U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, District 7, Div. 14, Flotilla 08, Jacksonville, Florida, Base Page

A NEW-COMER’S THRILLING DAY ON THE WATER

By Jack Holler, VFC 14-8

My invitation arrived in the form of an e-mail from Bob Strong, FSO-MT, “We have a boat patrolling the air show on Sunday 29 October, can you help with this patrol?” What an opportunity a trainee was presented with, a patrol with three accomplished crew members and the 60th Anniversary Air Show featuring the Blue Angels. Besides, unlike Times-Union reporter Jeff Brumley’s ride with the Blue Angels, there was only a slightly smaller chance that my encounter would make me pass out.

The patrol resulted in a number of first time experiences to a relative new-comer to the Jacksonville area. The crisp Sunday morning in autumn held a promise of great sailing weather. Crew member Cris Vonderheide and I carpooled to the Fort Caroline anchorage of Charles Taylor’s Hidden Agenda, in a conventional mode of transportation, rather than on the back of Cris’ Harley. Before getting underway, Charles Taylor gave the necessary safety instructions and demonstrated the various workings of his facility.

As we made our way south from Blount Island, I saw the area with a new perspective from the St. Johns River. We were passing under all of the bridges that criss-cross the River City. Container ships and commercial vessels soon gave way to an armada of pleasure craft escaping from the previous day’s festivities known as Florida-Georgia Football.

As we entered the patrol area to the north of Jacksonville Naval Air Station (NAS) we were promptly greeted by a Navy patrol boat to be identified as “Delta Six”. Our mission was to help maintain the perimeter of the security zone surrounding NAS for the Air Show. Few incursions of the zone followed through the afternoon as the crew members, led by Charles Taylor at the helm, quickly intersected any pleasure boats headed toward the perimeter buoys. Being a partner with many of the on-water enforcement agencies such as Florida Wildlife Commission and the Sheriff’s Department, helped to discourage would be onlookers from getting too close to the security zone.

As the day progressed, pleasure craft of every variety circled the river. The air show maintained the crowd’s attention with many different types of aircraft from vintage and stunt planes to Korean War jets to Fat Albert. The main event, the close aerial acrobatics of the Blue Angels, wowed the crowd and the crew members alike. From our vantage point on the river there were no obstructed views. At times the Blue Angels appeared to be screaming only 50 to 100 feet over the water. We were close enough to see the glint of sunlight hitting the pilot’s helmets and to feel the roar of their engines.

At the conclusion of the show, after being given permission by Station Mayport to return to port, the scene was reminiscent of the Great Land Rush of the 1800s. What appeared to thousands of boats were headed north and south, up and down the river to make their get-away. Since daylight savings time had ended we returned to the dock at Fort Caroline as the sun was setting behind the Dames Point Bridge. It was a wonderful finish to a patrol whose story will be repeated many times.

New Flotilla Members
Jack Holler 2007 Flotilla Vice Commander Jack transferred to our flotilla from Staten Island, NY. Since joining our flotilla, Jack has become qualified as a Vessel Examiner and Instructor. Jack was elected to the post of Flotilla Vice Commander for 2007. The story below is from Jack's first patrol on the water while training for his Boat Crew Qualification.		2005 Flotilla Commander Charles Trippe Charles Trippe joined our flotilla in 2002. In less than 3 years he was elected Flotilla Commander. His story is below.

		A New Member's Story of Growth and Development in the Flotilla. Charlie Trippe is a Jacksonville resident, a father of three, and a lawyer with a local firm that specializes in transportation and maritime cases. He became interested in joining the Auxiliary when he heard about the organization from friends and co-workers who work in the maritime area. Charlie had quite a bit of boating experience growing up in the Boston area, but acknowledged he was pretty rusty on boating matters when he contacted FSO-PS Bob Strong during the Summer of 2002. Bob guided Charlie through the membership process during August and September of 2002. Charlie became an Auxiliary member in October of 2002. FSO-CC Dan King helped Charlie get oriented to Auxiliary customs and missions, including a visit to the materials center formerly located in Palm Coast for uniforms and equipment. He also took the Auxiliary Boating Safety Course, as recommended for all new members. Charlie took office as FSO-FN in January 2003, at the request of Bob Flaige, newly elected FC. During 2003, Charlie has attempted to develop his Auxiliary skills and knowledge. With the assistance of Top Ingram, Charles Taylor and Buck Beavers, he has practiced the requirements for Boat Crewmember and should be ready for qualification this year. After attending the Vessel Examiner’s class given by Cris Vonderheide last Spring, Charlie passed the Vessel Examiner’s online examination. With the help of Bob Flaige, Charlie has participated in three vessel examinations; with two more, he should be fully qualified as a Vessel Examiner soon. He also took the Auxiliary Risk Management course last winter. Charlie had the opportunity to work with active duty Coast Guard personnel last March and April, when he assisted USCG personnel who were manning the Blount Island Command Post during military outload operations there. He spent 76 hours at Blount Island during those months. On some shifts he was utilized as the duty driver. On others he assisted the communications watchstander. He also participated in landside security and bridge watch duties while he was there. One advantage of his exposure to active duty USCG personnel was the opportunity to learn directly from experts on subjects such as navigation and communications. During one shift he was even able to attend instruction on the proper methods and safety precautions necessary to load an ammunition ship. Charlie says that the Auxiliary has “more than met my expectations” as a public service organization. He hopes to stay active and to continue to develop his skills as an Auxiliary member for many years to come. For 2004, Charles served as Vice Flotilla Commander, and in December 2004, Charles was elected Flotilla Commander, for the calendar year 2005.
A NEW-COMER’S THRILLING DAY ON THE WATER By Jack Holler, VFC 14-8 My invitation arrived in the form of an e-mail from Bob Strong, FSO-MT, “We have a boat patrolling the air show on Sunday 29 October, can you help with this patrol?” What an opportunity a trainee was presented with, a patrol with three accomplished crew members and the 60th Anniversary Air Show featuring the Blue Angels. Besides, unlike Times-Union reporter Jeff Brumley’s ride with the Blue Angels, there was only a slightly smaller chance that my encounter would make me pass out. The patrol resulted in a number of first time experiences to a relative new-comer to the Jacksonville area. The crisp Sunday morning in autumn held a promise of great sailing weather. Crew member Cris Vonderheide and I carpooled to the Fort Caroline anchorage of Charles Taylor’s Hidden Agenda, in a conventional mode of transportation, rather than on the back of Cris’ Harley. Before getting underway, Charles Taylor gave the necessary safety instructions and demonstrated the various workings of his facility. As we made our way south from Blount Island, I saw the area with a new perspective from the St. Johns River. We were passing under all of the bridges that criss-cross the River City. Container ships and commercial vessels soon gave way to an armada of pleasure craft escaping from the previous day’s festivities known as Florida-Georgia Football. As we entered the patrol area to the north of Jacksonville Naval Air Station (NAS) we were promptly greeted by a Navy patrol boat to be identified as “Delta Six”. Our mission was to help maintain the perimeter of the security zone surrounding NAS for the Air Show. Few incursions of the zone followed through the afternoon as the crew members, led by Charles Taylor at the helm, quickly intersected any pleasure boats headed toward the perimeter buoys. Being a partner with many of the on-water enforcement agencies such as Florida Wildlife Commission and the Sheriff’s Department, helped to discourage would be onlookers from getting too close to the security zone. As the day progressed, pleasure craft of every variety circled the river. The air show maintained the crowd’s attention with many different types of aircraft from vintage and stunt planes to Korean War jets to Fat Albert. The main event, the close aerial acrobatics of the Blue Angels, wowed the crowd and the crew members alike. From our vantage point on the river there were no obstructed views. At times the Blue Angels appeared to be screaming only 50 to 100 feet over the water. We were close enough to see the glint of sunlight hitting the pilot’s helmets and to feel the roar of their engines. At the conclusion of the show, after being given permission by Station Mayport to return to port, the scene was reminiscent of the Great Land Rush of the 1800s. What appeared to thousands of boats were headed north and south, up and down the river to make their get-away. Since daylight savings time had ended we returned to the dock at Fort Caroline as the sun was setting behind the Dames Point Bridge. It was a wonderful finish to a patrol whose story will be repeated many times.