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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: aladin who wrote (185848)	11/9/2006 11:22:54 AM
From: Ichy Smith	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793843

As you know I live in Niagara. Niagara regional police patrol all the waters in this area. Next time call the local police they may be easier to deal with if you dial their number, not 911 this is about the coast guard base....... boatnerd.com SAR Station Port Weller stands watch over Western Lake Ontario By Roger Lelievre and Neil Schultheiss Late October winds howl around the Canadian Coast Guard's Port Weller SAR Station Niagara. A northwest gale whips western Lake Ontario. A distress call crackles over the radio from a boater in trouble on the western end of the lake. The station's four-person crew dons their gear and heads for one or both of the boats at their disposal. Barely wasting a moment, they scream out into the lake, past the safety of the Port Weller piers, and into seas running 12-15 feet high. It's another routine day at the office for Leading Seamen Chris VanKoppen and Clint Thompson, Engineer Maurice Ethier and relief Commanding Officer Paul Beesley (current relief commanding officer). The station responds to approximately 75-100 calls a year from boaters in trouble from late March to mid-December. The station is located on a scenic peninsula at the entrance to the Welland Canal. The location may be unfamiliar to most boat watchers as the station is hidden from view on restricted property owned by the Seaway north of Lock 1 on the west side of the canal. This location offers front row seating for boat watching as freighters pass a short distance off the station. The crew’s primary vessel is the search and rescue vessel C.G.R. 100, a Multi -Task Medium Endurance Lifeboat, part of the Canadian Coast Guard (Central Region) fleet since 1987. C.G.R. 100 has an aluminum hull measuring 45’ 11” long, 15’ 09” wide and 5’ 07” draft. Jet driven, she’s powered by twin Caterpillar geared diesels of 525 hp each capable of driving her at 32 knots maximum speed (26 knots cruising speed). Cruising radius is 275 nautical miles and the C.G.R. 100 can run at full speed for 10 hours (12 hours at reduced speed). The wheelhouse is quipped with VHF marine radio, radar, depth finder, GPS and many other navigational aids. A bow compartment offers storage for the crew’s bright orange Mustang survival suits and provides space for any survivors that may be brought aboard. Also available is a bright orange, 19.4-foot Mark V Zodiac, powered by twin, 90 HP Evinrude outboards. Top speed is 39 knots. Both boats are built to be self-righting if overcome by heavy seas. The station’s area of coverage is from Oshawa, Ont., to Olcott, NY (and all areas west). Crewmembers are on 15-minute call, which means they can never travel more than 15 minutes from the station. On one recent, late-night call, the four were up and headed out five minutes after the distress signal was received.