Browsing: U.S. Coast Guard

On Watch with Peter Janssen
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Adm. Fagan, First Woman To Lead Coast Guard

President Biden just nominated Admiral Linda L. Fagan as the next Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. If confirmed, Admiral Fagan, who started out as a deck officer on the Polar Star, a 399-foot icebreaker, will be the first woman Commandant of the Coast Guard and the first woman to lead any branch of the U.S. military. Admiral Fagan has served as the Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard (essentially its CEO) since last June. She previously was Commander of the Pacific Area. Since her graduation from the Coast Guard Academy in 1985, she has served on all seven continents.…

Cruising Life
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Fishing Boat Burns, Sinks, off Point Judith, RI. See Video

A 40-foot fishing boat caught fire and sank about 2.5 miles southeast of Point Judith, Rhode Island, last week. The Coast Guard rescued all three people on board; they were not injured. The Coast Guard station in Point Judith heard a VHF Mayday call on Channel 16 at 11:01 a.m. saying that the boat was on fire. It dispatched two boats, and other boats were scrambled from the Narragansett Fire Department, Newport, and North Kingston. After the three crew members were taken off the fishing boat, the firefighters fought the blaze, pouring water onto the vessel. After two hours, it…

Cruising Life
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“The Maritime Rescue Doctrine” and Other Things to Remember from the Coast Guard

Coast Guard Reminds Mariners of Boating Etiquette Jun 18th, 2019 · 0 Comment A crew member of the 52-foot Motor Life Boat Intrepid heaves a life-ring in Yaquina Bay, Ore U.S. Coast Guard file photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Trevor Lilburn. As the summer heats up and boaters take to the water, the Coast Guard is responding to an increased number of preventable incidents and Good Samaritans are lending a hand. “Most drowning and near-drowning incidents are preventable, if people used proper precautions,” said Capt. Olav Saboe, commander of Coast Guard Sector North Bend. “To reduce the risk of…

Cruising Life
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Help the Coast Guard Find a Hoax Caller

BALTIMORE – The Coast Guard would like the public’s help to identify a suspected hoax caller, who has been transmitting distress calls since late March around Ocean City. Sector Maryland-National Capital Region watchstanders have been receiving a steady stream of suspected or confirmed hoax radio calls, believed to be from the same individual. Listen to the hoax call HERE The calls in Ocean City were made on VHF-FM marine band channel 16, a channel designated only for hailing and distress calls. The caller has stated that they were “going down with the ship” and regularly broadcasts “mayday, mayday, mayday,” along with…

Cruising Life
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Coast Guard Tests Diesel Outboards on Small Boats. Is a Diesel Outboard in Your Future?

In a move that could make your cruising life easier, the Coast Guard is testing diesel-powered outboards on some of its Fast Rescue Boats. If the tests are successful, and more diesel outboards move to the recreational boat market, it could mean that you wouldn’t have to carry separate gas on board for your RIB or dink if you have a diesel-powered cruising boat. It’s also possible that diesel outboards will become more popular as the primary engine(s) on larger recreational boats. The Coast Guard test involves 175-hp Mercury Optimax outboards, as well as 200- and 300-hp units, and will…

Cruising Life
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Trump Budget Cuts $1.3 Billion from Coast Guard, Hurting Drug Interdiction and Arctic Exploration

Although the Trump Administration wants to increase spending for some parts of the military, the President’s new budget cuts $1.3 billion from the Coast Guard, which has already been suffering from previous cuts. The new cuts would particularly affect the Coast Guard’s efforts at drug interdiction and its presence in the Arctic. Admiral Paul Zukunft, the Coast Guard Commandant, said that last year the service had been very successful in drug interdiction, seizing more than 200 metric tons of cocaine, the most ever. But it also had to ignore 500 other “events” – signs of possible drug smuggling – because…

Cruising Life
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Christmas Gift Ideas from the U.S. Coast Guard: Start Early

If you’re looking for a Christmas gift for your favorite boat owner (or for yourself), you can’t go wrong with this list from the U.S. Coast Guard. You (or your favorite boater) probably have a lot of these things already, but take a look at the entire list, ranging from life jackets and a handheld VHF to a new life raft. My personal favorite from the Coast Guard’s list: a new seamanship book, particularly the 67th edition of Chapman Piloting and Seamanship (since I edited much of it). But take a look at the full list here: http://gcaptain.com/coast-guards-gift-ideas-nautical/