"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in
:

I can sort of see why they'd want to do this. The CG is understaffed,
even after president dick head promised to crank up their budget.

I think many of CG vessels might still be deployed in the Persian Gulf,
as well.

If
they have to take personnel to a land-based firing range, it would, by
necessity be far from their boats. At least this way, they're working
in their intended place of business and can respond to emergencies.

But, it's still weird.

If any organization intends to take the CG to court about this, they'd
be wise to attack each issue separately, since ANY improvement in the
plan would be better than tying all the issues together and failing
completely. The strategy:

1) The easiest part: Insist that the CG use lead-free ammo for
training. The Army began doing this years ago, after groundwater
contamination was proven to come from some of their training areas.
The Great Lakes have enough problems without adding lead.

2) Insist that the CG increase their "zone of safety" to a distance
equal to 10 times the known travel of the ammo in use. Ten miles would
be about right. I'm only familiar with Lake Ontario, and the map
indicates the CG has chosen their practice areas based solely on
convenience - they're within easy traveling distance to the nearest CG
station. Too bad. Move them out.

That seems very clear. Maybe they're worried that if they move it out
too far, the Canuckistanians would consider it an act of war!


3) Insist that the CG NOT depend solely on VHF notification. Anyone
who's seen the antics of power boaters on Lake Ontario will understand
why. Motor(s) too loud to hear radio. Radio off. Radio not installed.
Radio sound masked by ghetto blaster. The Navy used to use flagged
ships in Block Island Sound to indicate that submarine exercises were
happening. It worked.



That is the most disturbing part. My own experience is that many
recreational boaters on Ontario are under-boated and underequipped. I've
heard many maydays called in just because of a little fog.


--
Scott
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