Coast Guard

[Comodave]

We worked with the CG for 30 years. They are very driven to help people in need. There are a few butt heads but not many. This thread was about communication problems with the CG and I totally agree there are a lot of radio communications issues, but otherwise I think they do an excellent job. Remember that congress and the administration sets the agenda as to what the CG mission is. So if you don’t like the mission, don’t be pissed at the CG, they are just carrying out the mission given to them.

 

[dhays]

I find the coast guard to be inadequate in most cases. Its not like the old days before loran or even during loran when they maintained those systems. We see the local CG with the $400,000 boat tied up outside Leann's coffee shop and then later pulling me and my wife over in our Glacier Bay to do safety inspection. We were and easy mark to prove they actually did something that day on paper. I say sub out the buoy work and roll the safety stuff into the Navy,

I guess I am fortunate in Puget Sound. The USCG seem to do a great job at performing their primary mission. Yeah, the radio technique could be better, but they get the job done. I’ve been stopped and inspected by them, I’ve communicated with them multiple times when rendering assistance, and participated minimally in a response to a boat on fire passing info to a USCG helicopter arriving on site.

In all those encounters they have impressed me with their professionalism. Sure, I wish they had more resources in my area. However, I think they do really will with what they have.

 

[psneeld]

For every USCG story, I got plenty about commercial fishermen.


Just a different point of view.

 

[OldDan1943]

I like the USCG. They show up in their own boat, all dressed in black with helmets, bullet proof vests, well armed. I tell them where I have the guns, present my ship's papers.... while making a sandwich or two for them to enjoy.
My limited experience with the USCG is they are scary (dressed in black and carrying a black rifle) and very professional.
When they are all done, they leave in their own boat, which is more than many relatives and guest do. SMIRK
The USCG is there to protect and rescue me when and if needed.

 

[FlyWright]

I have the privilege to have a covered slip opposite the USCG Station Vallejo in California. I have watched them come and go for years and find their crews to be tremendously professional, courteous and affable. We occasionally talk across the fairway and I've always enjoyed my interactions with them either in the harbor or during vessel inspections.

I've witnessed rescues with wet passengers disembarking after their vessel sunk out from under them. I've seen them transport what appeared to be human remains following a collision. I've been on scene during a night collision in the main channel between two other boats and have participated in coordination with them in searching for people in the water and illuminating the scene until they could arrive hours later. And that's just a fraction of what they do!

The USCG is welcome aboard my boat at any time of night or day. I'd love to buy each of them an ice cold IPA. If they need to boost their vessel inspection count, I've actually told them they're always welcome to check my boat...all I ask is that they please hit me up in the morning since I'm often chasing the clock to beat the heavy California highway traffic if I leave the marina too late in the afternoon.

 

[Northern Spy]

Yup. I do too. US military would shut down without grease pencils.

You can always call the back and ask them to repeat crucial info.


I use an old Army helo driver trick and keep a grease pencil at the helm. In an emergency just write as fast as you can on the window next to you.

 

[FlyWright]

Great idea, Scott. I should get one for the boat.

We used to use them in ATC alot, too. Once, my radar map image generator failed and the map image was slowly fading with each pass of the sweep. I could see the airplane targets just fine. I grabbed the nearest grease pencil and drew the map over the fading reference points right on the radar scope glass and continued working traffic with the scope.

 

[syjos]

The Coast Guard performs a valuable service keeping the waterways and the ocean a safe place to travel. They have been tasked with more responsibilities since 9/11, which they carry out admirably.

They do need to understand that if we can't understand them on VHF adequately during an emergency, it may delay a response or worsen a situation.

 

[Comodave]

The Coast Guard performs a valuable service keeping the waterways and the ocean a safe place to travel. They have been tasked with more responsibilities since 9/11, which they carry out admirably.

They do need to understand that if we can't understand them on VHF adequately during an emergency, it may delay a response or worsen a situation.

100% agree. And I think that was the point of this thread but it got side tracked by anti CG feelings. Maybe if everyone across the country starts complaining to the COs or OICs of stations then they may take notice.

 

[Bud]

One of my last commercial fishing trips in the Gulf of Maine. My wife and I went out and we did a tow for about two hours. When we hauled back we had to much cod fish for the daily trip limit. Our choice was to either throw the overage over or if we stayed out over night into the next day we could then land two days of cod. We opted to stay out overnight. We went and anchored just inside the isle of shoals. we cleaned the fish and iced them down, had dinner, watched a movie, and hit the bunk. We had seen a coast gaurd boat within a couple hundred yards of us while we were anchored also we were hailed by the coast guard when we left port and gave them all our info including our fishing trip number. We also have a satelite tracking system on board for the National Marine Fisheries Service and coast gaurd to moniter where we are and we have to submit codes to them telling them what we are doing. We had submitted the code saying we were letting the clock equalize with the catch.
Well the next thing I know I wake up to somebody yelling "show me your hands" over and over loudly but with a crackely nervous voice. There was a coast gaurd person with his gun drawn pointed at me shaking. I backed him up out of the focsile (away from wife) into the wheelhouse and proceeded to ask him What the hell he was doing on the boat alone with his gun drawn. I'm sorry and he pointed to the small coast gaurd boat off the stern and said they sent me to find out what you were doing. I told him we were equalizing the clock with the catch and he called the boat and they left.
I think if our chocolate lab was with us he probably would have shot her because she would of barked and jumped up he was so nervous and shaky.
It was obvious to me standing in the wheelhouse with this kid that he was just out of high school and probably shouldn't be carrying a weapon. I never could get my wife to come with me again.
A couple of years before this, the the coast gaurd publically presented me with an award for saving a family off the coast of Viginia. ( Which if I had followed their instructions the Mother and Father would be dead ).
It also doesn't help that the retired station commander of Station Islamorada was put in jail for putting out a hit on my good freind who is a local developer and realitor. He hired an informant and so they did a mockup of his death and took a picture, the informant brought it back to him ( Dennis Zecca) He said how do you want to get paid with cocaine or cash? He was also involved in a cocaine ring.
Now I'm know that doesn't make the whole organization bad but they do have some issues.

Bud

 

[Comodave]

Ok, so you had a bad experience with 2 CG personnel and we should think bad of all the CG. I have had several bad experiences with local LE and I think that those particular people were asses, but I don’t hold it against all LE. Lets get real, the CG is by and large a great bunch of people. Sure they get some young people that are inexperienced but everyone needs time to grow and mature. If we were only to accept mature LE, we would soon run out as they grew older and retired. What needs to be done in the situation you described is to be completely compliant and defuse the situation. Then get over it.

 

[Bud]

Ok, so you had a bad experience with 2 CG personnel and we should think bad of all the CG. I have had several bad experiences with local LE and I think that those particular people were asses, but I don’t hold it against all LE. Lets get real, the CG is by and large a great bunch of people. Sure they get some young people that are inexperienced but everyone needs time to grow and mature. If we were only to accept mature LE, we would soon run out as they grew older and retired. What needs to be done in the situation you described is to be completely compliant and defuse the situation. Then get over it.

I am compliant and have never that I can remember been issued a violation from the coast gaurd. In order to get over it I suppose I need to see or hear some positive stuff that they do.

Bud

 

[sbu22]

"china marking pencil, refillable, one each"

Military couldn't live without them. Windshields, radar scopes, acetate covered maps, status boards, gage glasses, ..... Several boxes followed me home when I retired 20+ years ago. Remainder still working fine. Just don't use them on touch screens.

 

[syjos]

I am compliant and have never that I can remember been issued a violation from the coast gaurd. In order to get over it I suppose I need to see or hear some positive stuff that they do.

Bud

Go have an emergency at sea. Your perception will change immediately.

Look on you tube for videos of sea rescues where 19 year old rescue swimmers jump into the heaving sea to rescue people that have holed their boats, lost a mast or sunk their boat.

One of the best is the rescue of the crew from the sinking of The Bounty.

 

[psneeld]

Well, which one of the SAR cases should I start on because the commercial fisherman sank. Endangering USCG personnel because they got underway with so many safety discrepancies it makes USCG lapses look like near perfection...


All groups of people have their good and bad....


I hope to let it go at that.

 

[dhays]

Well the next thing I know I wake up to somebody yelling "show me your hands" over and over loudly but with a crackely nervous voice. There was a coast gaurd person with his gun drawn pointed at me shaking. I backed him up out of the focsile (away from wife) into the wheelhouse and proceeded to ask him What the hell he was doing on the boat alone with his gun drawn. I'm sorry and he pointed to the small coast gaurd boat off the stern and said they sent me to find out what you were doing. I told him we were equalizing the clock with the catch and he called the boat and they left.

You will find examples of poor training, poor behavior, or simply some bad decision making in any large organization.

A younger brother of a schoolmate of mine enlisted in the USCG. This was LONG before 9/11. One of the things he mentioned was the immense sense of responsibility that he felt when he was the highest rating on a small rib responsible for a crew that would board a vessel during law enforcement actions. In his words “I’m 20-21 years old and responsible for a handful of teenagers on a boat with guns”. Granted that was decades ago so things are likely a lot different, for better or worse, than his experience.

 

[Comodave]

One of the nice things about the CG is the ability of younger people to be in command of a small boat. Yes the responsibility is tremendous but it allows young people to grow into leaders. We certainly need leaders in our country.

 

[jleonard]

I am compliant and have never that I can remember been issued a violation from the coast gaurd. In order to get over it I suppose I need to see or hear some positive stuff that they do.

Bud

On my delivery trip on my current boat, my Lehman shut down while I was in the Harlem River. I had trouble getting the new to me boat re started.
I anchored and called the CG for help.
They showed up in about 10 minutes but just as they were pulling up the engine fired up.
I asked them to follow me thru Hell gate just to make sure my engine would stay running.
They did.
So they actually did "nothing" but they were there to help in little time.

I think that's pretty positive.

Do you want another positive experience? I have another.

 

[Bud]

We were on our way out to the fishing grounds in the wee hours of the morning and we heard a distress call. Apparantly a freind of mine "Hutch" went in between a tug and a barge, hit the wire and flipped the boat over (the tug had a mile of wire out). A few fishing boats got over to them and held on to the boat the guys were trapped in the bow in an air pocket they were talking to us. The coast gaurd showed up and took over. They held on to the bow and called their diver team. A scalloper that was fishing in the area called the coast gaurd on the radio and said he could winch the boat right up their stern ranp. The coast gaurd said no they have divers comming. Well by the time the divers came all three guys were dead. The coast gaurd might be the authority on the water but they do not have the experience to match.

Bud

Bud

 

[Portage_Bay]

In my opinon the USCG does a great job providing many critically important services. Search and rescue being one. Have a look at United States Coast Guard Search and Rescue Summary Statistics 1964 thru 2017 I for one am very grateful they are on the job!

I just wish like others they could get the marbles out of their mouths during routine VHF broadcasts.

 

[psneeld]

We were on our way out to the fishing grounds in the wee hours of the morning and we heard a distress call. Apparantly a freind of mine "Hutch" went in between a tug and a barge, hit the wire and flipped the boat over (the tug had a mile of wire out). A few fishing boats got over to them and held on to the boat the guys were trapped in the bow in an air pocket they were talking to us. The coast gaurd showed up and took over. They held on to the bow and called their diver team. A scalloper that was fishing in the area called the coast gaurd on the radio and said he could winch the boat right up their stern ranp. The coast gaurd said no they have divers comming. Well by the time the divers came all three guys were dead. The coast gaurd might be the authority on the water but they do not have the experience to match.

Bud

Bud

Based on the number of commercial fishing rescues I have been on, I could say the opposite.


Going between a tug and barge..... Hmmm...and it's the USCGs fault.


There plenty of blame to go around when emergencies at sea go wrong

 

[syjos]

Going between a tug and barge.

Three guys dead.

Darwinism at work.

 

[psneeld]

That's uncalled for.


It's a shame what happened.... but blaming the USCG guys who were either under orders, didn't think the scalloper idea was sound, or just were inept was just as uncalled for too.


If they caused those deaths, they are paying in their own mind's or the system probably ground them up (officially or unofficially).

 

[OldDan1943]

Going between a tug and barge.

Three guys dead.

Darwinism at work.

Sad but true.
I wonder why the tug operator did not catch this or why the owner did not radio the tug for guidance.

 

[SoWhat]

I am a big fan of USCG search and rescue and their law enforcement role in offshore waters. I am not a fan of their law enforcement role in local waters. We have the local police, the state police, and the environmental police along with USCG all trying to catch anyone going 1 mph over the speed limit in the inner harbor. Over the top.

As far as radio, USCG is far better than ATC.

 

[sunchaser]

I agree that Sector Puget Sound is hard to understand.

There was one women on during the day, in the past two months, who spoke slowly and was easy to understand. She had a very slight southern accent.

The rest was hard to understand

In comparison, the Canada Coast Guard Vancouver Island personnnal talks slow, enounciate well and very easy to understand. I really appreciate after a listening to a VHF mayday situation, that the Canada Coast Guard personnel often broadcasts an "all's well" announcement.

I was told by a Canadian friend that the Canada Coast Guard had more career personnel manning the VHF.

We find BC just as bad for routine CG VHF clarity. Once a problem arises both CGs seem clear, concise and capable.

 

[Portage_Bay]

Sad but true.
I wonder why the tug operator did not catch this or why the owner did not radio the tug for guidance.

Unfortunately this is not the first incident of a rec boat getting caught by a tow wire with terrible results. As to why the operator didn't catch it the OP said "Wee hours" which means dark. A fast moving sport fisher with small nav lights might not be visible to the tug driver until it's too late. And a tow boat with barge on the wire can't just stop, the barge keeps a comin'. As to why the owner did not radio the tug for guidance he clearly did not see / understand what was in front of him. Many possible reasons, ignorance of how to read nav lights, interference from background shore lighting, not paying attention. Who knows.

 

[GreySky]

The unintelligible / ultra-brief messages are the precise reason I changed VHF radios to the ICom M506 which records two minutes of the last transmission. No additional components necessary and it's a darn good radio.

 

[Bud]

IMHP two wrongs don’t make a right. Suppose you had a heart attack and the paremedics just held you and didn’t give you the paddles or anything and said we will be at the hospital soon and you die. Then they say oh well it’s your own fault you ate to much fried food and drank to much beer.

Bud

 

[psneeld]

IMHP two wrongs don’t make a right. Suppose you had a heart attack and the paremedics just held you and didn’t give you the paddles or anything and said we will be at the hospital soon and you die. Then they say oh well it’s your own fault you ate to much fried food and drank to much beer.

Bud

You can't be serious.....