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Welcome Aboard
On Patrol On Lake Tahoe
By
Katherine E. Hill
“The Auxiliary’s main mission is recreational boating
safety, and volunteers are needed to help with their
effort.”
Division Commander Dee Dee Kincade and Jack Leth are two
of the dedicated members of the U.S. Coast Guard
Auxiliary that help augment the work of the Coast Guard
on Lake Tahoe and surrounding waterways.
Our
publisher Charlie Good and I spent a recent morning out
with Kincade and Leth, as they demonstrated some of the
work of the Auxiliary. We met at Sierra Boat Company and
boarded Leth’s boat, which he uses for patrols on Lake
Tahoe. One of the primary missions of the group is boat
safety, and once we were on board, we donned our PFDs.
Auxiliary members wear PFDs at all times while on
patrol, and during the winter you’ll find them in dry
suits.
While
still at the dock, Kincade and Leth showed us the safety
equipment each member carries during patrol – a whistle
or sound-producing device, strobe light, locator beacon,
mirror or other reflecting device. Leth also carries a
portable, waterproof radio.
As we
prepared to get under way, Leth radioed the Coast Guard
station in Lake Forest with our location and the number
of passengers. These checks are given every 30 minutes.
If a patrol doesn’t check in, the Coast Guard knows
where to start searching. In inclement weather, radio
checks are done every 15 minutes and more detailed, and
include longitude and latitude, speed and course.
Lake Tahoe is a beautiful lake, but it also can be a dangerous lake
and every precaution is taken. The Auxiliary follows the
same safety guidelines as the Coast Guard. “These are
the people that are the gold standard,” Leth says.
The
Auxiliary is a group of volunteers that help the U.S.
Coast Guard by providing free vessel safety checks,
educating the public through boat safety classes and
speaking to local groups, assisting the Coast Guard with
its training exercises, patrolling waterways to educate
the public and assist with calls, and through fellowship
with the Guard.
Flotilla 11-01 in North Lake Tahoe has 27 members and is
one of the four area Flotillas that encompass the
107-member division Kincade oversees. There are
Flotillas in South Lake Tahoe, Carson City and Reno.
There are about 30,000 Auxiliary members nationwide.
As we
head out into Carnelian Bay toward Dollar Point, Leth
tells us about one of their duties – checking the ATONs
or Aids to Navigation. ATONs are the buoys and
navigational markers on the Lake that mark entrances to
buoy fields and channels for marinas. The Auxiliary
checks the markers to ensure lights are working, the
paint and markings are in good condition and they check
the GPS coordinates to ensure proper placement. They
check all of the private markers around the lake, while
the ANTS (Aid to Navigation Team), check the federal
markers, which include the shoreward buoys – marked with
red triangles denoted water hazards – and the nuns and
cans marking the entrance to Emerald Bay, mooring balls
and other markers. (The Auxiliary has produced a map of
all of the federal markers, along with hazards and
landmarks for navigation that it distributes to rental
boat locations around the Lake.) The Auxiliary also
checks on the NASA buoys for Jet Propulsion Laboratories
– four large, yellow research buoys around the Lake.
As we
made our way toward the West Shore, we spotted debris in
the Lake and Leth took the boat over to investigate.
Kincade used the boat hook to grab the debris, which
turned out to be three roses in pristine condition. As
we continued over to Sunnyside, where Leth and Kincade
treated us to lunch, they explained their training work
with the Coast Guard.
While
the Coast Guard is busy with calls during the busy
summer months, winter is the time for training
exercises, which the Auxiliary assists with by providing
manpower and boats.
“We
get some that come straight out of boot camp to work up
to Coxswain (boat captain),” Leth said of the training
support for the USCG. “We get a great sense of pride in
working with them.”
Auxiliary members also must go through training to
perform patrols from those volunteering as boat crews up
to Coxswain.
As we
boarded the boat after lunch to return to Carnelian Bay,
they received a request from the Coast Guard to
investigate a water hazard off Sugar Pine Point that had
been reported by the “Safari Rose.” We headed down the
West Shore to investigate, which Kincade said is a prime
example of the Auxiliary’s work. By investigating the
non-emergency call, it keeps the Coast Guard free to
respond to emergencies.
While
heading down the West Shore, we spotted more debris and
plucked three balloons out of the Lake. When we arrived
at Sugar Pine Point to investigate the hazard, we
discovered that they were research buoys for U.C. Davis.
Leth reported the information back to the station and
notified the “Tahoe Gal” and “Safari Rose” of their
location. We then started back to Carnelian Bay.
The
Auxiliary also offers free Vessel Safety Checks, with
more than 300 already conducted this summer. The safety
checks are designed to educate the public and
information is not reported to any agency.
Education is one of the primary missions of the
Auxiliary, which includes speaking to local groups and
agencies, including businesses like rental fleet
employees and school groups. They also offer boat safety
classes. Charlie and I took the class in June and came
away with a wealth of information.
They
also assist with special events, including the recent
Trans Tahoe Race and the 4th of July
fireworks by establishing security zones.
The
Auxiliary’s main mission is recreational boating safety,
and volunteers are needed to help with their effort.
And, you don’t need boating experience to volunteer.
Kincade said volunteers are needed to help with
finances, the Web site, education, vessel safety checks,
training and patrols.
To
sign up for the next About Boating Safely class on Aug.
1 or the Kayak Safety class on Oct. 10, call Jerry
Gilmore at (530) 587-3334. For a free Vessel Safety
Check, call Joe Harris at (650) 279-9159. To volunteer,
request a talk from the Auxiliary or for more
information, call Dee Dee Kincade at (775) 831-7192.
Katherine E. Hill may be reached at
editor@tahoethisweek.com or visit
www.tahoeboating.blogspot.com.
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