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NORTHWIND July 2012

NORTHWIND Volume: 18 Edition: 3 Date: July 2012

DISTRICT ELEVEN NORTH

NORTHWIND July 2012

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

[email protected]

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

[email protected]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“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

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

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

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

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.

http://www.historicalchinesejunkboatmuseum.com/

NORTHWIND July 2012

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

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

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

NORTHWIND July 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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]

http://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/workflow_staging/Publications/557.PDF

http://www.uscgboating.org/

NORTHWIND July 2012

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?

NORTHWIND July 2012

NORTHWIND DISTRICT ELEVEN NORTH

Jane Smith, FC 6-10 and Josh the Sea Otter during NSBW

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