L
CRUISE OF THE CLOVER
Each year about 15 April the Coast.
Guard Cutter CLOVER departs Adstk on the
spring aids to navigation triptoB&Stol
Bay, All the buoys in that area were
withdrawn the previous fall to protect
them from the ice,and the shore lights
were allowed to go out during the winter
These aids must be placed in operation
again before 1 May,
As is the custom, a group of Marines
were taken along. This year CPL Donald
F. Rasmussen, ICPL Hector 0. Valenzuela,
ICPL‘Fernando G. lira, PFC Donald R.
Turner were the lucky ones.
Since they would be on board for
several weeks, CPL Rasmussen was train
ed in duties as Boatswain^ Mate of the
Watch and the others as Helmsmen and
lookouts.
Following are highlights of the trip:
17 April - 1415 Marines report on board*
2105 Underway on Spring AtoN trip* 18
April - 0548 Annual Service (A/S)North
Cape It.,atka Island* 1001 Moored Nazan
Bay Dock, Atka. Delivered supplies* 1045
Underway. 19 April - 0506 Annual Ser
vice Anaiuliuk Island It. 1320 A/S Chern
ofski Harbor Entrance light, Unalaska
Island. Added red X to each side of
house to aid in identification. 1335
Decommissioned Chernofski Inner It.asro
longer required. This habor was a
large seaplane base during vVWII. 1637
A/S Kashega Bay It,,Unalaska Island
This light is 300 feet above water.
Visited abandoned Russian Orthodox
Church. Vestments still intact. later
leanred they will be removed this sunnier
20 April - From 0500 conducted annual
servicing of Billings Head It*,Akun Is.
Akutan Habor light, Akun Strait light,
North Head light, Akutan Island,Ulakta
Bell Buoy 2. At 1945 moored City Dock
Unalaska (Dutch Harbor).Invited village
school teachers and Father Vladimir on
board for evening movie. Father Vlad
imir led a very interesting discussion
of the history of the Russian Orthodox
Church in Alaska, Some personnel vis
ited Ascension Cathedral.
(continued next column)
21 April:Underway at 0723 we serviced
Rocky Point Shoal Buoy 1, IliuliukReef
LB2 and lliuliuk Channel Buoy 4 before
noon and at 1311 we moored Expedition
Dock.,. Dutch Harbor, loaded buoys for
Bristol Bay .This was a large submarine
base during the war. *t 134Q we made
dur annual inspection of Baileys Ledge
Daybeacon by small boat. On 22 April
we were underway at 1051 and at 1123
moored Ballyhoo Dock, Dutch Harbor.
Final preparations for Bristol Bay trip
More ambitious personnel climbed the
Ballyhoo Mb* (1586 feet) ani at 1500
were underway again. 23 April. Unable
to inspect Chunak Point Baybeacon due
to fog at 040$ we proceeded for the
annual service of Sea lion Rock. As the
same suggests this is the home for
thousands of sea lions. They muBt be
scared from the rocks with Very lights
and distress signals before landing can
be made with small boat. Replaced the
rotted roof of light structure.At 1855
we commissioned Port Mo Her Entrance
Buoy 1. 24 April - 0450 attempted the
semi-annual check of Cape Seniaven It*
but were unsuccessful because of surf*
1600 Unable to commission aids of Ugas
shik River area because of ice floes*
1700 Maneuvering in ice pack, 2120
Retreated clear of ice pack,set course
for Kuskowim Bay. 25 April - 1400
Unable to set buoys in Kuskowim Bay
because of ice, changed course to Nu
shagak Bay. 26 April 0420 Commissioned
Nushagak Bay light #2. 0625 Annual
inspection of Nichols Hils daybeacon
0705 A/I Etolin Point Daybeacon. 0905
Underway for Egegik Bay. 2337 Commiss
ioned Middle Bluff It (165 feet above
water.) 1430 Unable to set Egegik Bay
Buoy because of ice floes, 2057 Anch
ored Kvichak Bay.
(Concluded next week)
Overheard SALAZAR, YN2, Legal Yeoman
offering this advice to one of his vis
itors. nDon,t get the habit of telling
people where to get off unless you are
a bus driver.,” ’’Further, he said; ”Dori
give anyone a piece of your mind - you
may need it yourself.”