|
HELPING STAY THE COURSE: ANT JAX SPRINGS INTO ACTION Story and photos by PA3 Bobby Nash, PADET MAYPORT JACKSONVILLE, FLA. - Coast Guard members of Aids to Navigation Team (ANT) Jacksonville, Fla. motored at a stately six knots down a section of Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway. Lined with million dollar homes, expensive boats and grandiose boat docks, overcast weather foreshadowed a busy morning for the team. On board their black 49-foot buoy utility stern loading vessel, or as it’s simply known, the BUSL, the crew was ready for anything in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley's wrath mid August, 2004.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Petty Officer 3rd Class Coy Whitener (BM3) uses hand signals to assist the crane operator safely lower a buoy on the deck on a 49-foot buoy utility stern loading boat (BUSL) servicing the area in St. Augustine, Fla. The same boat and crew will service Florida waterways affected by Hurricane Charley. U.S. Coast Guard photo by PA3 Bobby Nash. ANT Jax’s area of responsibility spans an area from Osabaw Sound, Ga., south to Ponce De Leon Inlet, Fla., nearly 250 miles in length. It would seem like a lot to ask from a group of just 17 people to service more than 950 aids, but it’s a task they manage to handle even at a moment’s notice. When the eye of Hurricane Charley suddenly changed direction it hit the southwest coast of Fla. slamming into Punta Gorda. at 140 mph. Charging across the state it then hit Daytona Beach, Fla. at 90-100 miles per hour. The quick response of ANT Jax led to increased boater safety within mere days. The team traveled great distances inspecting waterways, making sure the boating public could safely transit the surrounding waters. The Intracoastal waterway has areas that can be particularly treacherous. Some parts are only passable during high tide, and even the BUSL crew has to hold its breath when transiting portions. Immediately after the storm, crewmembers from ANT Jax used all tavailable assets to inspect aids to navigation in the area and all within 48 hours, said Petty Officer 3rd class Coy Whitener. Most of the discrepancies included missing day boards or buoys that had been struck by lightning during the storm, he said. According to compiled statistics, Hurricane Charley affected 47 aids, which included 44 missing day boards, one that was completely destroyed, one missing components and one buoy off station. After a storm, there could be some hazards to navigation in the waterway, said Petty Officer 1st Class Toby VanWormer. Downed trees or floating debris could pose major hazards the team would log and possibly mark, he said. Boaters need to be familiar with an area before transiting a waterway after a major storm like Hurricane Charley, said VanWormer. The storm could have moved some of the buoys, causing potential problems for those relying on buoys to avoid going aground, he said.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., -- Petty Officer 1st Class Toby VanWormer (BM1) talks to the crew aboard ANT Jacksonville's 49-foot BUSL about the days coming buoy operations in St. Augustine, Fla. Aug. 9, 2004. ANT Jax is conducting routie service to the buoys in the St. Augustine area for the next few days. U.S. Coast Guard photo by PA3 Bobby Nash. There’s a lot at stake for the BUSL crew. Commercial traffic relies on properly marked channels, as does the boating public. Without their efforts, vessel traffic and commerce would come to a screeching halt.
“I haven’t seen everything, but I have seen a lot,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Harry Buell, who has been in the aids to navigation field for 20 years. He recalled one instance where a new inlet was formed after a major hurricane. A major storm like Hurricane Charley can be erratic and unpredictable. But the hard work and devotion to duty displayed by the crew of ANT Jax smoothes the way for boaters in the aftermath of a storm. Their long hours and hard work are what keep the boating community “afloat,” even when battling the elements. -uscg- |
printer friendly