intercom summer 2013

Division 7 Tampa Bay, District 7 Division 7 Tampa Bay, District 7 United States Coast Guard AuxiliaryUnited States Coast Guard AuxiliaryVolume XXXVI Issue 2 Summer 2013Volume XXXVI Issue 2 Summer 2013

Division 7 Elected Officers 2013

Div 7 Division Commander J. Michael Shea, DCDRDiv 7 Division Vice Commander James Newman, VCDRDiv 7 Immed. Past Division Commander Amos Johnson, IPDCDR

FL-72 Flotilla Commander Gene Keller, FC Flotilla Vice Commander Bryan Cook, VFCFL-74 Flotilla Commander Jeffrey Gines, FC Flotilla Vice Commander Leonard Chiacchia, Jr. VFCFL-75 Flotilla Commander Oscar Kramer, FC Flotilla Vice Commander Ray Stewart, VFCFL-78 Flotilla Commander Jim Armstrong, FC Flotilla Vice Commander Karen Cohen, VFCFL-79 Flotilla Commander Paul Cooke, FC Flotilla Vice Commander Linda Churchill, VFCFL-7-16 Flotilla Commander Donald Hershman, FC Flotilla Vice Commander Kelleigh Weeks, VFC

Division 7 Appointed Staff 2013

Communications Gene Keller, SO-CMCommunication Systems Terry Hickox, SO-CSDiversity Donald T. Hershman, SO-DVFinance Oscar Kramer, SO-FNInformation Systems Theresa Johnson, SO-ISHuman Resources Judith Clapp SO-HRMaterials Ronald G. Matz, SO-MAMarine Safety Robert Starns, SO-MSMember Training David Langdon, Jr., SO-MTNavigation Systems Marvin Bayles, SO-NSOperations Clifford J. Martin, SO-OP OP Assistant Conrad Palermo, ASO-OPPublic Affairs Timothy Teahan, SO-PAPublications Dorothy J. Riley, SO-PB PB Assistant George Papabeis, ASO-PBPublic Education Steven B. Plass, SO-PEProgram Visitor Donald E. Rimel, SO-PVSecretary Alexandra Kaan, SO-SRVessel Examinations David Perillo, SO-VE VE Assistant Glenn Dobos, ASO-VEDivision Liaison Richard ShortFellowship Open

We’re on the web!http://A07007.wow.uscgaux.

info

The Intercom is a publication of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Division Seven, District Seven. The cost of publication is provided by dues-paying members of the Auxiliary, an organization of unpaid, civilian volunteers whose mission is to assist the U.S. Coast Guard in promoting boating safety. Articles may be reprinted only with the express consent of the author or photographer, with proper credit given to same. For permissions or for more information, please con-tact the editor, Dorothy Joan Riley,

SO-PB, Email address: [email protected]

You can contact any of our officers on the Division 7 web

page!

INTERCOMNewsletter for Division 7 Tampa Bay, District 7, USCG Auxiliary

Volume XXXVI Issue 2 Summer 2013

Cover photo: Dean Hoskin from Flotilla 72 stands at the bow of Miss Marla and watches as the crew and trainees on Sandy Kay attach the tow line. They are Tony Hooper, Jim DeSanto, David Peril-lo, Cliff Hollingsworth and Mike Marino, all from Flotilla 72. Photo by Valerie Fernandes, Flotilla 78


In this Issue....

From the Helm: J. Michael Shea, DCDR 7 4-5

Flotilla 72: Move over Hollywood: Flotilla 72 members prove able ‘actors’ during Coast Guard Reserve training.

Submitted by Marla and Rick Short.

6

Division 7 Members Visit Air Station ClearwaterPhotos by Rick and Marla Short, FL 72

7

Coast Guard Auxiliary Assistance During C-130 Hercules Drop Training.By Tom Loughlin, SO-PA, Division 11Photos by Gene Keller, FC, FL 72

8-9

Flotilla 74 News and Updates 10-11

Flotilla 75: Dedication of Radio Room to Member, Joseph LoriSubmitted by Ray Stewart, VFC FL 75

12-15

Flotilla 78 News and Updates 16

Division 7 Crew Training: Building Comaraderie by Valerie Fernades, FL 78 17

Flotilla 79 News and Updates 18-19

Flotilla 7-16 News and Updates 20

SPARs: Part of Our Coast Guard HistorySubmitted by Kathy Clatworthy, FL 7-16

21

Division 7 Staff offi cer Reports 22-27

Division 7 Flotillas/Members Celebrate Independence Day 28-29

Division 7 Members Visit the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle (Photo journal) 30-33

Parting HumorSubmitted by Rick and Marla Short

34

Video Links in this Issue:C-130 Training Mission (Zac Lessin, FL 79) http://youtu.be/o7gWw-7pmCk 9

Training with the Coast Guard (Valerie Fernandes, FL 78)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8oeJTpxczU&feature=share&list=FLqyiAmJ58K9rVo22ktIMV2A

16

Mayor's Hour Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn features the Coast Guard And Coast Guard Auxiliary http://youtu.be/gRajkjKsqOQ

23

News Channel 10- Beer can Island featuring Flotilla 75http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8oeJTpxczU&feature=share&list=FLqyiAmJ58K9rVo22ktIMV2A

23

Flotilla 74 and Coast Guard in Fourth of July Parade (George Papabeis, FL 74): http://youtu.be/TZ3rpMj1z_g

28

Intercom USCG Auxiliary Division 7, District 7

There are a number of very interesting

things taking place with-in the division these past few months but I am only going to speak to just one – B-0 SAR, or

standby search and rescue of our boats. The back-ground is that as a result of “sequestration” and other factors, Station St. Petersburg was changed from a two boat to a one boat station. What that means is that instead of having two boat crews on duty at all times, they only have one boat crew on duty. The result is that on weekends and holidays when the one boat that is on duty goes out on a call, there is no back up boat to take a second call if one comes in, which often happens. And that is where we come in - we were asked to provide the B-0 or standby boat on weekends and holidays.

Although this kind of support operation has been provided for years by units of the Auxiliary around the country, this was something very new for Divi-sion 7. In the past, we provided port security pa-trols but very little B-0 SAR standby support. We changed our training to place more emphasis on the SAR aspect of both crew and coxswain train-ing while still doing the same safety and security

t

j

From the HelmJ. Michael Shea, Division Commander

patrols as in the past.

In June when we started this standby, we were put-ting boats and crews on the water for twelve hour shifts every Saturday and Sunday. This proved to be too long a day for many of our members, so we cut those shifts in half. Each boat and crew now provides search and rescue standby for six hours, which means we need four boats and crew every weekend for just SAR standby in addition to our normal patrols. We are now busier than ever in this division, and we need more boats and crews.

Because of the types of boats we need for SAR standby, most of this duty falls on just a few boats and coxswains. This is because we need boats be-tween 20 and about 32 feet that can go approxi-mately 20 miles an hour. Although we have 29 auxiliary facilities in the division, many of these boats are either to small, too big or too slow, so we have only about ten boats that can be used for SAR standby. I want to express my thanks and that of the division to those few coxswain and crew who have been pulling this heavy duty for the past months – Thanks from all of us.

So, what do we need to in the future to plan for on the water duty? (1.) We still need to do the standard patrols we have been doing in the past years. Here,

Continued on page 4

John Simone, his friend, Christina, and her son, Chase, come out from under the rain during a luau at Flotilla 79. Sim-one, coxswain, and Flotilla 79 members Heleyde Aponte and John McLoughlin, crew, were on B-0 SAR duty at Flotilla 79 and stopped by for food at the fl otil-la's BBQ and luau held July 29 at Gandy Park. Photo by D. Riley


we can ask some of the boats that are not doing the SAR standby duty to step up to the plate and do these patrols. They still need to be done. (2.) We will continue our search and rescue standby with our boat facilities and crews. This requires more diffi cult training and ongoing retraining. You are being asked to do search and rescue duty, which means people are depending on you to save them. These crews have to always be in training to stay up on their skills. One way to do this is while on duty, if you are not on a SAR, you train. (3.) We need more boats, crews, and coxswains. We need more boats to do the standard patrols and coxswains and crew to staff them. This is a step above the type of patrols our division has done in the past. If we are to do the SAR standby in the most effi cient way, we would have twice as many boats on duty each weekend (and holidays) as we are now put-ting on the water. As of now, we have one standby boat on duty each watch. We really need two, one for each side of the bay. That would be eight boats and crews each weekend or holiday. (4.) We need

to ramp up all of our support positions. As the need to put more boats on the water increases, our other support needs go up as well, so if you are not a boat crew or coxswain person, we still need you. We are fi nding all service areas are experiencing an increased need for volunteers as a result of these increased activities on the water.

In closing, it is like we were a boating safety edu-cation and security patrol operation that has been tasked with being a volunteer rescue operation as well. There was a lot to do in the former, but the latter is a larger undertaking with a lot of responsi-bility…so let’s get training.

And to all of you, thanks for your service!

J. Michael Shea, Division CommanderDivision 7, District 7USCG Auxiliary

Continued from page 4

Judith Clapp from Flotilla 75 Ruskin accepted the responsi-bilities of Staff Offi cer-Human Resources Division 7. Al-exandra Kaan from Flotilla 72 stepped in to fi ll the Staff Offi cer-Secretary of Records offi ce vacated by Judy. Both were sworn in by J. Michael Shea, DCDR, at the Division 7 meeting on July 13 hosted by Flotilla 72, St. Petersburg. Photo by D. Riley

Division 7 Meeting News


Flotilla 72 St. PetersburgGene Keller, Flotilla Commander

Sector St. Petersburg South Moorings, USCGC Venturous by D. Riley

Members of Flotilla 72 participated in a training with Coast Guard Reserv-

ists from Sector St. Petersburg on June 6, 2013. The Reservists conducted board-ing exercises and the Auxiliary provided the private vessel to practice boardings and the “bad guys” and other actors for the various training scenarios. Participat-ing Auxiliary members included Rick Short, Marla Short, Rick Smith, Dean Hoskin and Gordon Hornby aboard the Auxiliary vessel, Miss Marla.

Marla Short said, “We had a lot of fun impersonating people who could not speak English. ‘Klingon’ was suggested since we didn’t know any other languag-es. We pretended to be people hiding weapons as well as argumentative folks; i.e., Rick Smith and Gordon Hoskin had a ‘domestic dispute’. We acted out folks who could get a little too close for com-fort or be a bit distracting. It was a blast! Afterwards, we had a gourmet lunch in the newly remodeled galley with Sta-tion’s new Chief, CWO Jeremy Jarvis.

Move over Hollywood: Flotilla 72 members prove able ‘actors’ during Coast Guard Reserve training.Article and photographs submitted by Marla and Rick Short.

Members of Flotilla 72 pose as ‘bad guys’ during a Sector St. Petersburg Reservist training exercise on June 6. Pictured are Dean Hoskin, Gordon Hornby, Marla Short and Rick Smith aboard the Flotilla 72 Auxil-iary facility, Miss Marla. Rick Short is behind the camera.


Coast Guard Reserve Training(Continued from page 6)Right: A member of the Sector St. Petersburg Reserves gears up for one of the planned training scenarios.Below: From left, Rick Short, CWO Jeremy Jarvis and Dean Hoskin break for lunch at Sector St. Petersburg’s newly remodeled galley.

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Auxiliary Members visit Air Station Clearwater xiiliary Membe Station ClearwAAuxxiiliary Clearwater

On June 13, 2013, Auxiliary members from several divisions under Sector St. Petersburg

including Division 7 were invited to fl y aboard a C-130 Hercules from Air Station Clearwater. The Division 7 members who fl ew as passengers for the area familiarization fl ight and C-130 training drop over the Gulf included Gene Keller, Rick Short and Marla Short from Flotilla 72 St. Petersburg; and Larry Neu and Linda Churchill from Flotilla 79 Tampa.

Photos this page were submitted by Rick and Marla Short. They depict (from left) 1. Rick Short, Larry Neu, Gene Keller and Linda Churchill. 2. A C-130 Hercules in the hangar, 3. Looking out the tail, and 4. Larry Neu and Gene Keller.

On the following pages is an article about the Aux-iliary’s role during C-130 drop training fl ights as well as photos and a video by members.

“Filmstrip” photos by Rick and Marla Short


Coast Guard Auxiliary Assistance During C-130 Hercules Drop Training.By Tom Loughlin, Staff Offi cer-Public Affairs, Division 11

The Coast Guard C-130 Her-cules pilots and crew must

practice fl ying to a set of coordi-nates where a distressed vessel is located. They will then parachute a container to the boat which will include amongst other things, a VHF radio. The radio will have fresh batteries, will be in a pad-ded container and already tested and turned on to the proper fre-quency. This allows communica-tion between the aircraft and the distressed vessel crew.

During training exercises, the Auxiliary boat is tasked with re-trieving the container from the water to prevent it from becom-ing a hazard to boaters. Using an Auxiliary vessel means that a Coast Guard asset is not taken out of service and unable to re-spond to an emergency call-out.

Next in the training sequence is the dropping of a 1,000 feet of polypropylene line with fi ve duf-fel bags fi lled with boat fenders evenly spaced 200 feet apart. In a real emergency situation, these bags would contain life rafts, food and water, medical equip-ment and dry blankets etc. Again, the Auxiliary boat retrieves this gear.

In the fi nal part of the training, the C-130 descends to 50 feet over the Auxiliary boat and attempts to place a message (a weighted thick clear plastic envelope with a 15-foot yellow streamer) onto the Auxiliary boat.

Top: Members Rick Short, Marla Short and Linda Churchill watch intently as fl ight crew from Air Station Clearwater drop the bundles of gear out of the back of the C-130 Hercules dur-ing the training and area familiarization fl ight on June 13, 2013.

Below: Flight crew from Air Station Clearwater drop the bun-dles of gear out of the back of the C-130 Hercules. Timing is critical to get the equipment on target. Photos by Gene Keller

(Continued on page 9)


If you have never been directly below a large cargo plane as it goes overhead I can tell you one thing---it is very loud and defi nitely exciting!

This is just one of the things the Coast Guard Aux-iliary does to help our Coast Guard. As we proudly say,”Semper Paratus”.

(Continued from page 8)

To watch a video about C-130 Hercules drop missions, click on the image at right or paste the following web address into your browser:

http://youtu.be/o7gWw-7pmCk

Rick Short gives a “thumbs up” to the thrill of riding aboard a C-130 Hercules. This is an enviable experience for members of the Auxiliary. Photo by Gene Keller

Gene Keller shot this view of the bridge on Gulf Blvd. in Clearwater from aboard the C-130 on June 13, 2013.

(Note: A distracting speck was re-moved from the image with photo editing software.)

http://youtu.be/o7gWw-7pmCk 9


Flotilla 74 BrandonJeffrey Gines, Flotilla Commander

Williams Park, Riverview, Fla. by D. Riley

Our participation in the Brandon 4th of

July Parade, the larg-est in the great State of Florida, was an exciting event and an outstand-ing opportunity for the

Flotilla to connect with our community and fel-low Americans. We were also very pleased to have United States Coast Guard Station Saint Petersburg

jointly participate with us in this parade. An incred-ible amount of time and effort went into planning this event and I want to thank all of those members who were a part of that. I want to extend my deep appreciation and thanks to our Vice Flotilla Com-mander, Len Chiacchia, who did an outstanding job as our Parade Committee Chairperson to pull it all together and make it happen.

Over the last three months, we continued to in-crease the number of students signing up for our About Boating Safely classes with 44 graduates to date. This year, we changed our Boating Skills and Seamanship schedule to teach modules every Monday throughout the year. This has yielded great dividends with fi ve Boating Skills and Seamanshipgraduates to date, and nearly ten persons currently enrolled.

We continue to achieve great results in other Rec-reational Boating Safety areas as well and have accomplished 258 Program Visits and 232 Vessel Safety Checks to date. (Incidentally, last year at this time, we had 226 Program Visits and 164 Ves-sel Safety Checks.) Also, we wish to acknowledge Ron Matz for planning and managing the Auxiliary booth at the State Fairgrounds for the St. Pete Times Boat Show to kick off the National Safe Boating Week.

Brandon Independence Day Parade- Conrad Palermo hands a child an Inky the Whale color-ing book. With thousands of spectators present, Flotilla 74 members were able to expose count-less children and adults to the Recreational Boating Safety message. Photo by George Papa-beis

(Continued on page 11)


We now have three new boat crew members: Eric Gagnon, Mark Jaqua, and Carl Bryant. One thing is for certain; without the dedication of our cox-swains and mentors during this last training cycle, this would not have been pos-sible. Many thanks to Ken Morningstar, Conrad Pal-ermo, Roger Sneden, and John Sanchez.

Our Polk County Detach-ment Leader, Gil Thomas, did a fi ne job in making several community out-reach events happen. We performed two Vessel Safe-ty Check blitzes during Na-tional Safe Boating Week with over 50 inspections and also put up an outstanding display at the Lake Wales Library showcasing the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

To celebrate a successful National Safe Boating Week and to join in fellowship, we celebrated Me-morial Day weekend with a cook-out at Riverview Park and Civic Center. We’re looking forward to that becoming a tradition for the fl otilla.

And to top it all off, we sponsored a booth at the Haines City Hurricane Expo as well as at the Sec-ond Annual City of Mulberry Hurricane Awareness Day. Great work and many thanks go out to the Polk County Detachment for pulling that together to rep-resent the Auxiliary at those important venues.

(Continued from page 10)

Eric Gagnon, one of Flotilla 74’s three newly qualifi ed boat crew members, stows the tow line after a side tow on May 5, 2013. Photo by John Sanchez

Right: Carl Bryant at the helm prior to setting out for a training exercises on May 5, 2013. Photo by John Sanchez


Flotilla 75 Dedicates Communication Room to MemberBy Ray Stewart, Flotilla Vice Commander 75

Flotilla 75 RuskinOscar Kramer, Flotilla Commander

E.G. Simmons Park, Ruskin, Fla., boat ramp by D. Riley

Members of Flotilla 75 Ruskin wanted member Joe Lori to know that he was appreciated, and

on June 9, 2013, they did something rarely done within the Auxiliary or elsewhere: they dedicated their new Radio Communication Center in his name during his lifetime, and while he could enjoy the honor and share this distinction with his proud family and friends. Joseph J. Lori has done so much and occupied so many positions within the Coast Guard Auxiliary that in talking about his many accomplishments, it’s hard to know where to begin.Joe enrolled in the Auxiliary in October, 1985, as a member of Flotilla 79. After a few years he was asked to come over to Flotilla 74, which was strug-gling at the time. He soon became Vice Flotilla Commander and later Flotilla Commander twice. With Flotilla 74 fi rmly on its feet, Joe was asked to come over to Flotilla 75, which at that time was down to just three members. Joe was Commander of Flotilla 75 fi ve or six times and also served as Division Captain (renamed Division Commander) two times, but not consecutively. In addition, he was Operations Offi cer, Personal Watercraft (PWC) Offi cer, and Chief Qualifying Examiner for District 7. He has always been heavily involved in Opera-tions and contributed to the creation of the Auxilia-

ry Manual. His nickname in the Auxiliary was “Joe the Book,” because when asked a question about the Auxiliary, his response was always, “Read it in The Book,” meaning the Auxiliary Manual.Joe traveled extensively to various training pro-grams all across the U.S., but the highlight of his travels came in 2001 when he was asked by the Army to travel to Kuwait for a month to train our Special Forces in the use of PWCs in support of their mission. The year before, he had been in Puer-to Rico to train Coast Guard personnel in PWC op-erations.In 2008, the Coast Guard awarded Joe the presti-gious Coast Guard Auxiliary Meritorious Service Medal for “exceptionally meritorious achievement and superior performance of duties. The citation reads in part:“Auxiliarist Joseph J. Lori is cited for outstanding and meritorious service worthy of special recogni-tion from January 1996 through December 2007 while serving as a member of the Seventh Coast Guard District Auxiliary. During this period, he demonstrated the exceptional vision and initiative to signifi cantly enhance and expand Coast Guard Auxiliary Personal Water Craft (PWC) programs. Since 1996 he has expertly contributed to the devel-opment of procedures, policies, and qualifi cation


Above: Mike Shea, Division Commander 7, assists Joe Lori with the microphone as Lori thanks Flotilla 75 members and guests for the honor of dedicating the Flotilla 75 radio com-munications room in his name. Photos this page by D. Riley

Below: A light summer shower did not deter or delay the dedication ceremony of the Joe Lori Radio Communications Room in Simmons Park, Ruskin, on June 9, 2013.

Continued on page 12

criteria for PWC operators in the Auxiliary.“He became the fi rst PWC Qualifi cation Examiner in District Seven, and between May and September 1999 he trained and tested 23 members of the Win-ter Haven, Florida Fire Department and the Polk County Sheriff’s Offi ce Marine Unit.“Auxiliarist Lori served as District Staff Offi cer Operations in 2000, a position from which he took every opportunity to farther the Auxiliary’s PWC program, and to provide seminars for Qualifi cation Examiners throughout the Seventh District. He re-sponded to a need for qualifi ed PWC operators in Puerto Rico to support OPSAIL 2000 by person-ally training and testing 20 PWC operators, and he arranged a PWC demonstration for the District Commander and local media.“In March 2001 the US. Army requested Auxiliarist Lori to travel to Camp Doha, Kuwait, to instruct Army personnel in the operation of a PWC. With great enthusiasm he also assisted numerous law enforcement agencies throughout the United States with the instruction and testing of PWC operators.


“In 2007, despite serious personal health problems, Auxiliarist Lori maintained his many competencies and certifi cations while completing 198 hours of service, of which 94 were in surface operations.“Auxiliarist Lori’s dedication and devotion to duty is most heartily commended and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary.”We are grateful to Joe for all of his contributions to the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Members like him are a tough act to follow!

Continued from previous page

Several U.S. Army photographs published in “Desert Voice” depict Joe Lori maneuvering an obstacle course in the Arabian Gulf, Ku-wait, in 2001.

Right: From under the shade of a canopy, Joe Lori (far left) watches as Flotilla 75 members Guy Mandigo and Gary K. Mull, Jr., offi cially hoist the colors over the Flotilla 75 communications room located in Simmons Park, Ruskin, for the fi rst time. Photo by D. Riley


A page from “Desert Voice”


Flotilla 78 Pass-a-GrilleJim Armstrong, Flotilla CommanderJ

Fl o t i l l a 78 facil-

ity Thin Blue Line made her fi rst tow of a “come upon” disabled ves-

sel on May 8, 2013, when Valerie Fer-nandes was returning to Blind Pass from a swim in Bunces Pass. While travers-ing the Skyway Channel, Fernandes and Elizabeth Kreiter noticed a vessel in dis-tress. The two persons on board were waving to passing boats for help but no one stopped-- so of course, Fernandes stopped to help. The distressed vessel asked for a tow to O’Neill’s Marina. Since she was not on patrol Fernandes did not have a towline aboard, so they used her longest dock line and proceeded to take the disabled vessel to the nearest “safe haven” at O’Neill’s.

At the May meeting of Flotilla 78, Phil Creter stressed the need for more volun-teers to help the instructors at the fl otilla’s Boating Skills and Seamanship class held every Tuesday evening. With so many of their members heading north during the summer months, in the past the fl o-tilla took the summer off from conduct-ing Public Education classes. The good news is that with 17 students enrolled in their Boating Skills and Seamanship pro-gram, they are unable to do that this year. That truly is good news because it means getting the word out is working!

Flotilla 78 members Jim Troiano and Val Fernandes crewed aboard Miss Marla with Rick Short and Greg Horst from Flotilla 72 for a Tactical training mission for the members of Coast Guard Station St Petersburg on May 9, 2013, in Tampa Bay. While training is ever serious business, Fernandes could not pretend that she did not enjoy herself. The accompanying photos and video demonstrate why.

Top: Flotilla 78 members Jim Troiano and Valerie Fer-nandes aboard Rick Short’s facility, Miss Marla at Station St Petersburg’s dock on May 9, 2013.Bottom: Jim Troiano watches as the members of the Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg load their weapons and gear in preparation for the tactical training mission. Pho-tos provided by Valerie Fernandes

Click on either image above to watch the video of the Coast Guard tactical training mission featuring Valerie’s

great still photography and video clips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8oeJTpxczU&feature=share&list=FLqyiAmJ58K9rVo22ktIMV2A


Division 7 Crew Training: Building Camaraderie While Teaching Boat Handling Skills.Article and photos by Valerie Fernandes, FSO-PB, FL 78

Division 7 crew training started on February 28th at Flotilla 79 in Tampa

and ended with two on-the-water quali-fi cation examination check rides in mid-May of this year. A total of 21 Division 7 members from several fl otillas started the crew training classes, held every Thurs-day evening and on Saturdays. All nine-teen crew trainees who participated in the qualifying examination successfully passed and became boat crew qualifi ed. Two boat crew trainees withdrew for per-sonal and administrative reasons. Some of the crew qualifi ed on May 17 and the rest were tested on May 18, 2013.

For those who have never attended the training, know that it is a very reward-ing and worthwhile experience. Besides learning about seamanship and Auxiliary patrol procedures, you meet some of the most dedicated, knowledgeable and ener-getic members within our division.

The coxswains and crew that volunteer to mentor their fl otilla boat crew trainees must put in long hours and attend all of the same training required of the crew trainees. Coxswains and their crew who must either trailer their facilities to the Gandy ramp or motor to the ramp put in even longer hours because they must re-turn to their home dock after training is ended.

Cliff Martin puts in very long hours as the Division 7 Crew Training Coordina-tor. He has conducted the division-wide training for many years and most of our current coxswains and crew owe their qualifi cation to him.

The camaraderie that is exhibited during the division training blurs the lines be-tween fl otillas since everyone acts as one team to accomplish the mission.

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Trainees learn how to operate the pump for de-watering.

Trainees learn how to toss a heaving line.

Preparing to conduct an along-side tow.


Flotilla 79 TampaPaul Cooke, Flotilla Commander

Gandy Boat Ramp, Tampa, Fla. by D. Riley

Florida may boast year-round boating weather, but like everywhere else in the country, more

recreational boaters take to the waters during the summer months than at any other time. More boat-ers at ramps and docks mean more opportunities to offer Vessel Examinations and invite boaters to at-tend our boating safety programs. It also means in-creased chances of mishaps and misadventures on the water that may result in an increased number of search and rescue missions. The two SARs within ten days of each other between Memorial Day and June 9 demonstrate this.

Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the start of the summer boating season. Da-vid Langdon, coxswain, from Flotilla 72 and crew members Paul Cooke and Linda Churchill, members of Flotilla 79, were on a sundown patrol in the bay. Early on, they picked up a beach ball in the channel --good man overboard practice (MOB)-- and gave it to a bunch of kids on Beer Can the Island (with their dad’s permission). It was quite a busy day on the island!

Later, they towed a distressed vessel up the Alafi a River to the Williams Park boat ramp. The distressed vessel had ten per-sons aboard and no life jackets for any of its passengers. To make matters worse,

several of boat’s passenger appeared to be under the infl uence of alcohol.

This presented an interesting puzzle:

10 POB + 0 PFD + ETOH=?

Answer: Ten candidates for our boating safety courses!

Summer Means Increased Boating Activity ... and Increased Boating Mishaps. Based upon information submitted by John Simone and Paul Cooke

David Langdon, coxswain on the C-Lover, tows vessel with ten persons on board to Williams Park on May 31, 2013. Paul Cooke and Linda Churchill served as crew. Photo by Paul Cooke


On June 9, 2013, John Simone, coxswain, along with crew members Larry Ivey and Michael Massimini, were on twelve-hour search and rescue (SAR) stand-by status for Station St. Petersburg. Station provided their radio guard, and just after 3 PM, they received a SAR call-out. Within ten minutes they were on the water and on scene thirty minutes later where they located the 18-foot vessel that was smoking with eight persons on board including two children.

They assessed the situation and decided that due to severe weather approaching, it would be best to tow the distresses vessel to the nearest dock, Williams Park on the Alafi a River. About halfway there, the weather de-teriorated further and with winds whipping up to 15-20 knot winds and a solid thunder storm threatening to crash down on them. They stopped long enough to transfer the two children and one adult who could not swim to the Auxiliary vessel before con-tinuing. Soon after, they reached Williams Park and delivered everyone safely to land. Another successful SAR call-out.

John Simone and Larry Ivey pose with the eight boaters towed to Williams Park on June 9, 2013. Photo by veteran/bystander, Matthew Bilancia, used with permission. (Funny glasses are added to obscure the children’s faces.)

Further Evidence That We Need More Boating Safety Education!

Flotilla’s Recreational Boating Safety and Public Affairs Programs Get Playful

Thanks to member, Paul Anderson, Flotilla 79 now boasts an “Offi cer Snook Trash Game” to draw both adults and children to our Public Affairs/Public Informa-tion booths. Thank you, Paul! Photo by Kathy Curry


Flotilla 7-16 GulfportDonald Hershman, Flotilla Commander

Thanks to the efforts of, and donations made by several

members and supporters, Flotil-la 7-16’s Boaters Safety Training Center now has an updated ra-dio room and monitored the air-waves with its fi rst radio watch on June 27. Gulfport radio will be operating in the area of re-sponsibility for Flotillas 73, 78, and 7-16.

Special thanks to Kevin Yeaton for a donation of a new radio and a new air-conditioning unit. Of-fi ce furniture was donated by Dr. Marc Colaluce and Gulfport Ma-rine Training and Rescue Group (GUMTARG). Other furniture was donated by Jim Newman’s bungalow tenants. A 28-foot an-tenna, waterproof chart kit, fl oor-ing, and backup radios were do-nated by GUMTARG as well. The window blinds were paid for by Flotilla 7-16.

We presently have many new members who have earned or are working toward their Auxiliary Telecommunications Operator (TCO) certifi cation. Auxiliary members Marty Bailey, Kathy Clatworthy and Terry Hershman have recently earned their TCO qualifi cation and Ellie Zinner is working on getting hers.

Gulfport Radio is on the Air!Kevin Yeaton, FSO-CM and David Main, FSO-PB 7-16

While the radio room has undergone extensive upgrades and improvements, the building’s exte-rior has also been revamped. Note the new radio antenna at the rear of the building. Photos by Jim Newman


While sitting in the waiting room of my local VA, a vintage SPAR post-

er caught my eye. Never having heard of “SPARs” before, I decided to make use of my smart phone by “Googling” the defi -nition. Several articles emerged; one from the archives of the United States Coast Guard which I set about reading. Wow! What an impressive and informative piece of historical work.

SPAR was offi cially formed in November 1942. It was a branch of the offi cial Coast Guard reservists. The name, SPAR, is a contraction of the words “Semper Para-tus”- always ready.

The name “SPAR” may have been the fi rst offi cial name given to this historic group of ladies, but their history goes back much further. Women ‘Coasties’ can actually be traced back to the Civil War where their fi rst jobs were maintaining crudely built light houses consisting of oil lamps made with thick lenses.*1 Their expanding roles included not just maintaining oil lamps, but also growing vegetables, caring for children of those lost at sea, and maintaining aids to navigations. Their actions were the foundations to today’s uniformed woman.

The Coast Guard was the fi rst branch of the mili-tary to allow women to play an active role. Early on, these women were mostly transplants from the Navy whose jobs consisted of secretarial work and nursing. Although highly trained, educated and skilled, women were not accepted by their male counterparts. Women offi cers were not allowed to give orders to men even if put in charge until Con-gress changed the rules.

During World War II (WW2) women were often depicted in uniforms designed to encourage men to join. In the posters, women were sometimes por-trayed like pinup girls wearing sexy uniforms. (See insets.) Despite sexism and the ongoing discrimi-nation against women during WW1, WW2, the Korean and Vietnam wars, women held their heads

high and proudly served their country.

With each decade came change. Wom-en were eventually allowed to attend the Coast Guard academy which later also included black women. Eventual-ly, women were given roles as radio op-erators, coxswain and even engineers. Finally in the 1980s, the Coast Guard was the fi rst branch of the service to allow a woman to captain a ship (cut-ter).*2 She was inundated by the press but managed to do her job well anyway. She saved lives and showed the USA that women and men can work together as a team.

Gone are the days when married wom-en expecting a child were immediately discharged from active duty. Today, women are allowed to serve and still have a family.

As both a woman and a Navy Veteran, I can’t help but look at the historical past in compari-son to today. So many positive changes have been made- from sexist uniforms and posters to a zero tolerance policy against sexual harassment, and pregnancy allowances. Today, we see both men and women of all races and religions serving alongside one another as a team.

I wonder when the US Navy will adhere to its new policies allowing a woman to serve on submarines. Something to think about.

*1U.S. Lighthouse Service is one of the three found-ing services of the modern Coast Guard.

*2Dianne Bucci became the fi rst enlisted woman assigned to offi cer-in-charge a fl oat billet when she took command of the CGC Capstan (WYTL-65601) in September 1988.

http://www.uscg.mil/history/uscghist/womenchro-nology.asp

A Part of Our Coast Guard Heritage Worth Remembering.By Kathy Clatworthy, Member of Flotilla 7-16

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Staff ReportsTerry Hickox, Staff Offi cer –Communication Services

Posted the links to the instructions for completing the forms 7029 and 7030 and sharing these with all of the new members.

Bunny Johnson, Staff Offi cer –Information Ser-vices

Forwarded the instructions for completing the forms 7029 and 7030 to the Communication Services of-fi cer in order that he could post the new links to the forms and share these with all of the new members.

I was appointed Assistant District Staff Offi cer- In-formation Services in March, 2013. I am having fun with it and enter all the Incident Command System courses for District 7.

Judith Clapp- Human Resources

This year to date in our divi-sion, 42 new members received their numbers. Of those 42, 13 were from 2012 E appli-cants, 11 were from 2013 E applicants, and 18 were from other sources, such as classes, fl otilla events, Vessel Examina-

tion events, and fl otilla websites.

The fl otillas are working diligently with 30 other candidates to complete their enroll-ment (two from 2012 E’s, 23 from 2013 E’s, and fi ve from other sources).

New members, year to date:Flotilla 72: seven, with four in the second quarter of this year. Flotilla 74: six, with two in second quarter of this year.Flotilla 75: two, both second quarter of this year.Flotilla 78: two, both second quarter of this year.Flotilla 79: 23, with 13 second quarter of this year.Flotilla 7-16: two, both second quarter of this year.

With all of these new members, one might ask “What do we do with them?” Our mentoring pro-cess will be a focus this next quarter.

Observation #1: the source of our new members highlights the importance of our classes, events, media, and getting us out there, in attracting new members.

Observation #2: the number of new members get-ting numbers is a demonstration of the dedication of our Flotilla FSO-HR offi cers. They are doing a great job. Thank you.

And we also depend very much on the work done by the Security Division. We do appreciate them.

Timothy Teahan- Public Affairs

Flotillas 74 and 79 reported extensive National Safe Boating Week activities to include a Ready-Set-Wear-It event at the Gandy Boat Ramp (FL 79), Safe Boating Week Proclamations in Hillsborough and Polk Counties, and Vessel Safety Checks at Riverview Park and Civic Center, Williams Park

May 18, 2013—Flotilla 79 opened National Safe Boat-ing Week by participating in Ready-Set-Infl ate. Or-ganized by Tim Teahan, Flotilla Staff Offi cer-Public Affairs, the international event reminds boaters to wear life jackets. Members were joined by Safety Rock, the mascot for the Safety Rock Foundations, Corp., an organization dedicated to helping to pre-vent child drowning and pool safety. Photo by Dar-ren Hart


Staff Reports(FL 74) and Gandy Boat Ramp (FL 79).

Ray Stewart from Flotilla 75 Ruskin coordinated the Auxiliary’s participation in the hour-long pro-gram on CCTV, “The Mayor’s Hour” broadcast in June. Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn visited the U.S. Coast Guard Prevention Offi ce on Davis Islands to

talk about boating safety -- something important for anyone who lives in Florida. During the program, Mayor Buckhorn and co-host Jack Harris were able to experience a complimentary Vessel Safety Check performed by Zac Lessin, Flotilla 79, as well as to conduct a mock boarding on open water. The

mayor also visited a Boating Skills and Sea-manship class at Flotilla 79 to talk about the Auxiliaries’ Recreational Boating Safety edu-cation programs. Tim Teahan was on hand to answer questions.

To see the video, copy and paste the URL be-low into your browser or click on the photo at left.

http://youtu.be/gRajkjKsqOQ

Flotilla 75 was featured in a Channel 10 Tam-pa Bay WTSP.com news video published July 4. The news segment entitled, “Beer Can Island-Why do they call it that?” was, as the title states, an explanation of why Pine Key is called Beer Can Island, and provided a great opening for Gary Mull, Jr. and other Flotilla 75 members to promote boating safety in-formation. There is even a link to the Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel Safety Check Site (V-Directorate) so that viewers can sign up for a free Vessel Safety Examination.

To see the video, copy and paste the URL be-low into your browser or click on the photo at left.

http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/323539/8/Why-do-they-call-it-that-Beer-Can-Island

(Flotilla 75 in the news submitted by Cinda Hitchcock, Flotilla 79)

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Zac Lessin from Flotilla 79 talks to Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and demonstrates a vessel Safety Ex-amination in this hour-long segment of “The May-or’s Hour” broadcast weekly on CCTV in Tampa.

Gary Mull, Jr. from Flotilla 75 talks about safety equipment and boating safety education in the Chan-nel 10 News video, “Beer Can Island-Why Do They Call It That?”

http://youtu.be/gRajkjKsqOQ

http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/323539/8/Why-do-they-call-it-that-Beer-Can-Island


Staff ReportsDottie Riley- Publications

Four fl otillas published recent newsletters; Flotillas 74, 78, 79, and 7-16. Flotilla 72 does not publish a member news but does publish an E-mail newsletter tar-geting local boaters.

Received no Staff Offi cer reports save one: Judith Clapp’s Human Resources Report. (Thank you Judy!) To complete the Staff Of-fi cer Report section of this news-letter, I used notes taken at the Division 7 meeting held on July 13, and information garnered from the Division Commander’s report to the District Captain as well as fl otilla newsletters. I want to thank Rick and Marla Short as well as Valerie Fernandes for their contributions. Rick and Marla Short remember to send me things even though when sail-ing in the Keys, and Valerie Fernandes when she goes north for the summer. Many thanks to Tom Loughlin, Staff Offi cer-Public Affairs Division 11, for his article about the C-130 drop fl ights.

This division has some great photographers starting with George Papabeis, Assistant Staff Offi cer-Pub-lications. Nearly every fl otilla has at least one great photographer. Flotilla 72 has Loren Reuter, Flotilla 74 has Papabeis as well as John Sanchez and Linda Brandt. Valerie Fernandes, Flotilla 78 takes some of the best ‘action’ shots, and Ray Stewart in Flo-tilla 75 is also very good although I rarely see his work anymore.

There are other good photographers, and if I did not name them, it is because I do not see their work in fl otilla newsletters or submitted to the Intercom. As I tried to point out in the last issue, you don’t need an expensive camera to take good pictures. A smartphone can do just as well! I need pictures no matter what you use.

The whole point of this is, Intercom cannot survive as a one-man (or one-woman) operation. We need

your contributions. We need your stories and your photographs!

Gene Keller-Communications

I appointed David Rockwell as my unoffi cial assis-tant in charge of maintaining radio room schedules. We are covering almost all Auxiliary on the water watches and have released Station St. Petersburg from providing radio guard for our boats, which re-duces station’s work load.

We held our second annual Flotilla Staff Offi cer- Communications meeting in June and a second ra-dio drill in July.

We certifi ed fi ve Auxiliary Telecommunications Operators in the past month, and as the number of Auxiliary Telecommunications Operators increas-es, we are opening or refurbishing radio rooms in nearly every fl otilla.

• Flotilla 7-16 Gulfport Radio has been air conditioned and is ready for operation They also have new equipment and a new antenna.

• Flotilla 72 has new equipment and we are

Oscar Kramer, Flotilla Commander 75 Ruskin, offi ciated at the ceremony on June 9 which dedicated the Flotilla 75 Radio Room to long-time member, Joe Lori. The radio room is located in Simmons Park, Ruskin. Photo by D. Riley


Staff Reportsadding a power back-up system to our ra-dio room.

• Flotilla 75 dedicated a newly com-pleted radio room to member, Joe Lori.

• Flotilla 79 continues to provide ra-dio guard for patrols.

Bayboro Radio 1 (BBR 1) handled one search and rescue case in May. BBR 1 did so from beginning to end while keeping Station informed. This demonstrates the growing level of trust station has developed for our Auxiliary radio stations and operators.

David Langdon-Member Training

Fifteen members are currently enrolled in Auxiliary Navigation A & B which started Tuesday, June 25 at Flotilla 79.

We are in the process of requesting qualifying ex-aminations to recertify some of our operational per-sonnel. The division tested thirteen members who just completed the Auxiliary Weather Course.

Flotilla 74 qualifi ed three new boat crew members and one new Auxiliary Telecommunications Op-erator.

Clifford Martin–Operations

For the past month, Division 7 has pro-vided stand-by search and rescue duty (B-0 SAR) for Station St. Petersburg. These are often from our coxswain’s homes and from area docks. Boats are as-signed a twelve hour shift on weekends and holidays. The twelve hour watch is

in some cases completed using two separate boat crews and six hour watches.

Below: George Bartuska, Flotilla 79 “Weather Guru”, teaches the Auxiliary Weather Course annually to benefi t all Division 7 members. Photo by Miguel Marques-Reines

Above: Heleyde Aponte from Flotilla 79 scans the horizon while on bow watch on the deck of the “Luv@1stSite” owned by Gene Keller from Flotilla 72. Below: Dolphins and manatees- we see the wonders of the sea while on patrol. Photos by George Papabeis.


Staff ReportsSteven Plass-Public Education

Flotilla 74 delivered the public education workshop, “Suddenly in Command” at Brandon Library on May 22, as well as modules of Boating Skills and Seaman-ship” public education course on desig-nated dates May through the end of July.

Flotilla 72 held a one day About Boating Safely class on Saturday the 8, and has been working hard to increase attendance. The e-mail targeting boaters and boating venues helps draw attendees.

Flotilla 7-16’s Boating Skills and Seamanship class has 17 persons enrolled, a fairly high number com-pared to the summer months in previous years. For the fi rst time in many years, the fl otilla’s Public Education program remains active/open during the summer months despite many of its members going north for the summer. Part of the fl otilla’s success comes from Public Affairs events in partnership with the City of Gulfport.

David Perillo-Vessel Examinations

Flotilla 72 and Flotilla 78 are jointly en-gaged in an effort to schedule regular Ves-sel Examination services at DeSoto Park public boat ramp on weekends.

Flotilla 74 conducted Vessel Safety Checks at Riverview Park and Civic Cen-

ter and Williams Park on weekends in May, June and July. On July 6, the members held a barbeque at Williams Park after the Vessel Safety Checks. The members enjoyed both the food and each other’s company.

The Polk County Detachment will conduct Vessel Safety Checks at Lake Arianna in Winter Haven on July 27, 2013

Flotilla 7-16 reports that both Program Visits and Vessel Safety Checks have slowed down due to summer vacations.

Those ODUs too hot in the Summer? Try these outfi ts when conducting Vessel Safety Checks!

Mary Baily (left) and Mar-ty Basye from Flotilla 7-16 show off the new Vessel Ex-amination uniforms. Flotilla 7-16 has lead the division in the number of Vessel Exami-nations and Program Visits performed for years- may-be because their members know how to stay comfort-able during Florida’s swel-tering summers? Photos provided by Donald Rimel

(Note: Wear of these shirts/shorts is authorized for con-ducting Vessel Examinations only- not for meetings or other

wear.)


Staff ReportsRick Short-Division Liaison

We continue to enjoy an ever expanding partnership with the active duty personnel at USCG Station St. Petersburg. The crew-members and facilities of Divi-sion 7 have increased our sig-nifi cant roles in partnership with

the Gold Side. These roles include participation in vessel boarding training exercises, tactical and re-sponse training, and weekend standby search and rescue (B-0 SAR) coverage. As more of our Auxil-iary crewmembers continue to report to Station for training and briefi ngs with active duty staff, more of us are getting to know each other. Greetings are frequently on a fi rst name basis. The Station’s Of-fi cer in Charge, Senior Chief Eamon McCormack, said about one of our recent weekends SAR calls: "It looks like the Auxiliary were busy this week-end! Great work to those that helped on Saturday and Sunday!”

The following is an update of our USCG Station St. Petersburg Flotilla Liaisons. Please remember to include them in your fl otilla meetings and activi-ties. They have graciously volunteered their time to assist us. E-mail addresses were removed for purpose of publication. Contact your Flotilla Com-mander or Rick Short if you need your liaison’s email address.

BM3 Christopher Rogers--Flotilla 78 Pass A GrilleBM1 Greg Pescuma--Flotilla 75, Ruskin MK1 Jason Heinz--Flotilla 74, Brandon BM1 Kris Knowles--Flotilla 7-16, Gulfport SN Michelle Poldino--Flotilla 72, St. Petersburg BM 1 Chase Ryan--Flotilla 79, Tampa

Sector St. Petersburg Holds Change of Command (fromUSCGNews)

Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg crewmembers held a change of command ceremony at the Ma-haffey Theater on June 10, 2013. Capt. Gregory D. Case relieved Capt. Sheryl L. Dickinson as the sec-tor commander during the offi cial change of com-mand ceremony. A military unit’s change of com-

mand is a transfer of total responsibility, authority and accountability from one individual to another.

During Dickinson’s command, she served as Cap-tain of the Port overseeing almost 29,000 vessel movements in Tampa Bay. As Federal Maritime Security Coordinator, Dickinson headed the mari-time safety and security operations in support of the 2012 Republican National Convention. As the Fed-eral On-Scene Coordinator for marine environmen-tal protection, Dickinson led the Florida Peninsula Command Post for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response. Furthermore, she also served as Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator saving 630 lives and more than $45M in property. As offi cer-in-charge of Marine Inspections, Dickinson regulated safety and security for vessels and waterfront fa-cilities for the largest industrial port in Florida.

Dickinson will be reporting to Coast Guard Head-quarters in Washington, D.C., to serve as Acting Director, Incident Management and Preparedness Policy. Case reports from the 5th Coast Guard Dis-trict Portsmouth, Va., where he served as Chief of Prevention since July 2011.

Capt. Dickinson will be sorely missed, but we look forward to building a positive relationship with Capt. Case.

Capt. Gregory D. Case relieves Capt. Sheryl L. Dickinson as the sector commander dur-ing the offi cial change of command ceremony on June 10, 2013. USCGNews photograph


◄ Click on movie reel at right to see video of Flotilla 74 in the 4th of July parade.

http://youtu.be/TZ3rpMj1z_g


stop to say hello to the crew of All Booked Up as they prepare to cast off from Kathleen Heide’s dock on Har-bor Island on July 5, 2013. All are members of Flotilla 79, Photo by D. RileyTop right: Cinda Hitchcock (right), Kathleen Heide and Linda Churchill (in rear) prepare All Booked Up for an evening safety patrol for the fi nal rounds of the Red Bull Open Wake sporting event followed by fi reworks at Harbor Island in Tampa. Photo by D. RileyBelow: Zac Lessin on board All Booked Up with Heleyde Aponte and Kathleen Heide (not shown) await the start of the Independence Day fi reworks at Tampa’s Channelside. Photo by Heleyde Aponte

Page 24: Top Left: Ken Morning-star, member of Flotilla 74 Bran-don, waves to the crowd from aboard the 25-foot Response Boat-Small from Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg during the Brandon Independence Day Parade. Top right: Jeffrey Gines, Flotilla Commander 74 Brandon, hands boating safety literature to pa-rade spectators. (Note: Children’s faces deliberately obscured.) Bottom: Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Station St. Peters-burg and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 74 Brandon pose for a picture before the com-mencement of the annual 4th of July Parade in, Brandon Florida. The Flotilla 74 facility used in the parade is visible behind them. Photos (page 24) by George Pa-pabeis.Photos this page: Top left: “Changing of the Guard:” Josh Dargoltz, John Simone (cox-swain) and Michael Massimini


When the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle came to St. Petersburg

in June, several of our members photographed her, but no one vol-unteered to write about the Eagle or their experience.

What is striking about this, is our “love affair” with the Eagle. It would seem that everything we feel about her is more readily expressed through images than through words. Words express facts. Photographs convey what we fi nd fascinating or endearing.

For this reason, we will restrict publication to a photo essay and several snippets of information garnered by members, from publi-cations, and from the Coast Guard website.

Coast Guard Cutter Eagle departing Sector St. Petersburg, June 18, 2013. Photo by Loren Reuter, Flotilla 72


Barque is a nautical term for a sailing vessel with three or more masts. The foremasts are rigged square and the aftermast is rigged fore-and-aft. Photo by Loren Reuter of the Eagle departing St. Petersburg on

June 18, 2013.

Below: The Eagle passes under the Skyway Bridge and into the Gulf. Photo by Loren Reuter


USCGC Eagle is the sixth U.S. Coast Guard cutter to bear the name in a proud line dating back to 1792. The ship was built in 1936 by the Blohm and Voss Ship-yard in Hamburg, Germany, and commissioned as Horst Wessel.

Page 32: The fore deck of the Eagle. Inset photo: Some of the miles of rigging on Eagle. To ma-neuver Eagle under sail, the crew must handle more than 22,000 square feet of sail and fi ve miles of rigging. Over 200 lines control the sails and yards, and every crew-member, cadet and offi cer candidate, must become intimate-ly familiar with the name, opera-tion, and function of each line.

This page, top: The huge wooden wheels are not props- they are actually used to steer the vessel. Every cadet who trains on Eagle takes turns steering the mighty vessel.

Mid-page: Bob Gibson, a mem-ber of Flotilla 74 Brandon, dis-plays a Coast Guard Academy pennant aboard Eagle. Gibson is an active recruiter for the Coast Guard Academy.

Lower image: During Eagle’s port visit, Claudia McCann vis-ited the sailing vessel. McCann is the widow of Robin Walbridge, Captain of the Bounty, who was lost at sea when the replica ves-sel sank in October 2012 during Hurricane Sandy. While aboard the Eagle, McCann expressed her thanks for the Coast Guard’s res-cue efforts to Eagle crewmember PO3 Kenneth Snyder and asked him to pass her sentiments up the Coast Guard chain of command. The Coast Guard rescued 14 of the 16 Bounty crewmembers; Walbridge’s remains were not recovered. Photos pages 32- 33 by George Papabeis.


PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT

The Privacy Act of 1974 protects names, addresses, telephone/fax numbers and e-mail addresses of Auxiliary members which may appear in this or other USCGAUX publications. As a matter of policy, information described above is not made available to the general public or outside groups without that member’s express and/or written consent. When such information appears, its privacy shall be safeguarded and the information will be clearly labeled. Publication of this in-formation by the general public and/or outside groups is prohibited by the Privacy Act.

While serving as a crewmemberaboard Miss Marla on June 27

on a search and rescue (B-0 SAR) for Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg, Jack Lee, a member of Flotilla 72 St. Petersburg, amused his fellow crew-members when he spoke out.

Someone who identifi ed them-selves as “Judd” called to request Coast Guard assistance when he ran aground on a spoil outside Bunces Pass. Station St. Petersburg sent Miss Marla and her crew (Rick Short, coxswain) to help. They experienced driving wind and rain, and due to limited visibility, much of their navi-gation was by instruments. All of the crew were soaked to their underwear but persevered. They found Judd’s PWC, but no Judd. Jack Lee could be heard calling out over the storm:

“We are the crew of the Miss Marla. We are the Coast Guard Auxiliary’s elite. We are the best of the best. When storms shut down entire ports, we go out. When hurricanes ground the United States Navy, we go out. And when the holy Lord himself reaches down from heaven and destroys his good work with winds that rip houses off the ground, we go out. Judd!!!!! Where are you?”

Lee readily admits to borrowing heavily from the movie script for “The Guardian,” but it proves that even under the worst of conditions, our members retain their composure... and their sense of humor!

Note: Apparently, Judd left his PWC and swam to safety before Miss Marla arrived on scene.

Parting Humor...Submitted by Rick and Marla Short

Artistic illustration- not a photograph.

Nautical terms to know...seiche [seɪʃ] Noun (Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) a periodic oscillation of the surface of an enclosed or semi-enclosed body of water (lake, inland sea, bay, etc.) caused by such phenomena as atmospheric pressure changes, winds, tidal currents, and earthquakes.

intercom summer 2013

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