United States Coast Guard Auxiliary 7th District Breeze - USCGAUX ...

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22 U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary District 7 Breeze would not have been an unusual sight, except for the pairs of shoes that were e nailed to the buoy. Apparently, it is a rite of passage for Citadel cadets to swim from the Citadel shoreline to the buoy, leave a pair of shoes, and swim back. It is not a casual swim. However, the high-heel shoes tacked to the buoy are clear evidence of the ladies’ presence in the male dominated military college - Go Girls! We radioed Coast Guard Station Charleston and reported the sighting. No action was required, and we continued on our way down the river. CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Festus Burchfield, coxswain, and crewmembers Ann Graham, Flolla 12-6 East Cooper SC, and Tommy Timberlake, Flolla 12-4 Central Grand Strand SC, make a stop at Cooper River Marina to check out the facilies and observe local area infrastructure. What is warm and delightful in November That would be the South Carolina sun, defying all weather forecasts for the day. Getting underway at River’s Edge Marina, on the Ashley River, was almost magical this winter morning November 20, 2011, as coxswain Festus Burchfield and crew Barbara Burchfield, Ann Graham and Tommy Timberlake prepared for the day’s safety patrol and training aboard “Voyager.” At slack tide, the river was calm and the sun was already warming up past the point of Personal Protective Equipment (jacket) use. Rotating duty positions of stern watch, bow watch, radio watch and time at the helm gave each person the opportunity to sharpen their skills and maintain proficiency. Operational facility “Voyager” has a new Garmin GPS, which was used for training and familiarization in the use of man overboard, waypoints, and routes. Using the navigation tools quickly and correctly is a big advantage when called out for search and rescue missions, for example. This glorious, warm, winter morning, we happily went our way down the Ashley River to Charleston Harbor. What is abandoned, broken and should not be tied to a buoy We didn’t get far before we came upon an odd sight. Before us was a derelict jon-boat tied to the 6A buoy. It A derelict jon-boat is ed to Buoy 6A in the Ashley River. Pairs of shoes are nailed to the buoy, reportedly by South Carolina Citadel Cadets who swim from the Citadel shoreline to the buoy and back. What is orange and makes you look up A now familiar sight, our Coast Guard aviator friends fly directly over us. We wave hello. Coast Guard Air Station Savannah patrols the South Carolina coastline and provides search and rescue missions with HH-65 Dolphin helicopters.
Volume LVIII Issue 1 Spring 2012 23 We were still on the Ashley River, keeping a sharp lookout for anything unusual. On this beautiful, calm, warm day there were lots of boaters and many fishermen on the water. Not many life jackets were visible however, upping the odds for danger and increasing our vigilance. What is large and floats, but can’t and won’t That would be those unfortunate sailboats that sank last month in a terrible storm and remain sunken near the channel almost directly across from Coast Guard Station Charleston. What is convenient and has ice cream Our familiarization training of the local area and facilities included a visit to Cooper River Marina, college.cgauxnet.us/program/training, is a good place to start learning about the effects of pollution on marine environments. Our report to Station Charleston Operations Officer of the Day (OOD) included photos sent using Graham’s ‘smart phone.’ It is a distinct advantage to the Coast Guard when they can receive and evaluate photos immediately during an incident or investigation. The pollutant did not appear to contain oil or other oily substance, just lots of bubbles adrift in the river. Station Charleston advised us that the foam was indeed a biodegradable detergent used by a local dredging company to clean the pipes. Station told us that no further action was required, so Voyager departed for River’s Edge Marina and wrapped up the day’s patrol. The six-hour patrol went by very fast. It was a very interesting and rewarding day on Auxiliary patrol in the South Carolina coastal waters. Auxiliary members interested in becoming Boat Crew qualified can get started by contacting their Flotilla Commander or Flotilla Staff Officer- Member Training. You never know what you will see!Ω Le: Cooper River Marina offers many services and conveniences for the boang public and is a good place for Auxiliary comfort stops. It also has ice cream! operated by the Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission. The marina is open daily (except major holidays), has a well-equipped store, pleasant staff, rest rooms, a lounge area, and a covered deck outside. Winter hours, from Oct. 1 – Mar. 31, are 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., and summer hours, Apr. 1 – Sep. 30, are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. What is white, foamy, and found floating in the river Detergent! (Detergent) We came upon a large floating substance that resembled dish detergent. It stretched clear across the Cooper River channel and could be seen from as far away as the Ravenel Bridge, a mile away. The presence of dolphins in the area heightened our concerns about pollution and its effects. Clearly unusual, we investigated further and found the source - two pipes coming out of the ground at Drum Island. Auxiliary online training course Good Mate, available at http:// Below: A foamy white substance resembling detergent is discharged into the Cooper River from two pipes located at Drum Island.
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