Post by ppat324 on Aug 4, 2010 6:54:32 GMT -5
Ships' arrival marks start of weeklong festival activities
8/4 - Grand Haven, Mich. - A pair of U.S. Coast Guard cutters and a big red Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker were greeted by a cheering crowd as they made a grand entrance to Grand Haven's port Monday afternoon.
The three ships are docked along Escanaba Park and at the Coast Guard Station Grand Haven bay, and open for public tours through Saturday.
Arriving from Parry Sound, Ont., the Canadian Coast Guard's Samuel Risley is a 229-foot light icebreaker and medium navigation aids tender. The ship is named after the first chairman of Canada's Board of Steamship Inspection. During the primary navigation season, from late March to late December, the ship tends aids to navigation in the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes. During the winter months, the ship breaks ice in Canadian and U.S. waters from Port Colborne to Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Arriving from Cleveland, the Neah Bay is a 140-foot icebreaking tug. Its primary duty is facilitating the movement and commerce in the ice-choked Great Lakes from November to May. Additional missions include search and rescue, public relations, and law enforcement.
Lt. William Woityra, the commanding officer of the Neah Bay, said this was the first time he had attended Grand Haven's Coast Guard Festival, and he was astounded by the public interest in not only the festival, but in the U.S. Coast Guard.
This, he said, was evident when they first arrived in Grand Haven on Sunday night — a day prior to the ship parade.
"There were hundreds of people lining the sea wall, coming out in their boats cheering for us saying 'Coast Guard, Coast Guard,'" Woityra said. "It's the most amazing sight I've ever seen."
Arriving from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., the Buckthorn is a 100-foot inland buoy tender, the only cutter of its class. Its shallow draft allows the ship to service aids to navigation in waters that are not navigable by deeper draft vessels. The Buckthorn's primary mission is aids to navigation on the St. Marys River. The crew is responsible for maintaining 270 buoys, three lighthouses, 16 ranges, 71 shore-side lights and 39 Canadian buoys as part of an international agreement.
Tour times are 6-8 p.m. today; 10 a.m. to noon, 1-3 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Restrictions include no backpacks, coolers or bags of any type; no open food or drink; and searches may be conducted.
8/4 - Grand Haven, Mich. - A pair of U.S. Coast Guard cutters and a big red Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker were greeted by a cheering crowd as they made a grand entrance to Grand Haven's port Monday afternoon.
The three ships are docked along Escanaba Park and at the Coast Guard Station Grand Haven bay, and open for public tours through Saturday.
Arriving from Parry Sound, Ont., the Canadian Coast Guard's Samuel Risley is a 229-foot light icebreaker and medium navigation aids tender. The ship is named after the first chairman of Canada's Board of Steamship Inspection. During the primary navigation season, from late March to late December, the ship tends aids to navigation in the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes. During the winter months, the ship breaks ice in Canadian and U.S. waters from Port Colborne to Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Arriving from Cleveland, the Neah Bay is a 140-foot icebreaking tug. Its primary duty is facilitating the movement and commerce in the ice-choked Great Lakes from November to May. Additional missions include search and rescue, public relations, and law enforcement.
Lt. William Woityra, the commanding officer of the Neah Bay, said this was the first time he had attended Grand Haven's Coast Guard Festival, and he was astounded by the public interest in not only the festival, but in the U.S. Coast Guard.
This, he said, was evident when they first arrived in Grand Haven on Sunday night — a day prior to the ship parade.
"There were hundreds of people lining the sea wall, coming out in their boats cheering for us saying 'Coast Guard, Coast Guard,'" Woityra said. "It's the most amazing sight I've ever seen."
Arriving from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., the Buckthorn is a 100-foot inland buoy tender, the only cutter of its class. Its shallow draft allows the ship to service aids to navigation in waters that are not navigable by deeper draft vessels. The Buckthorn's primary mission is aids to navigation on the St. Marys River. The crew is responsible for maintaining 270 buoys, three lighthouses, 16 ranges, 71 shore-side lights and 39 Canadian buoys as part of an international agreement.
Tour times are 6-8 p.m. today; 10 a.m. to noon, 1-3 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Restrictions include no backpacks, coolers or bags of any type; no open food or drink; and searches may be conducted.