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M/Y
Lady B, formerly the Point Brown, flies the USCG ensign on
a HLS patrol in the port of NY/NJ.
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Underway
making way
on a HLS patrol in the port of NY/NJ.
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About
the vessel...... Her Coast Guard Auxiliary Missions started soon after 9/11. CGACTNY was looking for assistance 24/7 and “Lady B” stepped up to the plate. Over the winter of 2001, many Homeland Security Patrols under “Operation Guarding Liberty” were done by the hardy crew of the “Lady B”. For Fleetweek 2002, “Lady B” was assigned as the PatCom for the sector south of the Verrazano Bridge. “Lady
B” continued with Homeland Security patrols over the
winter of The Skipper |
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Click on images to enlarge.
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DCO
on the Bridge.
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Lt.
‘B’ USCG, ACTNY (UCC), at the helm.
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Jim
Mc Lane at
the helm, Alan Yuen has Comms.
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container port ahead.
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DCO takes the helm.
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Tom Pinelli does some
underway maintenance.
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Power
Plant. One of two -------- diesels that power the Lady B.
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Checking
Engines. Paul Hansen checks the gauges.
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CapOne
of the two generators (“Bert’ and ‘Ernie”)
in the engine room.
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Work
in the port of NY/NJ goes on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
necessitating increased surveillance and security at all
times, day and night. The Lady B participates in regular
day light patrols, but also conducts HLS patrols on a varied
schedule and at different locations 2 or 3 nights a week.
Night Operations on the Lady B usually begin before dusk
and end after midnight. Most of the crew has already put
in a full day at their regular jobs when arriving for a
night on the water.
On this particular HLS patrol, the Lady B once again proudly flew the USCG ensign – as is customary for all Auxiliary facilities when a member of the ‘gold’ side is aboard. This night Lt. “B”, USCG, UCC – ACTNY was aboard to participate in the patrol. Also on board was M/Y Lady B owner, ‘SS’, USCG retired and currently a Flotilla Commander of a unit in the USCG Auxiliary; ‘NK’, DCO 1SR; ‘KS’, D-AA 1SR; ‘AY’, D-AA 1SR and one of the Coxswains for the night; ‘JM’, Coxswain; and Crewman ‘GR’, ‘PH’, ‘SM’, ‘CM’, “CP’ and ‘TP’. All are familiar with tasking onboard the Lady B and night operations, having been on board on prior patrols. This nights mission and area of operations was a commercial / industrial area of commercial shipping, container ports and fuel depots. Regular patrol duties are ongoing with added vigilance in the ‘watches’. The darkness of the night brings with it the dimmed red lighting on the bridge and the need for the watch crew to know and recognize the navigation lighting of large ships, tugs and barges moving in the port against the sometimes confusing backdrop of well lit facilities on shore. The crew needs to be familiar with the area, in the port as well as the surrounding shoreside areas , and know what is normal or what is out of the ordinary. The night air is cold and the endless supply of ‘S’s’ special blend of hot coffee is always welcome. Around 1930 the aroma from the galley has made it up to the deck and bridge and the first group of hungry crew is seated for dinner, prepared by our host, whose motto is ‘a well fed crew is a happy crew’. On the M/Y Lady B the crew is always happy! While
following a day of work with a night on the water can be
tiring, all those aboard know that what they do is an essential
service to the USCG and to our country in these unsettled
times, and that all over the country, others like us are
doing the same.
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Cathy
Mc Lane and Gary A. Rech on deck.
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Gary
A. Rech, Cathy Mc Lane Colleen
Pinelli,
Paul Hansen and Stewart C. Sutherland (seated) on deck.
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Lt.
‘B’, USCG and the DCO, Stewart C. Sutherland and
Paul Hansen.
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Sydney
Marsden and Ken Sommers watchstanding.
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Cathy
Mc Lane, Tom Pinelli and
Lt. ‘B’.
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Stern
Watch. Cathy
Mc Lane and Colleen Pinelli.
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