Visiting the USCG Auxiliary!
There’s this little town called Escanaba on the UP (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan, a shipping port and safe harbor for mariners since the 1860’s. In a small town of just over 13,000 residents, there is an impressive 400+ acres of pristine public parks and recreation areas. We found Escanaba welcoming and very charming on this beautiful summer day.
At the public marina, it was hard to miss the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 25’ Safe Boat docked not far from the Sheriff’s boat. We asked about it to a nice lady on the dock who immediately gave us the name and phone number of the Auxiliarist to call about the boat. (Where is that ever going to happen again?) So we called the number and introduced ourselves as Auxiliarists from South Carolina. He says, “Do you have time? I’ll be there in 5 minutes.”
And that’s how we met Paul Bissell, IPFC, SO-OP and FSO-OP for Flotilla 47-09 Bays de Noc, the northern end of Lake Michigan. The bay's name comes from the Noquet (or Noc) Native American people who lived there.
The Coast Guard issued boat comes with full maintenance, inspections, and lots of training provided by the Coast Guard station in the AOR. About three years ago the Coast Guard began a standardization program and that’s when Flotilla 47-09 received the SAFE boat. The crew members love it’s speed and they really work the boat.
Paul tells us there are 22 flotilla members; two are Coxswain with three more in training, and five are crew with four members in training. So get this – in the FOUR months of summer operations (“ice in – boat out”) they log over 600 hours of underway time. Wow.
The proficiency and physical requirements to coxswain/crew on the SAFE boat are considerably higher than the usual Auxiliary coxswain/crew standards. The Coast Guard is very exacting. Paul tells us, “There is no place for arrogance in the Auxiliary.” He says, “The Coast Guard puts us through the grinder” in training, but they’ll show you and teach you everything you need to know. “We learn new things and become better.”
Paul and Festus talking “shop” about operations.
I think Festus likes the boat!
From the shores of Lake Michigan,
Barbara & Festus Burchfield
No comments:
Post a Comment