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Busy week at U.S. Coast Guard Station Noyo
River
By Bruce Rogerson, Flotilla
87 USCG Auxiliary
While taking care of the
regular business of vessel assist, search and rescue, boat
inspections and more, Chief Perkins and the men and women of USCG
Station Noyo River were at their best for a visit last Friday
morning by Rear Admiral Kevin Eldridge, Commanding Officer USCG
District Eleven. Earlier in the week the station hosted a lunch
barbecue in celebration of National Coast Guard Day and provided
overnight berth space for the veteran USCG Cutter No. 83527
alongside the station dock.
This was the admirals first visit to
Station Noyo River, since he assumed
command last year of District Eleven,
which encompasses California, Nevada,
Utah and Arizona. Eldridge is a graduate
of the Coast Guard Academy and holds
degrees in ocean engineering and
chemical engineering. He has 30 years
service with the Coast Guard as an
officer and commanding officer on USCG
buoy tenders at stations in Honolulu and
Galveston, as Chief of Operations,
District Eight based in New Orleans and
prior to his present assignment, served
as Assistant Commandant for Governmental
and Public Affairs at Coast Guard
Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He was
accompanied on the visit by Capt.
Pettitt, Commander Group Humboldt,
Commander Turner, Group Operations
Officer, Commander Cullen, District 11
SAR Operations Officer and the admirals
aide Lt. Kabal.
During his time at Noyo
River, Admiral Eldridge met with Senior Chief Michael Perkins,
Officer in Charge, Noyo River Station, Executive Officer Don Miterko
and the department heads to review operational readiness, equipment
needs, personnel issues and future funding requirements for the
station. Eldridge toured the station and talked to the men and women
of the various departments, including deck operations, engineering,
communications and the 21-foot rigid inflatable inshore rescue boat
crew.
After donning the mandatory
orange survival suit and gear, the admiral then boarded one of the
two 47-foot motor life boats based at Noyo River for a short sortie
out of Noyo Harbor under the new Noyo Bridge and down the coast
almost to Point Cabrillo. Chief Perkins, conned the vessel as
coxswain with Engineer PO Lawler, Boatswains Mate Jimenez and Seaman
McCann as crew. The conditions were ideal with a calm ocean, little
swell, no fog and a fine view north to the Lost Coast. During the
ride, a whale was spotted about a mile off the outer channel marker
and a pod of dolphins frolicking in the calm seas. The chief assured
the admiral that these were far from typical conditions on the
Mendocino Coast! On return to the station,
Admiral Eldridge concluded his visit with an all hands meeting on
the recreation deck. There he briefed the gathered Coast Guard
personnel on the changing role of the U. S. Coast Guard following
the events of Sept. 11, 2001 and as part of the new Department of
Homeland Security. Greatly increased funding from Congress has
enabled the Coast Guard to acquire badly needed new equipment,
improve pay and conditions for personnel and assume the greatly
expanded homeland security role of the Coast Guard in protecting the
waterways and ports, large and small, around the U.S. He emphasized
the continuing importance of the boating safety tasking of the Coast
Guard and commended the station for its outstanding service to the
men and women both of the commercial fishing fleets and the sport
fishing community on the Mendocino Coast.
During his visit the admiral
recognized Senior Chief Perkins with the presentation of an official
Coast Guard Achievement Award for his outstanding service as
Executive Officer, Station Humboldt Bay from May 2003 to May 2004.
FA Shelby Charley was also recognized by the admiral for excellence
in the performance of his duties at Noyo River over the past year.
The crew of the
CG-83527 prepares to dock as the vessel entered Noyo
Harbor last Thursday. Tony Reed photo.
National Coast Guard Day
Aug. 4
National Coast Guard Day
commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the act of congress
on Aug. 4, 1790 establishing the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service which
eventually became the U. S. Coast Guard in 1915 when the Revenue
Cutter Service was combined with the U. S. Life Saving Service. The
U. S. Light House Service was merged into the USCG in 1939, creating
the broad-based maritime safety service we know today.
On a sunny afternoon, Noyo
River Station personnel hosted an informal lunchtime barbecue for
the local community bringing together Coast Guard families, retired
Coast Guard personnel from the area, veterans, local residents and
boaters from the coast. Over hot dogs, snacks and some cool brews,
the attendees enjoyed conversation, fellowship and memories in the
Fishermens Park in the south harbor adjacent to the station. Many
families were there with children enjoying the inflatable jump bag
provided by the Station for the day.
Retired Coast Guard Cutter
CG-83527
Last Thursday late afternoon
saw the long white veteran wooden cutter snugly moored alongside the
Noyo River Station Berth after a full days trip from Bodega Bay.
CG-83527 is the last
remaining Wheeler Class 83-footer dating back to World War II and is
on a voyage from Rio Vista on the Sacramento River to Port Ludlow on
Puget Sound in Washington State. She was built in June 1944 by
Wheeler Shipyard in Brooklyn and served in the Caribbean and Gulf of
Mexico before being assigned on the cessation of hostilities, as a
search and rescue cutter at Tacoma, Wash. where she served for 17
years before being decommissioned in December 1962.
CG-83527 was sold to a
private owner and used as a houseboat for over 30 years before being
willed to the Sea Scouts in Isleton where the Scouts used her for
static crew training. Now she is on her way north under the command
of Skipper Dan Withers, the driving force behind the effort to save
and restore her for future use in a maritime park at Port Ludlow.
Also on board is Royal Journey a retired Boeing engineer and former
Air Force officer and Selby Drew from Fort Bragg who served on board
similar 83-foot cutters during his 23 years of Coast Guard service.
CG-83527 left Noyo River on
Friday afternoon after a surprise visit aboard by Rear Admiral
Eldridge. The CG-83527 reached Eureka late that evening for a
two-day stay.
To learn more about this old
veteran vessel, her history, the voyage north and the restoration
program, visit
www.cg83527.org .
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