Hello, and welcome back to the 4th week of our online journal. After concluding a successful port call in Newport RI, the ESCANABA departed for the high seas with every intention of getting down to business. Departing Newport on Monday afternoon proved to be a smooth and uneventful evolution. Within hours of getting underway the ESCANABA was back doing boardings and conducted its first night time boarding of the patrol. Tuesday was an especially busy day for the crew of ESCANABA, as we took part in a total of 8 boardings. When boarding a vessel the boarding team is specifically looking at several aspects of the vessel to ensure that they are in compliance with all applicable federal rules and regulations. The ESCANABA specializes in boarding fishing vessels. Immediately upon arrival on the fishing boat the boarding team members will conduct an Initial Safety Inspection (ISI) to ensure that the boat is safe for the boarding team to be on. Following the completion of this inspection the boarding team will then inspect the safety equipment on board the fishing boat to make sure that they have all the required equipment and it is up-to-date. The boarding team is looking for items such as fire extinguishers, flares, life rings, life boats, and EPIRB’S to name a few. Following the inspection of safety gear the boarding team will begin to actually inspect the fishing gear being used. Fishermen are required to have certain sized nets (the size varies due to what they are fishing for) in order to ensure that they do not catch fish that are too small. The same concept applies to dredges and the metal rings. The boarding team will also inspect the fish already on board. This is to make sure that the fishermen are not catching illegal fish as well as to estimate the amount of catch already on board.

Tuesday was full of these types of inspections. Tuesday’s boardings involved all 4 boarding teams and kept the crew running at full speed. Unfortunately the ship’s small boats were unable to keep pace. In the course of a single day both of our small boats suffered equipment casualties. This forced us to once again adapt and change our schedule.

For those of you that have been following along with the entire patrol, you are well aware by now that our entire patrol has been a test of our adaptability, and this week was no different. The loss of our small boats eliminated our ability to do boardings and called for immediate action on the part of the command to come up with a solution. We anchored in Provincetown Harbor Wednesday while looking for an area protected from the weather in order to work on the small boats.

While anchored in Provincetown we took advantage of the time to conduct a safety stand-down, a periodic review of safe practices. During this stand-down crew members discussed an array of topics affecting safety. The purpose of the stand-down was to bring attention to safety issues affecting both the operational readiness of the Coast Guard and the well-being of the crew, both on and off duty. After a full day of training most people agreed that there were several legitimate safety concerns inherent in the Coast Guard and that the stand-down was useful in bringing attention to these issues.

Friday afternoon the ESCANABA left Provincetown and headed back to Boston in order to change out the small boats. After an evening mooring and a quick overnight stop in Boston to switch out our small boats we are underway again and ready to get back to business.  

Blogs

MK3 Taylor Staniewicz

Hello, my name is Taylor Staniewicz. I am a machinery technician 3rd class on board the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba.  I am from Verplank NY, a small town outside of the Big Apple.  My first unit was at small boat station Brant Point, Nantucket Mass. Being at a small boat station was a great experience and I qualified in different fields that help me now on the Nab (a nickname for the ESCANABA).  While at the station I became a qualified boarding officer and small boat engineer.  These qualifications help contribute to my job on board the ESCANABA.

I work in the Auxiliary department, aka “A-Gang”. We are responsible for all machinery spaces outside of the engine room.  I work with all of the A/C equipment, helo fueling, water systems and our steering system.  The auxiliary department’s job is important, because it is responsible for keeping vital spaces cool and our drinking water safe for the crew.

Our homeport Boston is a great city. I enjoy going to the Red Sox and Bruins games during our import periods. The ESCANABA has a talented and remarkable crew. I am proud to serve on board with them. Lastly, I would like to say thanks to my fireman Armes, Eilert, Simon and Young for their astounding work in the shop.

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DC3 Brian McDowell

My name is Brian McDowell. I’m a Damage Controlman (DC)on the CGC Escanaba. I’m from Columbia, Tennessee and have been in the Coast Guard for about three years. I spent the first year and a half on the CGC Vigilant in Port Canaveral, Florida. I have been on the Nab for a little over a year. My job as a DC entails many things. When my friends for home ask me what I do tell them I am basically a maintenance man and a metal fabricator. Honestly that’s the plainest I can describe it. I like my job because there are not many days I do the same thing as the day before. I have a few installed systems that my shop is responsible for. These systems include the fire main system, the AFFF system, and the (always popular to play with and comment on) sewage system. It’s a dirty job but somebody has to do it. It’s really not that bad once you get past the smell. You just have to think of it as something other than what it really is. I think that is enough about that. Besides working on the above mentioned items, my shop is also responsible for the training and upkeep of the damage control equipment. Every day during the week, operations permitting, I hold DCPQS (damage control personnel qualification standard) class for all new members of the boat to familiarize them with the firefighting and flooding equipment on the cutter. I really enjoy teaching the classes. It keeps me fresh on all the equipment and I try to make it fun for the new guys. I plan on getting out the Coast Guard and going to Belmont University in Nashville and studying audio engineering. In closing, I would like to say thank you for all the people that have helped me get where I am professionally and personally. Thank you and I love you, mom for always being there to listen, even though most of the time you have no idea what I’m talking about with my job. I would like to say congrats to my sister for being pregnant with, what I know is going to be another beautiful and amazing, baby girl. I love you Brooke. Good Bye.

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Welcome Aboard



A big welcome goes out to three permanent members of the ESCANABA crew: OS3 Chase, SN Dara and SN Jones

Welcome also to SN Harvey, SN Johnson and SN Kelley who are assigned on temporary duty (TAD) from the CGC SPENCER.

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Congratulations

Congratulations to MKC Fishburn and EMC Kiehl for qualifying underway EOW.

Congratulations to ENS Gagnon and ENS Tesler for qualifying inport OOD.

Last but not least congratulations to DC2 Morgan on his good conduct award.

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Photos

The view when pulling into Newport.

SN Heaton preparing to heave around on a line.

Crewmen working the lines while pulling into Newport.

GM2 Winfield carries the line throwing gun.

Members of the crew work on the small boat.

SK3 Beard takes advantage of technology to stay in touch with the outside world.

CDR Sabellico tests the waters outside of Provincetown Harbor

CDR Sabellico shows off his catch.

BM2 Burke admires a good looking fish.

A creature of the deep caught during fish call.

Crewmen stand at parade rest while waiting on colors.

ENS Tesler while doing a few pull ups

ET2 Lawrence shows of the sophisticated tools he uses to do his job.

ET2 Lawrence does some late night work on the helm.

ET2 Lawrence ponders what to do next while ENS Gabinelle watches.

BM3 Lopez at his best.

ENS Hieb holding his ever present cup of coffee.

Provincetown light.

Sunset in Provincetown Harbor.

The crew relaxing and watching the sunset outside of Provincetown.