Christmas Eve....And The USCG Is Doing A Search Out My Front Door!

[SASless]

Relaxing tonight watching old British WWII Films with young Mr. Attenborough when I hear a Sikorsky buzzing around in front of my place at the coast.

I am used to USMC CH-53's and Ospreys from Camp LeJeune and MCAS Cherry Point flying in the area....but on Christmas Eve?

Decent weather but getting a bit chilly.....and the USCG has some small Cutters and a JayHawk searching the bay in front of the house.....like a half mile or so at the closest point.

It reminds you that there is always some helicopter folks standing ready to go to the aid of folks in distress.

[westhawk]

Well there was an airplane missing off the coast near JAX. (dunno if that's where you are) Apparently a man and his son were making a return flight to New Jersey after vacationing at Disneyworld.The USCG said they had a couple of cutters and at least one MH-65, along with a fixed-wing asset searching the area for the missing single engine airplane. Unfortunately, following over 50 hours of searching, they announced a halt to the search operation with negative results.

[SASless]

I am located very close to Harkers Island North Carolina.....on Goose Bay which is part of North River (which is a bay rather than a river) abeam of the town of Beaufort.

I have found my small part of Paradise....on the east side of North River in an area known as "Down East".

Just waking up here....and do not know yet the reason for the search last night.

I will check the local news and see if I can find any report on it.

[Lonewolf_50]

Coast Guard rule #1 is: you have to go out, you don't have to come back.

I suspect that rule #2 is: " Christmas leave is optional if someone is in trouble."
USCG on task.
*salute*

[SASless]

That was the old Motto....now it is "You have to go to Lunch....and you must come back!"!

At Google Earth....if you look closely at the Cape Lookout Bight....you can see the Mooriing Buoy the Morehead City Cutter uses when they need fresh fish for the galley as it is in a good fishing hole at the Bight.

They. have a limit of six lines over the side at any one time however. (Seven if you count the single Mooring line and the six fishing lines)

They do have a sense of humor however.....I bounced an empty beer can off the wind shield of one of their go-fasties by. mistake......thought it was yet another cigar smoking fat cat in his four outboard motored deep Bee that delight in throwing spray all over slower boats as they pass by!

I should have looked over my shoulder before chunking the can I suppose....you know what happens when you "assume".

They maintain a Cutter Base at Fort Macon/Morehead City that maintains a Duty Watch 24/7/365 for call outs and the Air Station in Elizabeth City does as well.

Not far away is the near tropical paradise of Hobucken, where kids have to be inside before dark as the Mozzies that swarm after dark can carry a Ten Year old away.

[tottigol]

SAS, even as a "stationary" sailor you should know better. Empty beer cans have poor ballistics, especially into the wind.:)

[SASless]

Any idea how close the two boats were to allow me to score a hit with an empty Can?

After a minute of beginning our parley..... the Coasties laughed, jinstructed me to have a great day and roared off on their patrol which was destined for the bikini beach not so far away. They like to do Skin Fish counts there on certain days!

[nomorehelosforme]

SASless,

You should consider yourself very fortunate, had your beer can hit a passing Greenpeace vessel your act of polutting the seas probably wouldn't have resulted in any "parlais" but merely giving Greenpeace a great excuse to scuttle your boat. At which point you could have your "parlais" with the Coasties as they plucked your ass from the sea.....

[SASless]

Sasless and his Ship's Cat, Commodore Frady, are fully prepared and willing to repel Boarders, Pirates, and Tee Totallers.

They would do that at risk of bodily harm.....as Maritime Law applies to navigable waters.

A quick Trial and displaying the culprits from the Yard Arm would suffice as notice to that effect.

Shark fishing does require fresh bait as well.

We had two Shark attacks in one week this month..... not too far from Black Beard's ship the "Queen Anne's Revenge" which is located very close to Fort Macon.

[FH1100 Pilot]

Piper Malibu went down offshore with two on board.

[SASless]

FH.....you are talking about the aircraft down in Florida are you not?

[GC47G]

SASless .... On reading your post I'm wondering if you can help me , it's not relevant to your post but due to your location to which I'm Visiting for 3 weeks in May , I'm looking for an email address for Tim at Crystal Coast Helicopters?.

[SASless]

Check your PM Inbox.

The airport is on the way to the marina where I keep my boat currently.....about ten miles away.

As small as Beaufort is.....never knew there was a helicopter based here.

But then....I keep my eyes closed when I get into Beaufort from "Downiest" where I live (the North River Bridge ensures I remain isolated from all the evils that lurk on the western side of the bridge).

We have peace, tranquility, good neighbors, unlocked doors, pretty scenery, no traffic lights, rarely see the Plod unless it is to swap fishing news....on the other side are things like traffic cops, tax collectors, building inspectors, fast food joints and process servers.....and the odd Rastafarian or two.