Well, I did it and successfully completed the re- certification this Saturday.

One task really threw me for a loop. We were asked to complete the on-shore task of plotting a non-standard (not in the book) SAR pattern on a chart and then run that pattern aboard the boat.

So we had to plot four lat/lon points in min/sec on the chart and derive the magnetic courses and time and speed, using dividers and plotter.

The difficulty was in translating those positions into tenths because we had to use the GPS to find the starting and verify the running and end points. That was something I had not prepared for at all. Especially because we had a helmsman that had not used the GPS to locate a position on the water. But we stumbled through.

Otherwise our QEs were far less in the "coaching" mode this time and tended to be impartial in grading our performance, which I think is a good thing. I was prepared for the other stuff so I did well, but some did not successfully re-cerify.

IMO I think we still emphasis the wrong thing for coxswains. We learn the mechanical tasks but we do not learn leadership, or remember to encourage and profusely thank our crews.

As I certified first, I was able to observe the others as they went through the process.

Essentially most were in survival mode as to successfully completing tasks, so in several cases everyone was focused on hooking up a tow, but no one was designated a lookout. Crews were not encouraged or thanked and coxswains tended to focus their disapproval on the crew when things were not going well.

During re-certifications, the crew gets worked very hard because we are doing multiple tows, MOBs and anchoring. I keep re-emphasisng there is no rush. There are no points given for speed of completion. Even in a MOB, care and patience are imporrtant.

No one de-briefed except me and I think a honest de-brief, styarting with the newest paricipant and including criticism of the coxswain, is essential to learning. It's also another opportunity to bolster crew who feel they messed up and leave everyone with a well-done.

So we focus on the tasks and exercise. If you complete those successfully, you re-certify. We do not notice or reward leadership, encouragement or mentoring.

Just my two-cents.

quote:

Originally posted by ENGELJ:
Well, I did it and successfully completed the re- certification this Saturday.

Congratulations Joe!

I hear you on the Leadership. I think it is something the QE's are supposed to evaluate. But this can vary far too much from QE to QE and probably District to District. Hopefully some of them observed what you did and will incorporate it themselves.

First congrats. Now put your feet up and rest for 3 years.

Second:

quote:

One task really threw me for a loop. We were asked to complete the on-shore task of plotting a non-standard (not in the book) SAR pattern on a chart and then run that pattern aboard the boat.

That is a blatant violation of the rules and the BCQP. If it ain't in the book, you don't have to know how to do it nor are you supposed to be tested on it - since it is not in the book and you are not required to know it.

Is there any possibility of some Double Secret Probation Rules and You Were Meant to Fail But Surprised Them thingee that went on?

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Is there any possibility of some Double Secret Probation Rules and You Were Meant to Fail But Surprised Them thingee that went on?

No this was not any form of harassement. The pattern we were expected to plot made very good sense in the mighty Columbia river.

The standard vector or expanding square searched don't work at all but they are very easy to do and that's what we usually prepare and practice for. The river is narrow enough so that we can't run more than maybe 4 legs and we run out of room. Plus with the river running at about 8 knots ion spring, that center point really moves downriver.

This is an expample of what we see here all the time. The local ops gang unilaterally decides what's best for us and sells it to the USCG station chief (who doesn't know our regulations) and so it become a de-facto standard until someone blows the whistle and they have to retreat from their position.

Here in our AOR the USCG small boats all have transponder GPS capability. So our sector command knows exactly where they are every second. They can then be directed to the starting point by the SAR coordinator using their big computers and plotting capabilities and they can be told when to turn, etc. They dont have to do any of this stuff manually at all. So it does not translate well into the Auxiliary world as usual.

In this case, the SAR pattern makes good sense to use here (special expanded trackline) but we had no opportunity to prepare for that task.

Further, ploting a course on a table with very old charts and a hodge-podge of different instruments was challenging. We had no parallel rules but the QEs had some form of rola-ruler or protractor gizmos. The trouble is, these gizmos take time to learn how to use them.

But the thing that busted me was the conversion of seconds to tenths for the GPS. I'd never done that before.

But the thing that busted me was the conversion of seconds to tenths for the GPS. I'd never done that before.

A helpful hint for the next time but you might need the GPS manual. Most GPS will let you input the data in any format. So put that data in in mins and secs. Then use the system menu to flip the display to tenths - no manual conversion and therefore no error.

quote:

A helpful hint for the next time but you might need the GPS manual. Most GPS will let you input the data in any format. So put that data in in mins and secs. Then use the system menu to flip the display to tenths - no manual conversion and therefore no error.

Yes agreeed, and I tried to suggest that to the owner of the facility. But as the GPS we relatively new and the manual was not to be found and as it was his facility, not mine.... well that didn't work out too well.

Always keep a calculator around and just divide by 60.

30˚ 13' 24"
30˚ 13' (24/60)'
30˚ 13' .4'
30˚ 13.4'

Going the other way just multiply the decimal by 60.

30˚ 13.4'
30˚ 13' .4'
30˚ 13' (.4 * 60)"
30˚ 13' 24"

quote:

Engelj wrote: Essentially most were in survival mode as to successfully completing tasks, so in several cases everyone was focused on hooking up a tow, but no one was designated a lookout. Crews were not encouraged or thanked and coxswains tended to focus their disapproval on the crew when things were not going well.

I was out with Joe on this evolution and I got a great personal lesson in TCT. I worked with two coxswains as a re-certifying crew member, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The morning coxswain I know well and have worked with on the water before. The afternoon coxswain was new to me and for a number of reasons, some of which I still need to identify, we did not communicate well. In addition, I've been supporting lots of training as crew on the towing target boat recently and been in the mode of withholding feedback until a debrief unless there is a issue of safety involved.

The difference between the morning and afternoon was dramatic. As Joe notes we pulled through in the afternoon but I was not happy with my personal performance. I've gotten used to working with coxswains with whom I have a rapport and I had not realized how much I count on having a working relationship.

A couple of take aways:

1. I'm not going out in poor conditions or for SAR call outs with Coxswains and crew I have not worked with.

2. I'm going to try to get on more boats and work with more people so I'm prepared to work with others when the need arises.

3. I'm going to remember that there is a huge difference between working with your usual team and working with a new crew.

I didn't know you guys were on the Columbia River, I went ta school down cape d twice when I was in. Lovely place, damn glad I was only there for school and not stationed there.

I have a question, don't coxswains in the AUX have a coxswain kit?? Or more accurately, ain't they required to??

Ya know, some old briefcase or something with all the "tools of the trade" in it?? Pencils, charts, light list, pub-1, local pubs, dividers, parallel rule, speed-time "is was", stopwatch, all that crap???

Wouldn't that be part of a QE requal?? How prepared you are??

I thought every cox, whether AUX or AD, had to have one.

I still have one. I been outa the CG since 81, outa the AUX 4 years, and I still don't step foot aboard any vessel without it.

Again it shows(like the gov't logbooks) just how little I REALLY KNEW about how things are done in the AUX-JRC

We had a non-boater division captain (what else?) try to make it a requirement that all OPFACs be able to recover Oscar the dummy. Due to our OPFAC configuration this was not physically possible without putting members of the crew in harms way. When challenged (it is not in the crew manual) he rescinded his stupid edict.

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We had a non-boater division captain (what else?) try to make it a requirement that all OPFACs be able to recover Oscar the dummy. Due to our OPFAC configuration this was not physically possible without putting members of the crew in harms way.

I may be missing something but wouldn't that make your OPFAC unfit for use? If you can't recover a dummy how are you supposed to recover a person in the water?

quote:

Originally posted by JasonWilsonAUX:
I may be missing something but wouldn't that make your OPFAC unfit for use? If you can't recover a dummy how are you supposed to recover a person in the water?

I don't think it is a requirement. In my opinion it probably should be. A boarding ladder is a requirement but that does not help if the victim isn't able to use it. If you've every used a boarding ladder you know it isn't easy...and if slightly fatigued it could become impossible. I'd not want to operate any vessel that isn't set up so a reasonably competent crew member can do a PIW recovery where the PIW is incapacitated - for Auxiliary operations or otherwise.

If you can't recover a dummy how are you supposed to recover a person in the water?

Let us take a look at the rules & regs and see what applies.

First what is the qualification standard?

Task COX-07-02-AUX Recover A Person From the Water Using The Direct Pick-Up Method

quote:

Conditions

Performed underway during daylight in calm to moderate seas. Person in the water (PIW) will be simulated with a life-like dummy, fender, or some other floating object.

So all you have to be able to do is pick up a boat fender. Floating seat cushions also work.

ANSC 7003 Offer for Use only requires (page 2, section VII Requirements for an Operational Facility):

quote:

17. Boarding ladder (or other means of boarding)

The old VE Manual spells out what those items mean.

Page 4-6 of the old VE Manual :

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o. A way of boarding the facility by ladder, swim step, or other means.

So a ladder,swim platform or even a single step 'cut-out' would allow the facility to pass.

So all an Auxie has to do is prove that they can get a boat fender on board and that the boat has a ladder or swim platform.

In the worst case scenario, all you have to do is put a bowline around the vic and tie him off to the boat. Auxies are not supposed to risk injuries to themselves to save anyone.

quote:

Originally posted by FL51D7:

In the worst case scenario, all you have to do is put a bowline around the vic and tie him off to the boat.

That will look real good featured on the 6&11PM Newscasts. But maybe we will get lucky and Joe Sixpack (BWI) will come over with his Center Console and pull the victim out.


On edit....What I hear Ancora saying is that he has a way of recovering a PIW. However routinely practicing this recovery method is not worth the risk to personnel for a seldomly used task.

We can recover a person in the water using our swimstep ladder. However, if the person is incapacitated that is another matter. As coxswain, I would have to have two crewmembers climb down a five foot ladder, stand on the swim step and try to bring the victim aboard, a dangerous practise. In the harbor, maybe. Off-shore, no way Jose.

quote:

Originally posted by Ancora:
We can recover a person in the water using our swimstep ladder. However, if the person is incapacitated that is another matter. As coxswain, I would have to have two crewmembers climb down a five foot ladder, stand on the swim step and try to bring the victim aboard, a dangerous practise. In the harbor, maybe. Off-shore, no way Jose.

But what you are essentially saying is that if you are called to respond to an incident and when you get there there are unconscious people in the water those people will drown while someone else is forced to respond to your case.

There's no reason the regulations shouldn't mandate you be able to do this. If you can't rescue a person why are you allowed to respond to rescues? It'd be like not requiring volunteer firefighters to know how to enter a burning building.

Wear a harness rig?

There's no reason the regulations shouldn't mandate you be able to do this. If you can't rescue a person why are you allowed to respond to rescues?

First, go back and read the rules & regs again. All an Auxie has to be able to pick up to qualify is a fender.

Second, an Auxie, whether crew or coxswain can refuse any assignment, at any time for any reason. Auxies have no duty to respond or act once they are on scene.

Third, Auxies aren't 20-something fire-breathing Coasties who got the brown stuff kicked out of them in boot camp to get them in shape. Nor are Auxies expected or required to be in any physical shape.

Fourth, how many Auxies (given the average age and health) are able to bodily lift an incapaciated 200+ pound boater out of the water and into an Aux boat? Probably not many. How many could do it without injuring themselves? Almost none.

Fifth, how many Auxie facilities even have the ability to rig and use a life sling? Maybe the bigger ones but you probably couldn't rig one and use it on your average center console with a t-top.

Auxiliary - taking the "R" out of SAR.

Auxiliary - We'll find you - someone else can save you.

SAR - Search and Release.

quote:

Originally posted by FL51D7:
First, go back and read the rules & regs again. All an Auxie has to be able to pick up to qualify is a fender.

And all the Commandant has to do is explain to the victims relatives, the US Congress and the US Taxpayers why the AUX did what was seen on the 6 O-clock news.

quote:

Second, an Auxie, whether crew or coxswain can refuse any assignment, at any time for any reason.

And the OIA can decide wether any such facility/crew/cox can ever get orders again.