Day Trip Aboard the USCG Cutter James Rankin

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Auxiliarists in our area along the Chesapeake Bay received invitations to go out on day cruises aboard the USCGC James Rankin, "Keeper of the Bay" (WLM 555) -- the black-hulled buoy tender based at Curtis Bay Coast Guard Station. Her area of responsibility is from the top of the bay to the Potomac River.

Upon arrival, I was greeted by the ship's captain, LCDR Mark Palmer, who graciously welcomed me aboard. There was plenty of hot coffee in the galley, which was greatly appreciated at 0730!

The task for the day was to pull five channel buoys from the Chesapeake Bay, and replace them with winter "ice hull" buoys. I had no idea that the buoys were swapped out, much like we put away our summer clothes and get out the winter ones!

The ice hulls, which are seven feet in diameter and fifteen feet high, are much heartier, but the lights are not as bright as the summer buoys. Once pulled from the bay, the old 3-1/2-ton buoys are taken back to port, where they're off-loaded, cleaned of all the bird poop, repaired, painted and stored for winter. They are then refurbished electronically for the spring replacing. This includes checking bulbs, batteries, and solar units.

It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to go through the cycle of retrieving and replacing each buoy, and the crew works like little worker bees in synchronization. Everyone knows their role, and there is very little talking--most of the signaling was done by hand by BM2 Tonya Mills, as MK1 Jason Dernhel worked the crane.

Auxiliarist Lorraine Colletta works in the galley of the Rankin, and whipped up a wonderful lunch of fajitas and tacos, with all the fixin's. Then it was back on deck for the next evolution.

The 175-foot-long USCGC James Rankin is powered by two Rolls Royce engines; and, although she has a shallow draft (only 7.9 feet), she rides very smoothly in the water. The vessel is also used as an ice breaker on the bay, and has opened up a channel with ice as thick as eighteen inches. She has no ship's wheel, but is operated with a series of joy sticks.

Dinner was yet another delight, courtesy of Auxiliarist Colletta: Mahi-mahi, spiced shrimp, asparagus, and salad. (That's much better than the leftover turkey that I had prepared to eat at home later that evening!)

We arrived back at Station Curtis Bay around 1700, and the buoys were off-loaded to the dock. A forklift would take them to their winter resting place, and the next set of ice hull buoys were loaded onto the deck of the Rankin.

The crew was preparing to go out to anchor overnight near the first buoy that they were going to replace the next day. This allows them to get an early start, change out five buoys, get back to dock, and take out another five. The mission calls for replacing 67 buoys in 13 days, and I believe that the crew will accomplish that task with flying colors.

Thank you to LCDR Palmer for allowing us to tag along. I have an even greater respect for the Guardians after witnessing yet another facet of the extensive work they do!

~CC 01-21-11