OLD Reunion Hall Table for:
USCGC Cape Coral
|
|
|
On 12/30/07 hal
said:
Hal here, just checking in, been a while. Still working in the Gulf of Mexico Oil Patch,
in the deep water with ROV's (1,000' to 10,000'). I never did quit riding boats, and probably won't
for the forseeable future. I'm not deep sea commercial diving any more, though I'd put my helmet
back on in a second if they asked me. I'm a senior vessel / installation superintendent for
Oceaneering. I still think very fondly about the Coral, the crew, and our times in Alaska.
On 11/16/07 Jim Cushman
said:
Just in case anybody is interested, my e-mail has changed. Should be: captc@mocinc.biz
On07/23/06 hal
said:
Yup, foreward berthing was an experience. Suprisingly it gave me some perspective: I've had
to live in some pretty sparse accomodations here in the Gulf of Mexico oil field over the past 25
yeaers, but none ever came close to foreward berthing, which made even the most spartan Oil Patch
work boat better than the worst I'd had to live in. Still, I don't think I'd trade those days on
the ' Coral for anything.
On07/22/06 Alan Hageman
said:
I have not checked in for awhile and since then, a lot of familar names have
checked in. Derrick, congrats on retirement-do you still own that black over red Datsun? Did you say
that Danny lives in Astoria? I'm there a lot and would like to look him up. I wonder if he ever
learned to pronounce the letter 'r'. Sandy, you're right, ain't forgot you yet. Mr. Paulick, glad
to hear that Juneau suits you so well; I left Juneau in '78 kicking and screaming and plotting how
to get back but got married and started college and a career in Oregon and here still I am. Hal,
great times in Junea but I miss not the forward berthing; death row inmates have better
accomodations. Anyone hear anything from Jim Trusley? Keep in touch.
On
02/22/06 Derrick Johnson
said:
It's great to see alot of shipmates, The Cape Coral was my first CG ride and that got me
hooked. I'll hit my 30 year mark in Aug and will become a member of the check of the month club as
Danny Hackett would say. Called Danny one late night during a port call in Astoria, Or. back in 03.
Don't know what happen to Alen Haggmen,Hal Roemer, Wayne Mathews, Scotty Wizmore, Frank Shofe,
William Lance, Pat Ryan (CO ) Ditter Henkee, Bill Kennedy (XO) Big Jim Trusley, Carl Lewis, Ed Cory,
Andy Andrtee, Spelling is still not one of my finer points. If I spelled your name wrong drop me a
line and I'll correct it from now on. These shipmate that I know have pass Brad Gilliespie & Roger
Soper. These are the shipmates that I remembered from My Cape Coral Tour from 77-79.
On01/26/06 Doug Simms
said:
I was on the Cape Coral 95301 from September 1966 to April of 1967 as an EM3. The crew
consisted of Bobby Smorgala, Bobby Hummel, Bruce Carter, Pete Sanford, Richard Frujay (sp.) Robert
Atchinson. We had two great skippers during that time but I can't remember either ones name. I do
remember we had rain for 3 weeks and on the first sunny day the skipper talked the district into
putting us on 8 hour standby so he could grant us 'sunshine liberty'. I'll never forget the Pomeray
bar and the big dancehall in town. We did a lot of SAR back then and pulled a lot of stranded
hunters off of islands when they ran out of food and their seaplanes couldn' t land to pick them up.
On one ocassion the Cape Coral hit a submerged log after finishing an overhaul in Ketchikan and had
to turn around and be hauled out again to repair the damage to the prop. I had to transfer home due
to an emergency and finished my enlistment at Curtis Bay Yard Fire Department .
On01/08/06 Dave King
said:
Just wanted to make sure everyone got the right story about Cape Coral's demise. I took
command in July, 81. There were already some problems keeping the #3 MDE aligned with the reduction
gear. Over the course of 2 years various 'experts' were brought in to get the alignment right
without success. Finally it was noticed that when the tie down bolts were being torqued following
alignment, the feeler gauge that had been left in place by accident was bouncing all over the place
which should not have happened. Long story short, the engine bed for #3 had been tripped and was no
longer firmly attached to the stringers or frame. The decision was made to decomminsson her, I'm not
sure if it was the cost or just the desire to get a renovated 95. I was still sent on a couple of
SAR cases and one short patrol on one shaft!
On11/17/05 Owen
Miller
said:
Sorry I missed a stroke of the keys she was decomissioned in '83. I'm looking for the ships
logs from '74-75. If any one has a clue to how would appreciate it.
On
11/17/05 Owen Miller
said:
For CO PaulickCoral Was Decomissioned to California in '78
On
11/17/05 Owen Miller
said:
I was stationed on the Coral Back in '74-75. Arrived a Seaman Changed to Engineer, Love to
hear from Osborne, Fox, And Gunderson. I do remember sitting on the catwalk and Ltjg Gemmel returned
home till the weapons were returned to the locker. Gemmel also had us out painting the deck in the
rain. He brought out a space heater to dry the paint. Osborne should appreciate the paint locker
full of sea cucumbers. Gemmel was going to have them pickled. He ought to remember the 44' mlb we
went after. We had to break Ice 2 days from the cutter. Then hiding in the cove to bring back a
man, woman and baby. Because their heater and engine would not start due to the fuel freezing.
On10/26/05 Rob Sanderson
said:
I was on the Cape Coral as a BM1 with Skippers Paulick and Ryan, Bill Kennedy was the Xpo,
Erik Brown was an mk, Bob Shorey was a FN, I do remember Hageman (I'm sure he remembers me), Danny
Hackette was our electrician, Dieter Henke was the Mk1. Tom Gemmel was the Skipper and Mike fryar
was the Xpo just before I mutualed with Henry Julian over to the Cape Coral from Sta Auke Bay
On09/06/05 Bill Paulick, CO
said:
Skipper; '75-'77. Just stumbled across the site and saw familiar names..... Bill Kennedy,
Mike Fryar, Eric Brown, Alan Hageman... Anybody remember Henry Julian? Now there are some great
stories from THAT era. Long time ago....will wander around the site for awhile.... perhaps I'll
add a few pictures if the site is still active..... Lost track of Coral after Pat Ryan took her
over.. SO...... WHO was it that forgot to watch the ground fault indicator? (Am assuming that she
was eaten by electrolysis....) perhaps some of you can add to my understanding of her demise! For
those of you that remember my name, my Juneau roots grew deep also. In fact, Karen and I STAYED
here.... still here in Juneau in '05. Worked for the Alaska Department of commerce for 20 years
and started my own business..... with all the travelling I got to do between the State and Feds I
guess I fell in love with the place. At the very least, Juneau's annual rainfall began to look
better than the congestion, pollution and high-pitched pace of life that typified every other
location that we considered settling down. So if any of you are still around and feel like checking
in.... look me up. I'm still at the same address and phone where I've been since leaving Cape
Coral days!!!
On09/13/04 eric brown
said:
my email address is uscg20@hotmail.com
On07/21/04 Steve
Beckerman
said:
My roots in Juneau have been pulled up; now enjoying the sun in Reno, NV. I remember a
couple of things during my dad's (Al Beckerman) second tour aboard; something about Jim Cushman's
desire to have Nutty Buddys in the freezer at all times!?! Also got to go along on a search for an
overdue F/V.
On02/29/04 Osborn
said:
LOL... I got cut off... I said, 'That's just the LEGAL stuff.' Hey, where's
Bernie?
On02/29/04 Matthew (was Roy) Osborn
said:
I was on the Cape Coral, WPB 95301 (will I ever forget those number? naw... those and my
old Service Number... I don't think they even HAVE service numbers any more, do they?) -- from
8-23-1973 to 2-12-75 as Seaman Apprentice, then Seaman, the Seaman Apprentice again, and back up to
Seaman. grin.... eventually made it to BM3 when I was at Radio Station NMQ/Lighthouse Point
Vicente at Palos Verdes, California. (What? 'Not Recommended for re-enlistment?! omg! Not that
I'd have stayed, but geeze, I wanted to be asked!) I had a bad attitude in those days, but I was
always very proud of being in the Coast Guard, and the Search and Rescue we did in southeast Alaska.
We saved some lives, didn't we? Ever since I was a kid, I always felt kind of a stire when I'd see
pictures of those gleaming white Coast Guard cutters. Then on the Cape Coral I found out how they
were kept gleaming white.... soogie powder! Scouring in the snow while the scrub water was
freezing. Speaking of freezing, I still get mileage out of some of those stories... like the
time I was on lookout on a case, standing on the bridge wing. Sombody brought me a fresh cup of hot
coffee, I set it down for a moment to scan the water with my binoculars, and when I picked up my
coffee I had to break the ice that had formed on top so I could drink it. And remember de-icing?
Everything gets wet, and every thing that's wet freezes, and 4 to 6 inches of ice on everything
above the water line... the lifelines looked like wooden fences. Out there being tossed around on
stormy seas and being blown around the icy deck, busting off ice with ax handles and hammers.... oh
boy, that was exciting. Kevin Trout? Yeah, I remember him... He got a commendation I think,
for rescuing a Tlingit from Hoonah. That was a tough rescue, very difficult. Eventually we put
Kevin in a wetsuit, inflated a life raft and tied the small towing hawser to the raft, and sent
Kevin in over the rocks in the surf. The whole crew was on deck, pulling the hawser hand-over-hand
to get the two men back to the boat. I remember the scene, grey sky (of course, it was ALWAYS
overcast), mountains jutting straight out of the ocean, boat tossing back and forth... I looked at
my hands, saw the blood from the rope cutting my hands, and though 'Wow, this is dramatic. It'll
make a good story.' Never saw so many Bald Eagles! I see Gary Papineau's post... Gary, you
must have left right before I got there I remember Mitch West, Eric, Hess, Mother, Andy, Guns
(crazy MF, that Guns -- once he owed me $40 from poker games in the galley and I let him off without
paying me if he'd shave his head... so he did) and Merchant. But our XO was Fryar (?) -- and Tom
Gemmell was skipper... I see Mr. Gemmell's post down there at the bottom of the page. He might
laugh about how I became a Boatswains Mate... One day I was on the helm with Mr Gemmell on the
bridge. We had taken a BM from the Sweetbriar out to service bouys, and the skipper said to me,
'That could be you out there on that bouy, Ozzie' -- 'No, sir, ' I said, 'There's two things I'll
never be, and a Boatswain's Mate is one of them.' 'What's the other?' he took the bait. I
deadpanned, 'An officer.' 25 foot tides twice a day? Hot springs at Port Alexander? Broken whip
antennas, oh yeah... plus broken radar and navigating by the stars when the magnetic deviation made
the compass nearly useless... heck, piloting by lead-line and the echo of the foghorn in fog so
thick you couldn't see the pointy end of the boat from the bridge.... Stories? Holy crap, we got
stories! And that's just the LEGAL stuff!
On12/08/03 Hal
Roemer
said:
Hey guys, I was on the Coral from 76 to 78. Transferred to the Polar Sea. Left the Coast
Guard in 81. I recall greatest scuba diving in the world, fantastic fishing, good crews and
luxurious accomodations in the foreward berthing area. :-) . also recall seeing a once in a
lifetime Northern Lights display on a magical nite: looked like buckets of primary colors being
splashed accross the sky. I moved to the Gulf Coast, and have been active in the oil field for the
last 20 some-odd years.
On11/28/03 Jim Cushman
said:
In response to Dave King's solicitation.... Was priviledged to be CO (first 3 months
as an Ensign)of CORAL 68-70. Great crew and did some great things: 3 rather extensive salvage cases
(3-4 day VALARIE M the biggest), saving of 2 lives (and recovery of 4 bodies) after the sinking of
F/V MUNROE, servicing multiple AtoN (including building one light and setting one buoy) for
SWEETBRIER, multiple medivacs from various villages (one from Hoonah in the winter resulted in
cracked pilothouse windows, one whip antenna being ripped off and water down the stack), Sitka SAR
Standbys and 'local ops familiarization and drills' trips where we did all of that plus hunted and
fished. The sea-stories could go on and on - and most are true....
On
11/28/03 Gary Papineau EM3
said:
I served from 72 to 73. Transferred from the Bittersweet due to the loss of Ron Beka EM2.
We had a great crew, Mitch West, Eric, Hess, Mother, Anderson, Kevin 'Carp' Trout, Guns, Chief
Mixon, EN1 Merchant. We kept the Cape Coral operational through tough budget times. I'll never
forget Trout being carried down off the top of the bridge after being knocked out by a snowball, or
the time Hess's Rambler wagon got shot to pieces. I hope to hear from anyone who survived.
On10/20/03 Dave King
said:
OK guys, five months is too long between entries. I know more people are checking and
just not making entries. As 'Your Host' I ask everyone for your best Cape Coral story the next time
you check in. Thanks, Dave King, CO from '81 to her decommisoning in '83.
On05/03/03 ERIC BROWN
said:
I WAS ON THE CORAL 1975 TO 1977 IN JUNEAU AK MK3
On01/07/02
Alan Hageman
said:
Showed up on the Cape Coral in Dec '76 as a 'boot' and left Jun '78. Served under LTJG
Bill Paulick and then Patrick Ryan.
On12/22/01 Joe Beima
said:
CO from '63-'64. Just found Steve Beckerman retired in Juneau, must have put down roots
that couldn't come out of the ground [ little that there is in town.
On
10/17/01 Dale Cox
said:
I was an Engineman on the Cape Coral in 68-70. Jim Cushman was the CO.
On 05/24/01 Bill Kennedy
said:
I was the xo under Bill Paulick from 75-77 when I made warrant off her. would like to hear
from some of the crew then, I see several names I reconize.
On 05/16/00 William J. Hiltgen
said:
I was stationed on the Cape Coral in 69/70. Would enjoy hearing from any crew members.
On 07/03/99 Del Clark QMC Ret
said:
I was on the Cape in 65
On 03/11/99 Dan Hackett
said:
Hell-O Everybody I am still alive and now retired. It's good to be a member of the Check
of the Month Club. Hope you all are as well as I.
On 01/19/99 eric brown
said:
i was stationed on the cape coral from 75-77 would like to here from the crew
On 11/03/98 CDR Dave King
said:
CO from 81 to her decommissioning in 83. She looked great up to the end. Engineroom was
her downfall. From the time I arrived could never keep the starboard engines aligned. Finally
found the tripped frame under #3 main. Still managed a couple of SAR cases even on one shaft. Not
something we'd do today!
On 01/29/98 Bob Shorey
said:
My shipmates and I happily served under Bill Paulick's command,1976&1977.I came aboard a
FNMK and left a MK2.
On 01/02/98 Jim Cushman
said:
Pleased to have served as CO 68-70 as Ens and LTjg. First of 4 tours in the Great Land.
On 06/02/97 Patrick J. Ryan
said:
Served on Cape Coral in Juneau as LTJG (CO) 1977-1979. Interested in getting in touch with
old shipmates
On 02/15/97 Tom Gemmell
said:
CO May 1973 to Jul 1975.
Go to top | |
