Passing Spring Point Light, Casco Bay, Maine 2-27-10

In article ,
"MWB" wrote:

Passing Spring Point Light, Casco Bay, Maine 2-27-10


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[Image]

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USCGC Jefferson Island - an 82 footer.

Those were the boats sent to Vietnam for river patrol in 1964. Oh well.

As an ex-Coast Guard type I'm a bit sensitive about CG equipment being
surplus Boy Scout stuff. :-)

"Tony Nazar" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"MWB" wrote:

Passing Spring Point Light, Casco Bay, Maine 2-27-10


begin 666 IMG_7880.jpg
[Image]

end

USCGC Jefferson Island - an 82 footer.

Those were the boats sent to Vietnam for river patrol in 1964. Oh well.

As an ex-Coast Guard type I'm a bit sensitive about CG equipment being
surplus Boy Scout stuff. :-)




I worked on the tug Ben Candies back in the mid 1980's. We made 3 trips
towing barges from Texas and Louisiana to Colombia. We call our rack and
position in every morning and the USCG hears it, so they know us. Plus there
is the normal radio chatter.

Heading back at 0200 I had my radar set at 12 miles and I noticed a blip at
the very edge of the screen so I set it for 24 miles. This ship knew where
to stay so I wouldn't see it. We were south of Cuba and I tracked the blip
for 2 hours. I couldn't see it with field glasses because it had no running
lights on and it had the same course and speed so I woke up the captain. I
thought it was a Cuban gun boat and unfortunatly it wasn't.

It was far worse.

At sunrise a large USCG ship and they tried to board us but it was too
rough. They questioned us for 3 hours and the whole time they had the deck
gun pointed at our tug.

Then they sailed off to bother someone else.

When I worked for BP in South Portland, Maine I had to call them every day
to tell them what we had coming to our dock. Mind you, whatever we had
coming to BP, it had to sail past their front window.

With my current job they delay me and cost my customers approximatly
$4000.00 an hour so they can do their Certifacate of Compliance inspections.
That's business.

However...The ship will be at anchor for a few days and yet they wait until
it docks to do their thing. They have a COC inspection at 0800 and they are
always over an hour late. I've never seen them show up on time

I've dealt with the USCG for over 25 years and I've never had a pleasant
experience.

To be fair, I've never had them fish me out of the water.


I have 3 sons and they are all in the ARMY. I wouldn't let them join the
USCG.




GO 1ST CAV


Mark

On Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:18:50 -0500, "MWB" wrote:

Passing Spring Point Light, Casco Bay, Maine 2-27-10

Nice photo.