The Coast Guard Auxiliary: Helping yourself while helping others.

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by AUX Gary Nordlinger, The Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Each year the Coast Guard invests millions of dollars training auxiliarists in areas such as leadership, seamanship, public affairs, website design, instruction, and facilitation. Like active duty Coast Guard personnel, auxiliarists undergo background checks as part of their enrollment process to determine their suitability for service.

Auxiliarists are trained to Coast Guard standards and regularly serve alongside the active duty in various capacities and at venues ranging from cutters to command centers, medical facilities, and Coast Guard headquarters.

Accomplishments: In 2009, USCG Auxiliarists donated more than 4.5 million hours to public safety and support of the U.S. Coast Guard. Public outreach programs are among our most important activities, and span a wide range of missions, as noted below.

• Vessel safety checks: Auxiliarists conduct about 100,000 complimentary vessel safety checks each year on recreational craft to make sure safety equipment is in working order and sufficient in quantity and the vessel is seaworthy.


• Public education classes: Each year thousands of boaters complete auxiliary courses on boating skills, seamanship, navigation, sailing, and other related topics.


• Marine dealer visits: Auxiliarists make tens of thousands of visits each year to businesses selling boats and boating-related products to stock public displays of boating safety literature and publicize upcoming boating safety classes.


• Public affairs: In 2009 alone, auxiliarists devoted more than 180,000 hours staffing booths at boat shows, giving presentations to civic and educational organizations, and reaching out to the news media and boating public regarding boating safety and maritime security.


• Legislative outreach: Auxiliarists maintain close relationships with state legislatures, state boating administrators, and other public and non-profit organizations.


• Coast Guard recruiting: Hundreds of auxiliarists support Coast Guard active duty recruiting efforts and also visit high schools to encourage students to consider applying to the Coast Guard Academy.

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2010.

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Return on Investment: The value of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by CDR David Chareonsuphiphat, Director, Northern Region Auxiliary
U.S. Coast Guard District Eleven Prevention Division.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary is made up of more than 30,000 volunteers who donate their time and effort as well as their boats, aircraft, and radio facilities to the U.S. Coast Guard. Over 4,000 vessels, 240 aircraft, and 2,600 radio facilities have been accepted for use annually to aid the Coast Guard in carrying out its many missions.

In an average year the Coast Guard Auxiliary:

• provides 4,500,000 volunteer hours to the U.S. Coast Guard,
• saves 800 lives,
• assists 13,000 people in distress,
• protects $92,000,000 in property,
• conducts 132,000 vessel safety checks,
• conducts 2,000 commercial fishing examinations,
• conducts over 86,000 marine dealer visits,
• provides 4,000 vessel facilities to the Coast Guard,
• provides 240 air facilities to the Coast Guard,
• conducts 16,600 public education sessions and teaches 2,800 boating safety courses.

The Coast Guard injects approximately $17 to $18 million annually into the Coast Guard Auxiliary, which includes the fuel and maintenance allowance for auxiliary facilities, Coast Guard schools for auxiliary training and education, active duty and civilian staff to manage auxiliary program offices, personal protective safety equipment, and damage and disability claims associated with surface and aviation patrols.

What Do Auxiliarists Do? Auxiliarists perform a wide range of duties, including recreational boating safety, vessel safety, commercial fishing vessel examinations, private aids to navigation verifications, program dealer visits, and marine safety education.

So What Does the Coast Guard Get? The value of volunteer time is calculated annually by an organization called the “Independent Sector,” which is a leadership forum of charities, foundations, and corporate giving programs. The 2009 value of a volunteer hour: $20.25.

In 2009, the auxiliary provided more than 4.5 million volunteer hours to the Coast Guard, which comes to approximately $91 million dollars in labor, using that independent estimate. Put another way, the Coast Guard Auxiliary’s labor hours in 2009 are equivalent to 2,186 full-time Coast Guard employees.

Continuing the math and factoring in the value of property saved, the return on investment ranges from 970 percent to 1,200 percent for the years 2006 to 2009, or up to $12 for every dollar spent.

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2010.

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Personal Watercraft Industry’s Model Legislation

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Ms. Maureen A. Healey

Executive Director, Personal Watercraft Industry Association

The personal watercraft (PWC) industry supports strong boating laws and their strict enforcement, as well as mandatory boater education for operators.

To do our part, the industry encourages state lawmakers to enact industry-backed model legislation that encourages all states to set a minimum age of 16 to operate a PWC (18 for rentals) and requires all personal watercraft operators, regardless of age and experience, to pass a boater education course.

In addition, the industry advocates for personal watercraft use only during daylight hours; laws against reckless operation; and rules regarding operation within 100 feet of shore, anchored boats, piers, or swimmers.

For more information visit http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2010.



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The boating accident investigation Tiger Team: Mysteries solved Part—3

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

Sailboat Sinking

Incident: In one very complicated and high-profile case, the Tiger Team was called in to assist a state investigator and the Coast Guard investigation team. This incident involved a university sailboat that sank very quickly while participating in a regatta, resulting in one fatality.

Investigation: Core samples of the hull were sent to a lab for analysis, the use and maintenance records of the boat were scrutinized, the design and construction plans of the boat were examined, and witnesses were questioned.

Conclusion: The Tiger Team found a weakened keel-to-hull connection, which led to the catastrophic failure of the keel.


















TOP TO BOTTOM: Sailboat after the accident, with keel missing. The sailboat before the accident, with keel in place.

See Part 1 and Part 2 for more information on Tiger Team investigations.

For more information, visit http://www.uscgboating.org/.

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2010.

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The boating accident investigation Tiger Team: Mysteries solved Part—2

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

Poker Run Collision

Incident: In another incident, two high-powered cigarette boats competing in a “poker run” at high speed collided, resulting in five fatalities.

One boat was heading east on one leg of the poker run and the other was heading west on another leg of the run. The boats were about to meet on opposite courses when one of the boats turned hard to port, spun around, and ended up dead in the water on the same course and directly in front of the other boat. The following boat collided with it in an extremely powerful collision that practically destroyed both boats. The lone survivor of the crash could provide no details as to the cause of the crash.

Investigation: Because of the difficulty in determining the cause of the accident, the Tiger Team was called in to assist. Both boats were recovered and it was found that the engines of the boat that had veered violently had ripped out of the bottom of the boat. The investigation also revealed that the hydraulic steering system had a small leak in it, but this alone may not have been enough to cause the violent swerving.

Conclusion: After careful examination, the Tiger Team expert found that the owner of the boat that had swerved had made some modifications to the trim tab system that were not strong enough for their purpose. The starboard trim tab assembly likely failed catastrophically, causing the starboard side of the boat to rise out of the water and swerve violently to port into the path of the oncoming boat. This theory was supported by one witness who stated that he saw the starboard bottom of the boat rise out of the water.

In part 3 readers will read about the investigation behind a fatal sailing event.

For more information
Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2010.
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The boating accident investigation Tiger Team: Mysteries solved Part—1

Four Perish Due to Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Incident: A boat ran up on the shore of a lake with all four aboard dead from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. The boat was traveling in rain at night and the operator had put a canvas over it, leaving a small opening above the helm. He was found dead at the helm; three passengers sleeping in the stern died in their sleep.

Investigation: It appeared that a “station wagon effect,” in which a boat creates a vacuum behind it that tends to pull exhaust fumes into the boat, could have been the cause. However, the canvas appeared to be placed in such a manner that it would have prevented or mitigated this effect.

Conclusion: Upon further investigation by the Tiger Team expert, at the probable speed the boat was running, the angle of the boat would have been such that the opening in the canvas at the helm created a “venturi effect.” This formed a lower pressure within the boat that drew CO through every small opening in and around the canvas and created a death zone within the boat.

In part 2 readers will find out about a Poker Run collision.

For more information
Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2010.
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Marine Experts on Call\The boating accident investigation Tiger Team

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Mr. Phil Cappel, chief, Recreational Boating Product Assurance Branch
U.S. Coast Guard Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety

The widespread use of the Internet by the news media has provided the capability to conduct nationwide searches of online news articles regarding boating accidents. This capability allows the USCG Boating Safety Program to monitor boating accidents and identify if there are any trends of accidents in a particular area, with a particular type of boat, or during a particular type of boating activity.

It also affords our Product Assurance Branch the means to follow up with the media contact or the accident investigating official. The Product Assurance Branch was particularly interested in:

• accidents in which boats less than 20 feet in length sank,
• carbon monoxide poisoning incidents,
• propeller injury incidents,
• any accident where a defective product was suspected to have contributed to or directly caused the accident.

On January 23, 2003, the on-call, fast-response team of marine experts was established. This team quickly came to be known as the accident investigation “Tiger Team.”

Results Right off the Bat
Within its first few months the team investigated an accident involving a near-sinking of a boat less than 20 feet in length that led to a recall of several thousand boats that did not have the required amount of flotation.

The team also solicited State Boating Law Administrators to identify appropriate accidents for follow up, and offered to assist state boating accident investigators. This began what would become a productive partnership.

Appreciation of Efforts
Tiger Team investigations have resulted in recalls of boats that were not in compliance with the federal safety regulations or boats containing defects that were identified as causing a substantial risk of injury to the public.

Additionally, the Tiger Team has assisted accident investigators in making determinations of the causes of accidents that otherwise may have gone unresolved. (See the “Mysteries Solved” posts coming soon.)

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2010.

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Recreational Boat Manufacturer Factory Visit Program Brings Substance to Style

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Mr. Luke Woodling, Digital Content Manager, Water Sports, Bonnier Corporation.

Visit Program. The Coast Guard’s Recreational Boat Manufacturer Factory Visit program affords water ski and wakeboard boat manufacturers the peace of mind that boats coming off their assembly lines are as safe as possible, which is particularly reassuring in a market that is so family-focused.

What do the Manufacturers Think About the Program? Dan Gasper, the director of research and development at Malibu Boats, said “It’s comforting to know that you’re building by those specifications, because you know the boat will be safe. Safety is what they’re all about.”

“It’s not as if they print these regulations and run,” added Bill Snook, chief engineer at Nautique Boats. “They come in and look over our shoulder and see what we’re building. There is peace of mind in that.”

Results. The Coast Guard’s regulations and factory visit program do more than just instill confidence—they also enable water ski and wakeboard boat manufacturers to focus on innovation.

Resources that would have to be dedicated to developing and carrying out safety protocols are instead freed up to design everything from state-of-the-art dashboards to more functional towers and ballast systems.

“Without the Coast Guard’s support, we’d have to put more of our resources into solving problems and making sure that we’re building a safe product,” Snook said. “Now all we have to do is follow the specifications—buy this part and assemble it in this way. We don’t have to invent any of that. All we have to do is follow what they specify, and we know we have a much better and safer product.”

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2010.

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Recreational Boating Safety Outreach.

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Mr. Alston Colihan, Technical Writer

The Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety administers a variety of educational outreach programs to help reduce the numbers of boating accidents, fatalities, injuries, and property damage involving recreational boats. Some examples include:

The Boat Factory Visit Program
Requires recreational boat manufacturers to self-certify compliance with U.S. Coast Guard safety standards.

The credibility of that certification process is maintained by:

visits to domestic boat manufacturing plants to educate boat builders,
the authority to assess penalties against boat builders who are willfully non-compliant.

This program requires the manufacturer or importer to certify that each of its boats complies with federal safety standards. The Coast Guard does not require specific procedures to determine compliance, so the manufacturer may employ a third-party certification service, use an independent laboratory, or use the company’s in-house technical staff.

National Marine Manufacturers Association Yacht Certification Program
Offers member manufacturers’ boat inspections by third-party inspectors to certify compliance with Coast Guard safety standards and voluntary American Boat and Yacht Council standards.

Educational Efforts: New boat manufacturers are provided with a “Boatbuilder’s Handbook” CD, which contains information regarding the laws, regulations, and safety standards applicable to builders of recreational boats; copies of compliance guidelines and explanations for test procedures for each of the safety standards; and a variety of references concerning boat manufacturing, compliance testing, and the recreational boating product assurance program.

Visit Schedule: The Recreational Boating Factory Visit Program employs “compliance associates,” most of whom were former inspectors in the Coast Guard commercial vessel safety program.

The visit schedule is as follows:
annual visits to manufacturers whose boats are subject to most of the standards;
biennial visits to manufacturers whose boats are subject to some of the standards;
manufacturers of other boats that are excepted from the standards, such as canoe and kayak manufacturers, are visited at least once every three years.

These visits ensure that manufacturers understand the safety standards, know how to comply with them, and can inspect any boats under construction for compliance. In addition, boat manufacturers are also made aware of voluntary safety standards such as those published by the American Boat and Yacht Council.

Product Assurance Enforcement: The Coast Guard is exploring better coordination between the boating safety program and local Officers in Charge, Marine Inspection in the enforcement of civil penalties for recreational boat manufacturer violations.

The Recreational Boating Safety Visitation Program
Formerly known as the Marine Dealer Visitor Program, the program’s goal is to build long-lasting relationships with the recreational boating safety community as a whole.

PICTURED: A compliance associate inspects a boat’s wiring harness.

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2010.

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The Case for Mandatory Recreational Boating Education

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Mr. Fred W. Poppe, Vice President, of National Boating Federation.

A recent Coast Guard study indicates that fewer boating fatalities occur in states that have implemented requirements for boat operators to be educated in a more rapid timeframe.

Thus, the course for future reduction in accidents, injuries, and fatalities is clear:

• Every state should enact mandatory boating education for all recreational vessel operators.
• The National Boating Federation, its member organizations, and their delegates continue to be involved in efforts to pass mandatory boating education laws in their states. In addition, members participate in and contribute to 42 national, regional, and international maritime organizations through the federation’s executive committee members and member delegates.

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2010.

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