Marcy Bessolo Hermanson was watching her Marine Traffic App last week and saw that the US Coast Guard Cutter Alder was going to be coming in at the Upper Entry, so she timed it just right to get there to catch their arrival and docking at the Lily Pond for the night. The Alder and crew were sailing around the Keweenaw Peninsula, collecting the buoys for the winter months. They aren’t left out on Lake Superior, because the ice will damage them and boaters are pretty much done for the season, too, except for the Big Boats, which sail until mid January. In Marcy’s second photo, you can see several of the buoys on deck.

The Alder is featured in our video for today, also, not a fall trip, but a springtime one from May 2013. She’s sailing on the Portage Canal – Keweenaw’s Waterway in this clip.

I love to see the Coast Guard highlighted. When I was more active in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, we would travel by boat and car, up and down the local waterways, examining the ATON devices (Aids To Navigation) for buoys that had drifted out of position, burned out lights on bridges and other things in need of repair. The Coast Guard's assigned buoy tender would then add these things to its "to do" list.

Buoys … and Gulls:

The discussion today reminds me of a favorite fly-in restaurant back in the 1970s — Boom Trenchard's Flare Path, a restaurant at San Diego's Lindbergh Field that was a favorite of pilots in that area, that has closed long since.


The restaurant was on the right side of the runway in this view, right where planes touch down.

The restaurant was decorated in World War I style, and several WWI aircraft were either inside the building, or on the ramp outside. You could even park a plane on the ramp and have dinner there! The bar in that restaurant had a spectacular view of the end of the runway at that major airport, and each table was outfitted with a 1950’s 'jukebox' that served up not music, but communications between the local pilots on the local control tower, ground control, approach and departure control radio frequencies.

Boom Trenchard's rest rooms were labeled "Buoys" and "Gulls"!

So, where do they store the buoys for the winter?
Somewhere U.P. there.....or do they leave them
where they set them down??

Until next year..."You go buoyyyz!"

Donna, when I was stationed at the old Coast Guard station at upper entry (yikes I must be old) a lot of the buoys were dropped off at the Lily Pond docking site on the waterway if they were in serviceable condition for the following year. Ones in need of repainting/repair were taken back to Duluth where the buoy tender Woodrush was homeported. During the winter the Coasties had the fun task of refurbishing them (indoors, of course!)

George,
I didn't know you had been a Gold Coastie.

Donna,
Here is some additional info. It's a bit old but I think still mostly valid.

Operation Fall Retrieve

Yah D.A., at that station Dec 1969 till Sept '71. East Tawas CG station for a year, then up to the Soo to finish out the enlistment. Was a radioman, all shore duty. Have been back to visit the UP couple times. Miss a lot, except the deep white stuff!!