Posts Tagged ‘coast guard’
U.S. Coast Guard visits Old Coast Guard Station
The U.S. Coast Guard moved out of the old station at the tip of Whiskey Island in 1976. In the last few years, the Foundry and the Cleveland Metroparks have transformed the space into a sailing center. The Coast Guard visited recently to share cold water survival tips. “These are some tough kids, learning to be…
Read MoreKnow why the Lorain lighthouse leans? A ship hit it. See where on a tour
The Lorain lighthouse tilts 7 degrees to the east. That’s because in 1969, a Canadian freighter struck the concrete base. You can see the jagged crack when you tour the light, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You can also see the old water cistern in the basement, the original steel doors on…
Read MoreU.S. Coast Guard urges boaters to file float plan, in case of emergency
The U.S. Coast Guard this summer is urging boaters to create a float plan and use the the Coast Guard Boating Safety social media app to stay safe. “No one plans to get lost out on the water,” says a news release from the Coast Guard. “No one plans to have their boat break down…
Read MoreHow to handle crossing the U.S.-Canadian border on a boat in Lake Erie
So you want to boat from the United States to Canada? There’s no markers separating Canadian waters from American in Lake Erie. You can cross the invisible boundary line on your boat, no problem. But you must report to customs when you dock or drop anchor in the waters of the other country. (I once…
Read MoreU.S., Canadian Coast Guards strengthen ice breaking partnership
The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards are strengthening their collaboration on ice breaking in the Great Lakes. The agencies can now temporarily exchange personnel on ice breaking ships, to allow service men and women to learn each other’s procedures, since they often cooperate in shared waters and on joint missions, according to a U.S. Coast…
Read MoreAlexander Hamilton founded the U.S. Coast Guard: Not that you remember when
Little known fact: Alexander Hamilton started the Coast Guard as 10 ships known as “revenue cutters,” designed to collect tariffs from ships importing goods into the United States. The U.S. Coast Guard – or its predecessors – has enforced tariffs, combated piracy, carried mail, prevented the slave trade, protected government timber and stopped smuggling of…
Read MoreU.S. Coast Guard members practice ice rescues
They took running leaps from the ice and jumped in to the Cleveland harbor, floating amid ice chunks like they were inner tubes in a heated pool. “It’s not too bad,” said members of the U.S. Coast Guard Station Cleveland Harbor. They wore football cleats studded with hardware-store wingnuts to keep from slipping — and…
Read MoreU.S. Coast Guard from Cleveland cuts boats free from ice
The Great Lakes shipping season ends Jan. 15. Until then, two Cleveland-based U.S. Coast Guard ice cutters are keeping the channels free of ice, so freighters can deliver goods from port to port. The Neah Bay and Morro Bay, 140-foot bay class ice-breaking tugs, freed multiple vessels beset by ice in western Lake Erie and…
Read MoreHow to stand-up paddleboard safely
So you got a stand-up paddleboard for Christmas. Cool! Welcome to one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Did you get an inflatable or a hard board? SUP is great for newbies, since you can learn the basics in a few hours. About 1.2 million people tried the sport in 2011 alone and it…
Read MoreCleveland to paint red safety zones on Cuyahoga River — and ticket for docking there
The city of Cleveland plans to paint 10 sections of bulkheads in the increasingly busy Cuyahoga River red, with “No Docking” signs to keep boaters from tying up there. The longest safety zone is along the revitalized Flats East Bank, a 600-foot stretch from Alley Cat Oyster Bar north to the Norfolk Southern Bridge. Parking…
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