District 1 NR Division 9 Flotilla 5
Northampton, Massachusetts
News and Events
Headline News
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Next Flotilla Meeting Sept 4th 2008
Stories
Next Flotilla Meeting - Sept 4th 2008: The next Flotilla meeting will be held at the American Legion Hall, 1 Prospect Street, Hatfield, Massachusetts 01038. The Meeting begins at 1930 hrs with a training session immediately following.
Can You Hear Me ? - Boat US has released an informative online tutorial on Digital Selective Calling (DSC) marine radios. Thousands of boaters are not getting the full protection from their investment in DSC radios. Check out the tutorial here.
Carbon Monoxide Warning
for Boaters
- The Coast Guard has
conducted an investigation to determine what carbon monoxide (CO)
detection devices are available to recreational boaters, such that, when
installed and activated could reduce the risk of being exposed to high
levels of CO -THAT SILENT KILLER. A variety of technologies is available
for detecting the presence of CO on boats and should be considered by
recreational boaters to reduce their risk of injury or death while
boating.
read more
Coast Guard launches Operation Paddle Smart - May 1, 2008: "The waters of the Northeast are extremely inviting but they temperamental and can be mercilessly unforgiving to unsuspecting and ill-prepared boaters and paddlers," said Al Johnson, First Coast Guard District recreational boating specialist. "Operation Paddle Smart is a multi-partnered effort to educate and remind new, casual, and experienced paddlers to assess the risks, envision the consequences, and use our waters safely and be properly prepared for what can go wrong... read more
Coast Guard
Urges Use of New Distress Beacons - April 28, 2008:
Beginning Feb. 1, 2009, the Coast Guard and other search and rescue
personnel will only monitor mayday calls that are broadcast using
digital 406MHz EPIRB beacons. Older 121.5 MHz EPIRB distress signals
will no longer be detected or sent directly to search and rescue
personnel....
read more
Coast Guard Issues Cold-Water Safety Advisory - April 23, 2008 The Coast Guard is issuing a cold water safety advisory for all early season boaters, paddlers, sailors and fishers on the inland and coastal waters of the Northeast's First Coast Guard District. The milder temperatures and absence of ice on most inland lakes and ponds is deceptive and danger still exists... read more
Coast Guard Issues Warning About Winter Boating, Paddling -
December 20, 2007
Boston - The Coast Guard is issuing a boating and
paddling safety advisory for all winter boaters, paddlers, duck hunters
and fishermen on the Northeast's coastal waters and any ice-free inland
waters... read more
The Lady of the Light - October 22, 2007: She's the keeper of Boston Light. To her, helping others see the light means far more than just keeping the bulbs lit. Read more about Auxiliarist Sally Snowman the 70th Keeper of Boston Light (photos) here.
Sponge Bob "Stops Up" Sinking Vessel - September 15, 2007
BOSTON
- A Coast Guard rescue crew called upon Sponge Bob Square Pants for help
in a tight situation aboard a Gloucester-based vessel sinking near
Gloucester Harbor around 7:15 p.m., Saturday. The four man crew of the
25-foot Clam Juice contacted Coast Guard Station Gloucester via
VHF radio channel 16 to report their vessel was rapidly taking on
water... read more
Harvard Survey of Hurricane Preparedness
Finds One-Third on High Risk Coast Will
Refuse Evacuation Order
- Many Could Face
Shortages of Food and Water -
Most New
Orleans Residents Do Not Know Location
of Evacuation Shelters
-
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 Boston,
MA --According to a new survey of people
in high-risk hurricane areas conducted
by the Harvard School of Public Health
Project on the Public and Biological
Security, one-third (31%) of
residents said if government officials
said they had to evacuate due to a major
hurricane this season, they would not
leave. This is an increase from 2006
when 23% said they would not evacuate.
The top reasons people give for not
evacuating involve issues of safety and
security. Three-quarters (75%) say their
home is well-built and they would be
safe there. Over half (56%) feel that
roads would be too crowded, and slightly
more than one in three (36%) feels that
evacuating would be dangerous. One-third
(33%) worry that their possessions would
be stolen or damaged while one in four
(27%) say they would not evacuate
because they do not want to leave their
pets.
read more
Hug Lands Couple in Drink - Summer 2007: The American Association for Rescue at Sea, AFRAS, and the USCG recognized the Captain and crew of the Cruise Ship Grand Princess for the rescue of a couple who had fallen over the side of the 951 ft, 2600 passenger vessel last March about 160 nm SW of Galveston, Texas. Read the story from the AFRAS Summer Newsletter. See news coverage from ABC Channel 7 in Denver here.
Coast Guard at 217 years old, saves over one
million - Aug 2007
As America's lifesavers and guardians of the seas, Coast Guard men and
women commit themselves every day to serving our nation and its people
with selfless courage and unflinching determination," said Adm. Thad
Allen, commandant of the Coast Guard. "This year we celebrate a
remarkable milestone in our history as more than one million lives have
been saved by the Coast Guard since 1790. What began as America's only
lifesaving service charged with the dangerous duty of saving sailors
from shipwrecks along our coasts has evolved into a modern-day,
multi-mission Coast Guard that demonstrates the same commitment to
saving lives that it did more than 200 years ago."
more
Top 10 Coast Guard Rescues - As part of
the Coast Guard Birthday Celebration, the Coast Guard has released a
subjective but nonetheless
impressive list of it's "Top 10 Rescues."
A compilation of the
Top 10 Coast Guard
Rescue videos can be viewed
here. Not
surprisingly, Hurricane Katrina tops both lists.
Members Support Tall Ships Event - A dozen area Auxiliarists aboard two auxiliary vessel facilities joined with 16 other Auxiliary vessels, state and local law enforcement, and numerous Coast Guard assets in securing a safety zone around the parade of tall ships visiting Newport RI on July 1st. The parade was the culminating event of the five day, Tall Ships Rhode Island 2007. The Western Massachusetts Auxiliarists were underway over four consecutive days in support of the event.
Eagle's "Sister Ship" Visits Newport - The sail training vessel of the German Navy, Gorch Fock ll, was among the fleet of visiting tall ships in Newport RI June 27-July 1. The Barque rigged Gorch Fock ll, launched in 1958 was built at Blohm & Voss Shipyards, Hamburg, Germany, the same yard that launched the USCG Eagle, then named Horst Wessel, in 1936. Compare the photos below. The left photo was taken in Newport and the right one is from an official USCG site.
Rip Currents Awareness Week - The National Weather Service is working with partners to raise awareness about the dangers of rip currents. Research is also being conducted in order to develop and improve the ability to predict the occurrence and strength of rip currents. The goal of the awareness campaign and research is to reduce the number of rip current related fatalities. more
Joint Response to Simulated Air Collision - The Massachusetts Wing of the Civil Air Patrol and Local Coast Guard Auxiliary members conducted a joint land, air, and river “search and rescue” exercise on and in the skies above the Connecticut River in Western Massachusetts on 14 October 2006. The exercise was headquartered at the USCG Auxiliary, Connecticut River Station, located at the Oxbow Marina in Northampton. Using the Integrated Command System model, searchers located debris and "survivors" as well as an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). Cooperation and interoperability between air, surface vessel and aircraft resources contributed to the success of the exercise.
Older EPIRB's Phased Out - The Coast Guard reminds all boaters that beginning January 1, 2007, both 121.5 and 243 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) are prohibited from use in both commercial and recreational watercraft. Boaters wishing to have an emergency rescue beacon aboard their vessel must have a digital 406 MHz model. more
*CG Service Discontinued - The Coast Guard has asked cell phone service providers to discontinue *CG service. Mariners are reminded that VHF-FM Marine radio is the best method for contacting the Coast Guard in an emergency. If a cell phone is the only method of communication available dial 911. more
Northampton Flotilla "Wickies" On Watch: - July 2006 - In a recent episode of the NBC series “Treasure Hunters” contestants visited Boston Light, the second oldest lighthouse in the United States. The current tower was built in 1783. The original lighthouse, completed in 1716, was burned twice by American Revolutionary Forces before finally being destroyed by fleeing British Troops at the end of the Revolutionary War.
Conspicuously absent from the televised footage were the Coast Guard Auxiliarists who keep watch over this historic site. Among their number are two of our Flotilla members who stand regular watches at Boston Light. Jan and Jay serve as qualified watchstanders at our Nation’s last permanently manned Lighthouse. During the day, the duo serve as interpreters for visitors to the site. Once the Island is closed for the evening, they insure the safety and security of the site for periods of four to seven days at a stretch.
New Courtesy Dock at Barton Cove - June 2006 - Users of the state owned ramp at Barton Cove in Gill, MA will welcome the addition of a new float dock at the ramp this season. "The new dock will make launching safer and easier for fishermen and recreational boaters." said State Representative Christopher Donelan (D-Orange).
Digital Selective Calling Fact Sheet Released: -June 2006 - Of the 250,000 DSC equipped radios now in use, only 10% have obtained Marine Mobile Service Identifiers (MMSI). The MMSI identifies a vessel in distress when the emergency button is activated. "This seriously limits the effectiveness of the DSC emergency calling system," says Peter Urgola, USCG Aux, Chief of the Vessel Examination Department. DSC radios have the capability to interface with electronic positioning systems to provide rescuers with a distressed vessel's position. Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel Examiners will be trying to get a handle on how may boaters actually have equipment operating properly. Read the fact sheet (pdf).
Millennium Edition Float Plan Released - February 2006 - The US Coast Guard Auxiliary has released version 2.1 of the Float Plan on the Float Plan Central website. The form is in PDF fillable format making it easier than ever to use. Help take the "search" out of Search & Rescue. Get the plan !
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Last Updated
27 Jun 2008