Fall 2009 Available Online

The current edition of Proceedings (Fall 2009) is available online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/.

The issue examines preparedness through the lens of the Coast Guard’s Marine Environmental Response (MER) program and crosses a broad range of topics, including international and industry partnerships, response tools, past responses, exercises, and lessons learned.

Upcoming in Proceedings

Winter 2009-2010: Grassroots efforts
· What’s the Coast Guard done for me lately?
· Local and regional efforts

Spring 2010: Rulemaking Update
· Rulemaking 101
· Interagency interaction
· Supporting analysis
· Public participation

Your Opinion
· What do you want to read in Proceedings?
· What area under the Coast Guard’s marine safety, security, and environmental protection missions affects you most?
· What do you want to know more about?

Post a comment here or send us an e-mail at HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

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A Day in the Life of a Lead Deckhand

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine. By Captain Richard L. Ehringer, Consul Energy, General Manager of Mon River Towing.

Up Before Dawn
I start my day at 4:30 a.m., one hour before the start of the watch. This gives me time to grab a cup of coffee and a quick breakfast. I also take the fuel report at this time. At 5:30 a.m. I relieve the leadman on the back watch.

If we are in a landing, my stern deckhand and I will finish any remaining work. After tow is completed, I’ll check every barge for water. I then place the pumps where needed and return back to the pilot house to check the orders and attend a safety meeting.

At Daybreak
At this point it is daylight and I am able to go out to shovel and sweep the barges. While sweeping, I’ll check the safety lines and clean up any busted lines or wires. After this, I usually head back to the boat for a short break.

After my break, I’ll report to the captain for tasks like painting or specific cleaning jobs. After I have completed those, I check the engines and light plants in the engine room. This check is the responsibility of the lead deckhand.

Between 9:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., I will start to prepare lunch for my watch and the next watch. At 11:30 a.m., my watch is completed.

Downtime Between Watches
The next six hours are my time to shower, eat, call home, relax, and wind down. This is also where I get to sleep. I usually tend to get about 3 to 4 hours of sleep.

Around 4:30 p.m. I will wake up and start all over again.

I’ll grab a cup of coffee, a quick bite, and relax until 5:30 p.m., when it’s time to relieve the previous watch. I start by checking the barges for water and move pumps if needed. I then report back to the pilothouse for another safety meeting. After the meeting I find out what tasks the captain has for me. I’ll then head to the engine room to check the engines, drain any water, and clean up any oil on the floor.

Miscellaneous Tasks
At this point, I will take a break and get a snack or cold drink. After my break, I will start on any tasks the captain has given to me. After this, I will spend some time on some odds and ends, like putting eyes in lines, checking batteries for water, wiping down walls, and checking the light bulbs around the boat. Some other tasks also include sweeping the gunnels, picking up trash off the decks, and anything else I see that needs to be done.

All of these tasks are completed in between building a tow and guiding the pilot through the locks. Every watch is different, depending on the orders and any situations that could occur. At 11:30 p.m., my watch is over.

And So it Goes …
… pretty much the same, day after day, for 14 days. As the forward lead deckhand, I work from about 6:00 a.m. until noon, and again from 6:00 p.m. until midnight, a total of 12 hours per day.

A lead deckhand’s days vary from one task to another, depending on what our delivery and pick-up orders are. One watch, I may be just riding out the watch between landings. That’s when I catch up on cleaning, chipping, painting, or whatever else needs to be done on the boat. Maintenance and cleaning on the boat is an ongoing process.

Other watches, I’ll find myself in a landing, wiring a tow together for the entire watch. Not too often, but it happens.

My hitch will be over in a couple more days and then I’ll be home for seven days (actually six full days). I’ll have to readjust my sleep patterns with the absence of the engine noises that I got accustomed to for 14 days.

All in all it’s a pretty good life once you adapt. The pay and benefits are decent. I’m saving some for retirement and my co-workers are all pretty good guys. There’s a lot of worse ways to make a living.

About the author:
Captain Ehringer started with J&L Steel Corporation as a deckhand in March of 1963 and soon earned his first mate, master, and first class pilot licenses for inland river steam and motor vessels (all gross tonnage). Since 1983, he has managed various aspects of customer service and operations for the Mon Valley Transportation Division, Ingram Barge Company, and Mon River Towing, where he now serves as general manager. He has also held several leadership positions for the Waterways Association of Pittsburgh, the Port of Pittsburgh Commission, and both the Pittsburgh Maritime and Propeller Clubs.

For more information:
Full article and “U.S. Coast Guard Western Rivers Sectors” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings. Click on “archives” and then “2007-08 Vol. 64, Number 4” (Winter 2007-08).

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

Online survey available at: http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/survey.asp.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

Rivermen’s Lingo

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine. By LT Mark Sawyer, U.S. Coast Guard.

One can quickly identify a riverman by his nomenclature. Rivermen have developed a vocabulary unique to the river industry. For example, calling a riverman’s vessel a “tugboat” will make him cringe. This simple slip identifies you as a “blue water” person with little knowledge of the rivers.

TOWBOATS vs. TUGS
In the May 2007 issue of "Workboat," an article entitled “Tug or Towboat: Which Is It?” helps to clarify the difference. The author explains “a towboat is flat on the front, not a V-bow, and has push knees or toe knees to ‘face up’ to the end of a barge or barges.” In other words, tugs are used primarily on the coast to assist vessels coming into/out of port, while towboats are used to push barges. Towboats are used mainly on the inland rivers; therefore, a riverman’s vessel is called a towboat.

PILOTHOUSE vs. BRIDGE
A “pilothouse” is the common navigational bridge of a towboat. It is the location where the master or pilot navigates the vessel. If one uses the term “bridge” on the rivers, the rivermen will be looking for a structure that spans a waterway, such as a highway or railway bridge.

HITCH vs. CONTRACT
When one asks a riverman how much longer he has on the towboat, he will give the days left on the “hitch.” A hitch varies depending on the company; typically they are 20 to 30 days. A “contract” is usually reserved for deep-draft vessels, when a mariner signs a contract to serve on a vessel for a specified period of time.

TOWBOAT PILOT vs. BAR or HARBOR PILOT
A “towboat pilot” is a member of the towboat’s crew and is the officer in command on the after watch (12 a.m. - 6 p.m.). A towboat pilot holds a Coast Guard license as a mate (pilot) of towing vessels, whereas a bar or harbor pilot holds a first-class pilot license. Furthermore, a bar or harbor pilot is assigned to a vessel temporarily to help the crew aboard navigate a particularly hazardous area. The bar or harbor pilot has an intimate knowledge of the area in which the vessel is operating, moreso than the crew aboard the vessel. Bar or harbor pilots are often used to bring deep-draft vessels into and out of a coastal port.

WHEEL vs. PROPELLER
On a towing vessel operated on the rivers, the term “wheel” is used to describe the propeller, the steering wheel, or a paddlewheel. On the coast, mariners do not use the term wheel, unless occasionally referring to the helm. Coastal mariners call the fan-like devices that move the vessel along by lift created when the angled blades turn in the water as the “propellers” or “screws.” Very seldom will you hear rivermen call the propellers anything but wheels. This term originated from paddlewheels, which were used as the main source of propulsion on the rivers long before propellers.

Unique Terms Used by Rivermen

Acorn Float - A wooden float, shaped like an acorn, measuring about eight inches in diameter by a foot long, used as a life preserver on the old steamboats before personal flotation devices and work vests were invented.

After Watch/Forward Watch - The “after watch” is the working shift on towboats from 12 a.m. – 6 p.m. The “forward watch” is the working shift on towboats from 6 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Backwater - Water that backs up into a tributary when the river rises.

Bull Roaster - A towboat cook.

Chasin’ Frogs - Running aground.

Choke a Stump - Moor to a tree on the bank.

Clorox Bottle Raise - Sudden increase in flow after a dry spell that brings out a lot of drift.

Drift - (1) To float with the current, (2) motion of a vessel caused by current or wind, (3) floating debris in the river, (4) distance between the hook block and boom sheaves of a crane.

Face Up - To bring the head of the boat up against the stern of the tow and secure it with the face wires.

Face Wires - Steel cables from the head winches or capstans used to connect the tow boat to the barges.

Lower Gauge - Water level gauge on the downstream side of a lock.

Mule Train - Maneuver sometimes used in ice, where the barges are pulled single-file behind the towboat.

Splitting on the Head - Facing up with the boat straddling two barges.

Trip Pilot - A pilot employed on a single trip, rather than employed on a regular basis.

Upper Gauge - Water level gauge on the upstream side of a lock.

Yawl - Small dingy or tender carried aboard towboats.

About the author:
LT Mark Sawyer has served as chief of prevention at USCG Marine Safety Unit Huntington. He is a graduate of Officer Candidate School and holds a Master of Science in occupational safety and health and a Master of Business Administration.

For more information:
Full article and “U.S. Coast Guard Western Rivers Sectors” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings. Click on “archives” and then “2007-08 Vol. 64, Number 4” (Winter 2007-08).

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

Online survey available at: http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/survey.asp.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

Baseball in the Heartland

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine. By LT Michael Anderson and Mr. Todd Epperson, U.S. Coast Guard; and Mr. James Holman, City of Pittsburgh Emergency Medical Services/River Rescue Division.


What do Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark, and St. Louis’s Busch Stadium have in common? The answer is not that they all serve $5 draft beers and foot-long hot dogs. Although that may be true, the answer is that they are all located on the banks of the Western Rivers system.

The Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, and other tributary rivers that form this river system play host to many other professional sports on their shores, but perhaps none more prominent than the great American pastime—baseball. Because many of these real-life fields of dreams are in such close proximity to the waterways, they pose unique safety and security concerns for the Coast Guard units that serve those communities.

Baseball, Major and Minor
The shorelines of the Western Rivers are peppered with professional baseball stadiums—some big, some small. Minor league baseball stadiums such as John O’Donnell Stadium and Riverview Stadium are both located on the banks of the Mississippi River.

When the Majors Come to Town
Major league baseball is not only extraordinarily popular, it’s also big business. With big business comes high-profile events like the World Series and All-Star games.

Both of these events have occurred at venues located on the Western Rivers system—Busch Stadium and PNC Park, respectively. Both of these events created significant operational, tactical, and logistic challenges.

In hosting the MLB All-Star game and related events, the City of Pittsburgh Police Bureau and PNC Park officials took the lead in developing the overall security plan. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh and the City of Pittsburgh River Rescue Unit coordinated closely to provide maritime safety and security for the five-day event, and co-chaired the maritime operations working group.

Coast Guard forces, working closely with Pittsburgh River rescue resources, conducted more than 300 security sweeps and security spot-checks of passenger and recreational vessels and dozens of dive sorties on commercial vessel hulls and sea walls. They also executed over 35 passenger vessel physical security escorts.

The photo depicts Coast Guard 25-foot defender-class boats operating during the All-Star game home run derby competition, as kayakers attempt to retrieve balls hit out of PNC Park and into the Allegheny River.

All-Star AMSTEP
To prepare, Coast Guard forces and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in an area maritime security training and exercise program (AMSTEP) tabletop exercise (TTX) sponsored by the Coast Guard and hosted by MSU Pittsburgh. The exercise took place three months prior to the All-Star game and was a key element in enhancing strong partnerships across a broad spectrum of stakeholders.

The objectives of the All-Star game AMSTEP TTX were consistent with many of those emphasized in the overall Pittsburgh area maritime security committee plan and included becoming aware of vulnerabilities, developing strategies to reduce risk, implementing procedures to manage consequences if needed, improving communication, and conducting training to increase responder/personnel preparedness.

World Series Preparations
In preparing for three World Series games at St. Louis’s Busch Stadium, Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River (SUMR) faced many of the same challenges. One major difference, though, was significantly less time to prepare.

With the All-Star game scheduled as far as 12 months in advance, officials in Pittsburgh had more time to plan, acquire resources, and test contingencies. Once it had been determined that St. Louis would host at least one game of the World Series, city, state, and federal entities had just a few weeks to bolster existing public safety and security plans and establish a comprehensive plan.

SUMR coordinated closely with the St. Louis City Emergency Management Agency to stand up a unified command, and surged to meet unified command needs while providing active duty and civilian personnel support.

Busch Stadium’s close proximity to area highways, interstates, and the Mississippi River compounded the importance of maintaining full visibility to all threats. Plans were put in place to monitor all hazardous material and hazardous cargo transits on the Mississippi River in the vicinity of St. Louis, as well as around St. Louis’s light rail mass transit systems and area bridges.

The seamless integration of local, state, and federal response and law enforcement agencies during the All-Star game and World Series resulted in incident-free events enjoyed by thousands of enthusiastic baseball fans.

About the authors:
LT Michael Anderson served as a helicopter rescue swimmer prior to attending Officer Candidate School in 1998. He has since completed a joint staff and tours in the marine safety field. He holds a Master of Science degree in business ethics from Duquesne University.

Mr. Todd Epperson has worked as the port security specialist for Sector Upper Mississippi River. Mr. Epperson retired after 25 years of service from the Air Force as a security specialist. He graduated from Webster University in 2005 with a Master of Arts degree in business and organizational security management.

Mr. James D. Holman has been the administrative chief of the City of Pittsburgh's River Rescue Division. He has served on the area maritime security committee and other public safety committees, and co-chaired port security operations for the 2006 All-Star games.

For more information:
Full article and “U.S. Coast Guard Western Rivers Sectors” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings. Click on “archives” and then “2007-08 Vol. 64, Number 4” (Winter 2007-08).

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

Online survey available at: http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/survey.asp.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

Major Marine Events—planning, coordination, and execution

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine. By LCDR Jesse Stevenson, LT Kurt Van Hauter, MST3 Haven Miller, and LT Heather Hanning, U.S. Coast Guard.

What are marine events, and why is the Coast Guard involved with them?

The Code of Federal Regulations defines a marine event as an organized water event that is conducted according to a pre-arranged schedule. The regulations further state that if a marine event is going to introduce extra or unusual hazards to the navigable waters of the United States, the organizer must notify the Coast Guard.

Typical marine events on the Western Rivers include festivals, fishing tournaments, speedboat races, and rowing, canoeing, kayak, and swimming events. Fireworks events (often a sub-event within a marine event) create additional risks. Unlike those on open bodies of water, fireworks displays on the rivers require that the barges containing the fireworks be placed so that shell fallout does not land on the shore crowds or boaters watching from the river.

The key to a successful event is involving the local Coast Guard office in the planning process from the beginning. This allows the Coast Guard and other planners to identify and solve problematic issues before an event.

Tall Stacks: Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city steeped in rich river history. The Tall Stacks Music, Arts, and Heritage Festival celebrates that history, featuring an average of 18 Coast Guard-certified stern-wheel vessels. This impressive multi-day extravaganza, scheduled on a three-year cycle, is one of Cincinnati’s largest marine events.

During the 2006 event, the collocation of the Tall Stacks control center and Coast Guard patrol commander (responsible for the positioning of all law enforcement agency vessels) created a coordinated effort of river traffic control. At nearby locks, commercial vessel traffic was given informational flyers detailing the requirements for transiting through the area as well as radio channels designated for communication to the Tall Stacks control center and Coast Guard patrol commander.

The Coast Guard forces, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, Hamilton County Sheriff, and several other local governmental agencies also oversaw numerous evolutions, including sternwheeler boat races, boat parades, five large fireworks displays, and hundreds of individual cruises.

Fair St. Louis
Imagine open-air concerts; hundreds of street vendors and entertainers; a bridge turned into an open-air marketplace, packed with dining areas; and a 20-minute fireworks display each night. This is what hundreds of thousands of spectators experience during the annual Fair St. Louis 4th of July celebration.

Attended annually by an estimated 500,000 people, spectators witness the sights and sounds of the city, local performers, and St. Louis Cardinals baseball games.

Planning starts as soon as the current year’s event is finished. Working with multiple agencies, Sector Upper Mississippi River’s marine event coordinator starts identifying any risks that might be associated with the activities planned for the following year using a risk-based decision making tool to mitigate those risks and ensure a safe, fun-filled event.

Thunder Over Louisville
This event is one of the largest fireworks events in the country. It is held two weeks before the Kentucky Derby to mark the official beginning of the Kentucky Derby festival. Although the fireworks show is the major attraction for Thunder, it is an all-day event that draws hundreds of thousands of spectators along the Kentucky and Indiana banks of the Ohio River.

Of course, no show of this size can be put on without a tremendous amount of planning and organization. Thunder planning for the next year begins almost before the echoes of the show have faded on event night. Meetings are held almost year-round to help garner sponsors, partners, and participants. The Coast Guard is involved in many of these meetings, especially with law enforcement, rescue agencies, and event organizers, to help delineate each agency’s responsibility on event day.

Since Thunder Over Louisville happens in late April, the river is often higher than normal, and swift currents, debris, and drift are common. As a result, the week leading up to Thunder is used by the Coast Guard to emphasize safe boating awareness.

About the authors:
LCDR Stevenson enlisted in the Coast Guard, achieving the rank of MKC before receiving his officer’s commission in 1995. He has a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology and a master’s in quality systems management.

MST3 Haven Miller has served at Sector Upper Mississippi River; Station Ocean City, Md.; and Marine Safety Office St. Louis.

LT Kurt Van Hauter served as the supervisor of Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley’s boat facility and at Marine Safety Office/Group Portland. Prior to OCS, LT Van Hauter served as a marine science technician at Marine Safety Office/Group Philadelphia; at Air Station Kodiak; at naval technical training unit, Keesler Air Force base; and as a boatswain’s mate third class at Station Stillpond.

LT Heather Hanning served as the supervisor of Marine Safety Detachment Cincinnati. Her previous assignments include Sector Mobile, Coast Guard headquarters marine safety systems development, and prior to attending Officer Candidate School, the USCGC Gentian, serving as boatswain’s mate third class.

For more information:
Full article and “U.S. Coast Guard Western Rivers Sectors” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings. Click on “archives” and then “2007-08 Vol. 64, Number 4” (Winter 2007-08).

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

Online survey available at: http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/survey.asp.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

Facilitating Seafarers' Access

On Sunday, 11 October, RDML Cook was a guest blogger on ADM Allen's (Commandant, USCG) blog. RDML Cook wrote about ongoing efforts to better facilitate Seafarers' access. Here is the link to ADM Allen's blog: http://www.uscg.mil/comdt/blog/

Double Cut/Double Tripping—how infrastructure can affect economy

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine.

Many of the locks operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are over 50 years old. Modern tows, however, typically operate with more barges than can pass through a lock at one time, so the tows must be “cut” into sections.

On the Kanawha River near Montgomery, W.Va., for example, only one barge (or the towboat) can fit in the lock chamber at a time. So the towboat pushes the first barge into the chamber, unhooks it, and backs out.

The first barge is then attached to cables and pulled through and out of the chamber (“hauled through,” in river terms) after the chamber water level is raised or lowered to match the river level on the other side of the chamber.

Then the towboat does the same with the next barge, and subsequent barges, and, finally, the towboat enters the chamber. The barges and towboat are then reconnected at the other side of the lock chamber.

Disconnecting, reconnecting, and moving cables during the hauling-through process makes this one of the most dangerous operations on the river for a deckhand. This process also takes a significant amount of time, so USACE is now building larger lock chambers to help alleviate the concerns of inefficiency and safety.

A barge enters the lock chamber on the Kanawha River. USCG photo by CDR Kevin Kiefer.













Two barges and a towboat back out of the lock chamber (after releasing the first barge into the chamber) on the Kanawha River. USCG photo by CDR Kevin Kiefer.

For more information:
Full article and “U.S. Coast Guard Western Rivers Sectors” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings. Click on “archives” and then “2007-08 Vol. 64, Number 4” (Winter 2007-08).

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.


Online survey available at: http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/survey.asp.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

UPDATED: MERPAC Meeting and Credentialling Update

Admiral Allen, Commandant, USCG wrote about the MERPAC Meeting and Merchant Mariner Credentialling in the October 6, 2009 entry to his blog. Here's the link: http://www.uscg.mil/comdt/blog .

Brown Water Operations—ensuring that the Western Rivers remain open

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine. By LCDR Wayne R. Arguin Jr., LCDR Phillip Ison, and LTJG Ellen M. Motoi, U.S. Coast Guard.


A call to Sector Lower Mississippi River’s command center indicates that a 36-barge tow has intentionally grounded along the river bank north of Memphis, Tenn.

If this had been a similar call to a coastal command center, it may have spooled up investigators and inspectors, alerted aids to navigation (AtoN) teams, and elicited a flurry of calls to notify the command. But the intentional grounding of a tow is commonplace throughout the Western Rivers.

Towing vessel operations regularly “push in” to the bank to allow larger tows to pass in tight bends or to rearrange barges within a tow at a barge fleeting area. Since typical towing vessels are not equipped with anchors, they use the thrust of their power plants to hold position.

This is No Sea Cruise
However, the unintentional grounding, collision, or allision of even a single tow can have a significant economic impact on the entire Western Rivers system. Where coastal channels are charted and regularly maintained through periodic dredging, river channels are always shifting, largely influenced by the rate of change in the river’s elevation, sedimentation, and man-made structures. Shoals and strong currents can appear just hours after a tender has verified the sailing line.

The system of locks, dams, and bridges adds to the operational challenges faced by today’s towboat operator. Additionally, the result of even a minor incident in this system can have major consequences. For instance, if a multi-barge tow hits a bridge, this can lead to the complete failure of the tow’s integrity, turning a composite unit into 30 to 40 individual hazards to navigation.

Groundings within the navigable channel are particularly disruptive because they often result in extended river closures, especially when lower river conditions require narrower-than-normal channel widths.

A Case in Point
Casualties occur more often during high water conditions. Strong currents require downriver-bound tows to maneuver with precise coordination between rudder commands and engine orders to safely pass between bridge spans.

In one case in January 2007, a 42-barge tow allided with the Natchez I-20 Bridge, sending all 42 barges careening downriver. Other towing vessels pushed their tows into the bank and assisted with the capture of barges that had drifted nearly 20 miles from the initial impact site. Three of the barges sank within 300 yards of the bridge—very close to the marked navigable channel.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) survey vessels confirmed the location of each submerged barge so that commercial traffic could resume with minimal delay, but salvage and removal of the damaged barges could not be immediately completed due to the extreme currents.

Incident Recovery
After any grounding or similar incident, recovery and restoration is time sensitive and often requires multi-agency coordination to ensure the safe and efficient movement of commerce on the nation’s largest marine transportation system.

Officers in charge of Coast Guard river tenders rely heavily on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and National Weather Service river stage forecasts to determine the most effective way to mark the river so that tows can proceed without incident.

A rapid change in river levels (greater than two feet per day) can wreak havoc on a channel’s integrity, leading to more frequent AtoN verification patrols and channel surveys by USACE resources to identify trouble spots that may lead to casualties.

Salvage and Lightering, Western-Style
Salvage activities on the Western Rivers are sometimes complicated by the lack of available resources and the unique challenges posed by high currents and ever-changing river levels. In most cases, a typical dry cargo hopper barge must be lightered using clam shell cranes, one scoop at a time.

Liquid cargo barges may require “over the top” or manifold-to-manifold transfers. Temporary repairs, including using wooden shingles to plug fractures in the hull plating, are the most common repairs used to restore watertight integrity to a damaged barge so that it can be delivered to a repair facility.

Coast Guard-certificated tank barges must be issued “permits to proceed” prior to continuing voyages so that damage can be permanently repaired at an approved facility.

Even when salvage resources are available, water conditions may delay recovery. Strong currents may prevent dive teams from patching holes in submerged barges. If the holes are too large, salvage pumps cannot remove enough water to allow the vessel to float free. In these cases, each day the submerged barge remains on the bottom decreases the likelihood of a successful recovery, due to sedimentation.

When low water conditions exist, barges may not be able to be floated free and may need to be completely emptied of cargo. If cargo removal is not an option, owners may simply wait for Mother Nature to provide a boost in the form of rain. In other instances, teams of towing vessels may attempt to pull the stranded barge into deeper water rather than attempting to lighter cargo from the barge. In all cases, broadcast notices to mariners are issued to advise waterways users of the hazards, so that appropriate passing arrangements can be coordinated.

About the authors:
LCDR Wayne Arguin has served in the Coast Guard for more than 15 years within the marine safety specialty. He has actively worked to improve towing vessel safety on the Western Rivers.

LCDR Phillip Ison has served for more than 20 years, with 18 years in the marine safety specialty.

When this article was originally published, LTJG Ellen Motoi was completing her first year in the marine safety field.

For more information:
Full article and “U.S. Coast Guard Western Rivers Sectors” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings. Click on “archives” and then “2007-08 Vol. 64, Number 4” (Winter 2007-08).

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

Online survey available at: http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/survey.asp.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

What’s the Coast Guard doing in Colorado?

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine. By Mr. Marvin Butcher and Mr. John Donar, auxiliary coordinators.

What, indeed, are we doing in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Wyoming? This is the area of responsibility (AOR) of the Eighth Western Rivers region of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. It is easily the auxiliary’s largest geographic region, which is surprising since it is entirely landlocked and there are no ocean coastlines even bordering this area.

Many people don’t think of the Midwest as having any shoreline or water, but they could not be more mistaken. There are over 4,200 miles of navigable waters, more than 1,800 miles of tributary waterways, 62 locks and dams, six major commercial ports, and 422 bridges within this area.

The Eighth Western Rivers region is an auxiliary region attached to the Eighth Coast Guard District. Auxiliary flotillas and divisions are organized in districts comparable to Coast Guard districts and are assigned the same district number. A flotilla is the basic organizational unit of the auxiliary and comprised of at least 15 members who carry out auxiliary program activities. Every U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliarist is a member of a local flotilla, grouped into divisions. Each division consists of five or more flotillas.

Functions
The Western Rivers Auxiliary performs many of the same functions that its coastal brethren do. It conducts recreational boating safety missions, boating safety patrols, air patrols, radio missions, and provides direct sector support.

Due to the distance involved in performing many standard missions and the relatively small size of the active duty and reserve forces assigned to the Midwest, it has become commonplace for auxiliarists to be trained in inspections and investigations to assist active duty forces.

Remote Customer Service Support Offices
Within this framework, the Eighth Western Rivers region has developed one of its most important projects: a program that provides direct support to the Regional Examination Centers (RECs) in Memphis, Tenn., and St. Louis, Mo.

Four offices have been established in St. Paul, Minn.; Branson, Mo.; the Kansas City metropolitan area; and Denver, Colo. All the remote customer assistance offices are manned by auxiliarists. These offices provide functions such as ensuring that:
· an application for license or document is acceptable,
· citizenship and resident alien documents are correct,
· all applications are forwarded to the RECs.

Each office also has an auxiliarist designated as a Coast Guard official capable of administering the oaths required by the National Maritime Center.

About the authors:
Mr. Marvin Butcher served 27 years in the U.S. Navy, where he commanded several warships before retiring at the rank of captain. He then served as a merchant marine master of a U.S. Navy special mission ship. Mr. Butcher was named the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliarist of the Year for 2006.

Mr. John L. Donar has an extensive business management background and is a U.S. Army veteran. Mr. Donar joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary in 1989 and has held numerous elected and appointed positions, including serving as a qualification examiner and coordinator to Sector Lower Mississippi River.
For more information:
Full article and “U.S. Coast Guard Western Rivers Sectors” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings. Click on “archives” and then “2007-08 Vol. 64, Number 4” (Winter 2007-08).

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

Online survey available at: http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/survey.asp.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

Auxiliarists

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine.

Established in 1939, the 35,000-plus-member U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary assists the Coast Guard as a force multiplier. Members receive special training so they may be a functional part of Team Coast Guard, a role that continues to grow as the Coast Guard expands its homeland security mission.

Auxiliarists assist the Coast Guard in non-law enforcement programs such as public education, vessel safety checks, safety patrols, and search and rescue. They volunteer more than 2,000,000 hours annually to benefit other boaters and provide operational and administrative support to many local Coast Guard units.

On the water, auxiliary vessels completing missions for the Coast Guard are marked with patrol signboards bearing the red slash of the Coast Guard. So equipped, these vessels become Coast Guard vessels and are no longer civilian boats. Their crews are trained to rigorous standards and are prepared to meet the challenges of a variety of marine situations.

The safety patrols directly support the Coast Guard’s maritime safety responsibilities and provide important visual benefits to the public as well. When the public sees a Coast Guard vessel underway, they know that distress assistance is available. The auxiliary is also a great force multiplier that provides not only on-water crowd control and spectator safety during regattas and other marine events, but also opportunities for the public to obtain boating safety information.

Even at the dock, one may spot an auxiliarist performing his or her duties. The auxiliary performs vessel safety checks to help achieve voluntary compliance with recreational boating safety laws, particularly regarding safety equipment. This helps heighten awareness of critical safety issues through one-on-one contact with a Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel examiner. A “seal of safety” decal is awarded upon successful completion of the vessel safety check, and attests that the vessel is in compliance with boating requirements.

When not near the water, auxiliarists provide boating safety classes, fostering a wider knowledge of—and better compliance with—the laws, rules, and regulations governing the operation of recreational vessels.

For more information:
Full article and “U.S. Coast Guard Western Rivers Sectors” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings. Click on “archives” and then “2007-08 Vol. 64, Number 4” (Winter 2007-08).

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

Online survey available at: http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/survey.asp.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.