilla 8-7 Mendocino and Flo-
tilla 8-8 of Clear Lake put on the annual St. Pat-
rick’s Day lunch for the USCG crew at Noyo
River Station. This year was the tri-tip BBQ and we fed nearly 50 regular Coast
Guard crew and Auxiliarists. Enjoy the photos of Auxiliarists preparing and
serving the meal, Coast Guard men and women “chowing down” and all relaxing
a little after the cleanup.
Too many cooks in the kitchen. Look’n pretty good!
Hey guys! We got fire go’n on here!!
Chow down everybody,
we’ve got a cake to eat yet!
Auxiliarists from Flotilla 8-7 Mendocino and Flotilla 8-
8 Clear Lake debrief with Sr. Chief Miterko following
another successful and much appreciated tri-tip lunch
for the crew at USCG Station Noyo River.
Sr. Chief M
iterko (le
ft), sh
ows off
his elongated se
t of w
heels.
Flotilla 88 - Flotsam & Jetsam
May-June 2012
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 23
A Flotilla tradition was begun last year.
When it was learned that U.S. Coast
Guard Station Commander, Lieutenant
Commander Mike Kahle, was due to
change command and move on to attend
Graduate School; Bill Dodson, Flotilla
Commander of Flotilla 113-06-04, put to-
gether a plan to set up a wild boar hunt,
bag a few wild boars, and then conduct a
luau in Lieutenant Commander Kahle’s
honor. Flotilla 113-06-04 operates out of
US Coast Guard Station, Monterey and the
relationship between the active duty Coast Guard personnel and our Auxiliarists
couldn’t be better. The hunt and luau were conducted and a great time was had by
all!
This year, it was Station Executive Officer, Lieutenant John Suckow’s turn to depart
for Graduate School and the Wild Boar Hunt/ luau plans were dusted off and put into
action.
Dave Dorrance, a friend of Bill’s and owner of the
Dorrance Ranch, consisting of 4,300 acres in the
mountains next to Monterey, California, agreed to
allow the hunting party to hunt on his ranch. The
combined Coast Guard and CG Auxiliary hunting
party consisted of CG Station Commander, LT Ron
Kooper and his son Josh, LT John Suckow, Dave
Dorrance and his cowboy friend and fellow rancher
Jim Bidini, and Flotilla Public Affairs Officer Jerry
Edelen. During the hunt, 4 herds of boar were spotted, stalked and shots were fired,
but unfortunately none of the boars appeared to have been hit. All agreed, the wind
must have played a significant factor in the misses at least that’s our story and we’re
sticking to it! Late that evening, on the way back from the ranch, the truck we were
riding in lost its alternator, so we ended up coasting down 1,000 feet of rutted road
flanked by 100 foot sheer drops while using a flashlight held out of the passenger side
window of the vehicle for illumination. We could have sworn we heard some boars
FLOTILLA FAREWELL TO CG STATION MONTEREY
EXECUTIVE OFFICER LT JOHN SUCKOW Article by Jerry B. Edelen, Flotilla 113-06-04 Public Affairs Officer
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 24
snorting merrily at our predicament, but we did make it home safely after this adven-
ture.
With no boars in hand and the scheduled luau only a couple of days away, Flotilla
Commander Bill Dodson put the word out through his friends in the California Depart-
ment of Fish and Game and miraculously a reply came back that a wild boar had been
killed and would be delivered to him. That was the good news. The bad news was
that the boar ended up being delivered to his dental office.
Bill arrived to work the next day and found a dead pig hanging in a tree outside of the
front door to his office. Not only that, it had not been cleaned or skinned. So, our un-
daunted Flotilla Commander spent the next morning, in between patients, with tem-
peratures hovering at 90 degrees, skinning and cleaning a boar hanging from a tree,
full of ticks, fleas, and poison oak, in an upscale office complex. Bill denies the rumor
that the reason he wore a surgical mask was so that no one would recognize him
while he performed the unpleasant deed! Once the boar was cleaned and skinned,
Bill took it home to quarter it. He hung it in his non-air conditioned garage and quickly
set to work. He had to complete the job before his wife got home! He could only
imagine what would happen if she returned home and found him cutting up a huge
piece of meat hanging from the rafters in their garage!
With the boar cleaned, skinned, and quartered,
it was on to prepare the site for the luau, the
Episcopal Church of the Good Shepard picnic
grounds. During the previous year’s luau prepa-
ration, many hours had been spent by Auxiliarist
Lin May wielding a heavy pick and shovel as he
tried to break up the almost impenetrable rock to
make the pit the
pig would be
cooked in.
The ground was so hard, he was forced to eventually go
out and get a jack hammer to do the job! Being Auxil-
iarists, and always trying to get the most results with the
least amount effort, we decided we didn’t want to repeat
that experience for each luau, so we covered last year’s
pit with a heavy piece of sheet steel and a couple of
inches of dirt. Lo and behold, when we returned this
year, the pit was still intact!
All day Friday, Auxiliarists converged at the luau site and
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 25
worked on the luau preparation. Actually, it was about 75% fellowship, 25% work and
lots of libation. Having gone through the entire luau experience the year before, it was
much easier to accomplish the second time around. Late Friday afternoon through
Friday evening, more Auxiliarists showed up to help, have a few more cold ones, and
enjoy each other’s company. Five active duty Coast Guard personnel also showed up
to engage in fellowship.
Our intrepid Flotilla Commander determined that the optimum amount of time to cook
the pig in the ground and tri-tip steak (for those who don’t like pork) was 10 hours.
Being coxswain qualified and able to backward plan, Bill figured that if we planned to
unearth the pig at 12:00 noon, someone would have to put it into the ground at 2:00
a.m. A motion was made and seconded by the Auxiliarists present; and a vote was
taken, and it was decided that Bill would have the honor of putting the pig in the
ground during the wee dark hours of Saturday morning.
The pig was planted on time and the next day a large number of the Flotilla members
arrived before 11:00 a.m. to finalize preparations for the luau and to unearth the
(hopefully) well-cooked pig.
The pig turned out better than anyone’s expectations and an eager assembly line was
prepared to strip the meat from the bones. Marinated pork was to be the meal of
choice.
By 3:00 p.m., the meat had cooled a
bit and all of the pot-luck dishes were
in place. Over 50 Active duty Coast
Guard personnel from Station Mon-
terey, Auxiliarists and guests came to
the luau, most in Hawaiian garb, ready
to party; and party they did!
During the meal, formal Letters of Ap-
preciation were presented to Lt. John
Suckow on behalf of Auxiliary Division
Commander Wally Smith and from the
Mayor of a local city. John also re-
ceived the coveted Division “Gumby” award for his demonstrated flexibility while deal-
ing with Auxiliarists!
Clean-up was quick and thorough. And for the second year in a row, Flotilla Com-
mander Bill Dodson could bask in the successful results of his efforts and finally go
home and get some well-deserved sleep!
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 26
Tahoe's Beautiful (but cold)
Waters Can Kill
Lake Tahoe, NV – Last Saturday, June 16, 2012, (as reported by the local media) a 31 year old man jumped in to the water from a rental boat near Camp Richard-son to swim to shore but never made it. In spite of many Good Samaritans and El Dorado County Search and Rescue on scene for training, he quickly dropped below the surface. He was retrieved from 7 feet of water, taken to the beach and then to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Unfortunately this is the third such event this spring (one on Donner Lake and the other also off Camp Richardson). All had one thing in common. The victims lost the ability to swim and sank (all very close to shore). The Coast Guard Auxiliary Sierra Division trains with personnel from the Coast Guard Station Lake Tahoe on the water all year long and is familiar with the haz-ards of cold water immersion. Most people, when asked, assume hypothermia is responsible for these cold water accidents. The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators has published an excellent 10 minute video on this subject on YouTube; just search for Cold Wa-ter Boot Camp. We urge everyone involved in water sports on our local alpine lakes take 10 minutes and watch it. It is the basis for many of the points in this release. This video points out that hypothermia doesn't become a serious factor in cold water fatalities until the victim is exposed for about 30 minutes or more. What does happen when you are suddenly immersed in cold water? An invol-untary gasp can cause you to swallow water; this is followed by uncontrolled breathing and loss of muscle coordination. Cold water incapacitation is caused by muscle and nerve cell reactions to cold water. In 5 to 10 minutes you lose the ability to swim. Only after 30 minutes does hypothermia becomes a factor. The stages of hypothermia eventually cause you to become unconscious and then die (about an hour after immersion). Obviously if you aren't wearing a life jacket, once you lose the ability to swim it's all over, and that can take as little as 5 to 10 minutes.
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 27
Our most important lesson: Everyone out on the water should wear a life jacket. This is particularly true when the water temperatures are cold. In cold water im-mersion it gives you time to be rescued. The Cold Water Boot Camp video suggests a 1-10-1 rule: You have one minute to get your breathing under control. You have ten minutes of meaningful movement to get anything done you
need to do before you lose control of your limbs. You have one hour before you become unconscious. In the Coast Guard Auxiliary when we're under way during the winter we all wear specialized winter survival exposure suits that will give us 7 hours of useful consciousness in 40° water. When out on patrol we see many kayakers who are wearing similar suits and life jackets, but we also see some without. It is particu-larly worrisome to us to see Standup Paddle Boarders with no exposure suits or life jackets! We strongly encourage paddle sport participants to carefully weigh the benefit they gain with proper attire and a life jacket. Life jackets are required to be on board all stand up paddle boards (and to be worn by those 12 and younger). When you're on the water and the water temperature is cold we urge you to use a little common sense and wear a life jacket. It is very difficult to put one on once you're in the water and particularly when you are losing control of your limbs! If you're a local who is on the lake when the water temperature is cold (as it is now - hovering around 50°) please consider the above very carefully and help us spread the word. Tahoe attracts lots of tourists who can't wait to get out on the water and enjoy all sorts of water activities. To those of you who provide them with a way to do that, please consider giving them some advice about life jack-ets that could save their lives. Editors note; This article was written by Linda Thee and Jack Leth of D11N 11-01 and submit-ted to the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza newspaper, which serves North Lake Ta-hoe, CA, Incline Village, NV and the High Sierra and it was published in the June 20, 2012 issue. It was also referenced in the July 1 2012 issue of the Navigator Express.
Submitted by: Linda Thee, FSO/SO PA 11-01
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 28
From: Perry Joiner, DSO-Public Affairs D11N
I want to restate the Coast Guard and Auxiliary’s policy on the public release
of information. This means what information we put out via media to the
public. Local units are authorized to send out routine information related to
recreational boating safety and routine activites.
Anything that has to do with specific policies, operations and events need to
be run up the chain. It will be reviewed and commented on expeditiously.
We all recognize the saying “Public Affairs is everyone’s responsibility.”
This means all members should represent the Coast Guard and Auxiliary in
the best possible way. It does not mean that every one could or should act
as an official spokesman or comment on recent activities or events.
Everyone is free to do that as a private citizen, but not as a representative of
the Auxiliary. If in any doubt call me or use the chain of leadership and man-
agement. Copies of all press releases need to be sent to the DSO-PA for our
information and records.
From: Jeff C. Price – District Communications Officer
D11N
POTUS and Presidential Candidate Visit – Comms Support:
The Enforcement Division at Sector San Francisco requested the Auxiliary
Communications Unit for two POTUS visits as well as a Presidential Candi-
date. Comms support included fully supporting the Secret Service by using
their radios as well as CG radios for the offshore units. The Communica-
tions Unit will continue to support this mission especially due to the season
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 29
From; Mike Lauro DSO-VE
Congratulations to the following examiners who have recently achieved the 20 or
more VSC plateau during 2012:
Arthur A. Park 01-05 Richard T. Niemi 01-07
Michael K. Fiamingo 04-01 Paul S. Verveniotis 04-03
Jose R. Pereira 04-09 Joaquin P. Duran 04-09
Jerry B. Edelen 06-04 William F. Dodson 06-04
Paul P. Custance 07-08 Christopher T. Jewell 08-07
Jan Jewell 08-07 Robert E. Gorbi 08-07
James B. Roberson 08-07 Gary T. Dromi 08-08
William E. Sharp 10-02 Carrie A. Van De Boom 10-03
William M. Walker 10-03 Steven B. Perez 11-01
William J. Stolz 11-01
This brings our total to 58 examiners reaching this plateau!! This is approximately
18% the total District vessel examiner base. 2011 had examiners or % at this
time. In addition, examiners reaching the 60+ VSC plateau has recently been up-
dated. Please check the D11NR Vessel Examiner recognition site: http://
rbsafety.d11nuscgaux.info/ve/recognition.html for your name! It is also accessible from the
D11NR Vessel Examiner site: http://rbsafety.d11nuscgaux.info/ve/ve.html.
Fleet Week San Francisco is sched-
uled for Thursday October 4
through Sunday October 7, 2012.
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 30
Correction: On page 24 of the April 2012 issue of the Northwind
newsletter, the item for the award for the Outstanding Division Newsletter
should be to North Coast Division 8 - not Division 6.
Boating Fatalities at Highest Level since 1998
WASHINGTON, D. C., May 16, 2012 -Total boating fatalities last year rose to 758, the highest number on record since 1998, according to the U.S. Coast Guard's official
2011 Recreational Boating Statistics released today.
From 2010 to 2011, total reported accidents decreased less than one percent from 4,604 to 4,588, deaths increased 12.8 percent from 672 to 758 and injuries decreased 2.3 percent from 3,153 to 3,081. Property damage totaled approximately $52 million. The fatality rate measured 6.2 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels, a 14.8 percent increase from last year's rate of 5.4 deaths per 100,000 registered rec-
reational vessels.
Operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, excessive speed and machinery failure ranked as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents. Al-cohol use was the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents; it was listed as
the leading factor in 16 percent of the deaths.
Seventy percent of all fatal boating accident victims drowned, and of those, 84 percent were not reported as wearing a life jacket. Only 11 percent of deaths occurred on
vessels where the operator had received boating safety instruction.
Says Kelly Townsend, Director of the Vessel Examination and Partner Visitation De-partment (DIR-V), "These are sobering statistics. I would encourage all members to read the entire report, and vessel examiners to use them in educational exchanges
with boaters when performing VSCs."
The report is published annually by the U.S. Coast Guard's Boating Safety Division.
Source: [Kelly Townsend, DIR-V]
NORTHWIND July 2012 Page 31
Left to right: Past Commodore Mike Maddox, Past Commodore
Marilyn McBain, Current Commodore Angelo Perata, Past Com-
modore Gail Ramsey and Past Commodore Vic Connell, all of
D11N. This photo was taken by Wally Smith, Division Com-
mander, 11-06 at Antlers OPTREX 2012.
The question is; how did Wally get these five Commodores to
stand still long enough the take the photograph?