Posted on 04/03/2003 5:07:49 AM PST by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
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U.S. COAST GUARD NATIONAL MOTOR LIFEBOAT SCHOOL Purpose: The motor lifeboat is a standard resource platform used by the U.S. Coast Guard small boat fleet. The central purpose of the USCG National Motor Lifeboat School is to teach coxswains standard practices and procedures to use in executing their missions. The emphasis is on the ability to use the motor lifeboat (MLB) in the elements for which it was designed, extreme weather and surf conditions. The goal of the USCG National Motor Lifeboat School is to promote the highest degree of professionalism in seamanship skills. History: The National Motor Lifeboat School (NMLBS) is located at the mouth of the Columbia River on the United States’ northwestern coast at a Point of land called “Cape Disappointment”. The river’s strong current runs headlong into the strength of the Pacific Ocean tides at this river mouth and coupled with the frequent storms create some of the roughest waters in the world. Since 1878 this area, also known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific”, has long been home for the Coast Guard rescue facilities and its predecessor the U.S. Lifesaving Service. During the 1960’s and early 70’s local Coast Guard units pooled their resources in order to conduct coxswain and crew training on the then new 44-foot Motor Lifeboats. It was acknowledged that these steel-hulled boats were more capable than the wooden 36-foot lifeboats they were replacing. The crews manning them were typically very experienced with the leadership of seasoned veterans whose seamanship skills were passed on directly to each new crewmember. The localized training allowed small groups of Coast Guard crews to share experiences and techniques. A slow trend of decreasing experience base among Coast Guard crews could also be seen through this period. The Coast Guard’s Thirteenth District (Oregon and Washington coastal area) sought out a method of sharing the lessons learned through hard practical experience with these junior members. They established a training curriculum and routinely gathered their resources to put on classes focused at operating the 44-foot lifeboat in the surf environment. The success of these gatherings in passing on skills was soon recognized as potentially valuable for all lifeboat coxswains nationwide. The training concept was to use experienced Surfmen from the United States northwest coast to show other coxswains from around the nation how best to use the lifeboat in its designed element. Resources and budget were identified to give dedicated lifeboats to the newborn school along with personnel to provide maintenance and instruction. With the establishment of a formalized curriculum the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Motor Lifeboat School was established in 1980 in Ilwaco, Washington co-located with the existing rescue station at Cape Disappointment. With surf conditions often causing 10 to 20 foot breaking waves and wind/sea state extremes such as Beaufort Force 10 across the wide river mouth (also known as a bar), the location was ideal for the lifeboat school. Increased training needs and a focus on standardization have caused the lifeboat school to expand through the years. This included new shore maintenance facilities, offices and classrooms that were dedicated in April 1993. Lifeboats: The USCG National Motor Lifeboat School originally had five 44-foot (13.6-meter) Motor Lifeboats (MLB’s) in its inventory. The coxswains attending the school from around the nation learned operating skills and maintenance techniques for this boat. When the fiberglass 30-foot (9.2-meter) Surf Rescue Boat (SRB) was introduced to the Coast Guard inventory in the mid-1980’s, several were assigned to the school and similar skills sets were taught on this fast response supplement to the lifeboat fleet. This changing inventory of boat types continues today. The 30-foot SRB has been largely removed from Coast Guard use as well as from the school boat inventory. The National Motor Lifeboat School was an integral part of the testing and development of the U.S. Coast Guard’s new 47-foot (14.7-meter) lifeboat from the beginning. A team assigned to the school conducted extensive operational tests of the prototype lifeboat. Their input was invaluable in improving the design and details before final production was begun in 1996. The National Motor Lifeboat School now operates a fleet of two venerable 44-foot lifeboats and four of the 47-foot lifeboats. This mix of old and new boat resources allows the school to provide training on both lifeboat types through the years it will take to fully transition the U.S. Coast Guard to the newest 47-foot Motor Lifeboats.
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He created this through his animation program specifically for Canteen ;)
Will do. These homeschooled kids are so bright. He taught himself animation and web design ;)
Q. What do Miss Muffet and Saddam Hussein have in common?
A. They both have Kurds in their way.
I like this one.
The grass is always greener ... Four-year-old Rachel Weidmayer dodges larcenous brother Daniel in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Height makes right: Kevin Haas, 20, stretches to make a catch over diminutive cornerback Derrick Woodson, 10, in South Bend, Ind. Haas, a Notre Dame student, volunteers in a "Slice of Life" mentoring and tutoring program for urban youth.
So much for carefree bachelorhood, eh, Zyness? Sallie Mary Frances Warren, 94, and Zyness Louis O'Haver, 95, take their wedding vows at the Oklahoma County Courthouse after receiving their marriage license. The couple have been living together since 1925.
A game of leap dog: Ski patroller James Burwick plays with Kai after a hard day of avalanche dog training at Utah's Alta Ski Resort. Patrollers from around the West are meeting at Alta to learn the latest in search-and-rescue techniques.
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Into thin air with a little help from his friends: Sherpas and Team Everest '03 members pull and push Challenge Trek member Mark Ezzell up the Everest Base Camp Trail in Nepal. Ezzell is one of a group of people with disabilities making a 23-day trek to Mount Everest's base camp
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