SUMMER 2007 VOL. 34, NO. 2 ® Navigator s Th e Art of ‘War’ America’s Volunteer Lifesaver UNITED STATES UNITED COAST GUARD STATES AUXILIARY AST G CO U . S E M P E R A S R . D U S P A A R A T U U Y XILIA R Contents SUMMER 2007 VOL. 34, NO. 2 Auxiliary 6 NACO Report Artist 10 Commandant Speaks in the 12 Leviathan Mission Gulf 14 School Notes 7 16 Mission in N.J. 22 An OPFAC is Born 18 24 Canine Caper 25 Navaid Sets Sail 1-Million See TV Promotion 31 Triple Play for Life Vests 34 Students Learn Sailing 35 Safety Signs Hitting the Beach NACON 36 O ff-beat Facility Preview 20 38 NSBW Activities 28 ON THE COVER Manning the 50, an original North watercolor painting by Chris 32 Demarest, Flotilla 26 D1NR, depicts to Alaska a combat-ready gunner’s mate at his .50 cal. machine gun position on the USCG Patrol Ship (WPB) Maui, cruising Northern Arabian Gulf waters. This is one of eight watercolors by the New Hampshire Auxiliarist that were accepted into 26 the Coast Guard Art Collection following his trip to the Middle East General to visually depict USCG activities in the area. Story and additional Quarters images are on page 7. SEND SUBMISSIONS TO: Telephone numbers and addresses of members are protected by the Privacy Act 2007 EDITION Joel A. Glass, BC-ANN of 1974. As a matter of policy, rosters of names, addresses and telephone numbers DEADLINES shall not be made available to the general public or any outside organization. P.O. Box 1001 Privacy of all rosters shall be safeguarded and the page clearly labeled. The FALL WINTER Portland, ME 04104 AUGUST 15 NOVEMBER 15 publication of these rosters, addresses and telephone numbers on any computer [email protected] on-line service including the Internet is prohibited by the Privacy Act of 1974. 2 Navigator Summer 2007 LEFT: The Little OPFAC That Could: 27-foot Coast Guard SAFE Boat 275594 -- dedicated for use by Flotilla 21 D17 – played a crucial role in Auxiliarists’ rescue of 13 people from a sinking fi shing boat in Alaska’s wind-swept Kachemak Bay. Photos: McKibben Jackinsky, DSO-PB 17 Craig Forrest, DSO-PV 17 (center), and Lieutenant Ben F. Strickland, Commanding Offi cer, USCGC Roanoke Island, discuss the heroic rescue of 13 passengers and crew from the sinking F/V Halibut Endeavor. Saving Lives in Alaska 13 PLUCKED FROM A SINKING FISHING BOAT By McKibben Jackinsky It was the foursome’s second on-the- forced into the water. He eased up to full DSO-PB 17 water day as a team. The afternoon was throttle and instructed his crew to prepare The afternoon of April 25, this year, devoted to towing. The Auxiliarists had for dewatering upon arrival on-scene. was pretty much a routine Alaska day, completed one evolution and were prepar- Passengers aboard the Endeavor and as a wind – chilled with reminders of the ing for another. seven other charter fi shing boats hired just-passed winter – pushed the waters of Suddenly, a radio distress call trans- by the Homer Chamber of Commerce Kachemak Bay into three-foot swells. But formed Taylor and his crew from instruc- had been tagging halibut since early that the day’s tempo soon would change radi- tor and trainees to a rescue team racing to morning. cally – and unexpectedly. save the lives of 13 people on the 39-foot A Chamber-sponsored Halibut Derby The seventh Coxswain Academy, con- fi shing vessel Halibut Endeavor, which was to begin six days later. So, volunteer ducted by Alaska’s District 17, was in full was sinking faster than anyone realized. fi shermen were spending the day leisure- swing that day. Taylor recalled, “We heard on our radio ly catching halibut and attaching business- On 27-foot Coast Guard SAFE Boat that there was a vessel taking on water sponsored tags to those they caught, then 275594, dedicated for use by Auxiliary near Seldovia. I briefed my crew, we plot- releasing them back to the bay. Tagged Flotilla 21 (Homer), instructor/coxswain ted a course, and we headed in that direc- halibut landed during the derby would be Shane Taylor, DCP-3, was training Ray tion, making about 40 knots.” redeemable for prizes. Miller, FSO-CM 31 (Fairbanks), and Rich It was about 15 miles to Seldovia. The As the afternoon wore on and tagging Liebe, FC-32 (Anchorage). F/V Halibut Endeavor reported its posi- was completed, the volunteers continued The crew included Mike Cupit, of tion as four miles offshore Seldovia, in to enjoy the day, fi shing for halibut to take the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary more than 200 feet of water. home. (Vancouver), who was there as part of an Water temperature was in the 30s, so A Halibut Endeavor passenger said Alaskan/Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Taylor knew it was crucial to reach the later, “Everyone had caught their halibut exchange program. vessel before passengers or crew were [for tagging]. There was about six inches Summer 2007 Navigator 3 of water in the stern, so I went up to the [bow] to fish. I started to get a little con- cerned when the water wasn’t draining like it should.” Her husband said that, at first, passen- gers thought the water was due to swells splashing over the railing. “Most of us just took it as the water being rougher than what we thought it was,” said another pas- senger. A man who was at the stern helping to clean the day’s catch, said, “There was actually quite a bit of water on the back of the boat. We thought it was halibut plug- ging the scuppers.” Attempts at draining failed. As water mysteriously filled the stern, the Endeavor’s master, Capt. Weldon Chivers, Photo: McKibben Jackinsky, DSO-PB 17 directed passengers to the bow to help maintain the vessel’s balance. The crew of Auxiliary-operated SAFE Boat 275594, which rescued 13 souls at sea, relaxes at With the water increasing, the master Homer Harbor. From the left: Ray Miller, FSO-CM 31 (Fairbanks); coxswain Shane Taylor, DCP-3 broadcast that his vessel was taking on (Anchorage); Mike Cupit, Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (Vancouver); and, Rich Liebe, FC-32 water and needed assistance, a transmis- (Anchorage). Miller, Cupit and Liebe were training at the District 17 Coxswain Academy when sion received at Communications Station the urgent call-for-help came. (COMMSTA) Kodiak. Chivers then direct- ed passengers to don Personal Flotation everybody was prepared to go.” The 110-foot USCGC Roanoke Island Devices. A passenger remembered think- Reducing speed to match the arrived from Homer at about the same ing, “This is interesting. This is not the way Endeavor’s, Taylor eased his boat’s star- time. this trip is supposed to end.” board side along the fishing boat’s port Lieutenant Benjamin F. Strickland, the Recognizing the serious situation, a pas- side. He directed Miller and Cupit to the Commanding Officer, deployed a crew to senger used his cell phone to reach fam- bow to help transfer the people on board, transfer Halibut Endeavor passengers and ily, while another called the Homer Police and Liebe was positioned astern to assess crew from the SAFE Boat to his Cutter for Department. The dispatcher contacted the situation. transport back to Homer. USCG Command Center in Juneau, which Taylor kept one hand on the Endeavor’s There, Homer Volunteer Fire transmitted a Marine Assistance Request side to sense any shift in position. As the Department members determined that Broadcast. last person came aboard, the fishing boat while cold, wet and shaken, all 13 survi- That led the SAFE Boat to spring into did precisely what Taylor had anticipated: vors were uninjured. action, putting the crew’s training to the “It started to make a funny roll toward The day was not over for the Auxiliary test. us,” he said. “I pulled away and slowed to team, however. The crew received orders Taylor, the instruc- a stop.” to investigate a flare sighting. That was tor, said, “It took us The charter boat again shifted position, quickly followed by a third mission -- about 20 minutes to rolling onto its starboard side. The master retrieving the Halibut Endeavor’s 25-per- arrive on-scene. The and mate were on the port side. Taylor son life raft, which had inflated after the [Halibut Endeavor] immediately pulled back alongside. vessel sank. stern was under water. “We grabbed the mate first,” Taylor Asked which skills proved most-impor- She was still making said. “He had a pant leg or hip-wader tant that day, the crew said that clear com- way, at about eight stuck on something. I said, ‘Just grab him munication and team coordination topped knots, toward Seldovia. and get him on board.’ Afterward, the the list. Shane Taylor Eleven people were on master was assisted on board.” Taylor DCP-3 D17 the bow -- all wearing then lost no time pulling away from the life jackets.” doomed vessel. Observing her list to port, Taylor Less than two minutes after all were on decided to evacuate the passengers and board the SAFE Boat, Halibut Endeavor crew, rather than attempting to dewater slipped beneath the surface of Kachemak the vessel. Bay and disappeared from sight. “It was A passenger praised the coxswain’s almost like she waited for us,” Cupit said. decisiveness and the action it stirred: Two Good Samaritan vessels also had “He recognized pretty clearly what was responded to the call for help.