Coast Guard 'Capsize' Maneuvers (Aug. 22, 1935)

[Cupamud]

My dear daughter ( who is about to graduate a double major  ) does some microfiche research work on the side, and sent me a black and white print of a page from the Nevada State Journal (Reno, Nevada) dated August 22, 1935.

The photo series is the middle coumn of the page and is headed:

Coast Guard 'Capsize' Maneuvers

Below that are five photos in sequence from capsized to righted boat.

Below these is the lengthy caption:

These photos were recorded recently by a "magic eye" camera during a drill by the United States coast guard off San Francisco's Golden Gate. Clicking along in fast rhythm the "magic eye" camera captured this capsizing maneuver by men of the Golden Gate station of the coast guard. First they climbed on the overturned cutter, then they knelt in rotation, then the men at the left gradually climbed top-side to balance the weight, then they swung in--just so--and slowly brought it right side up. Note the shift in position of the guardsmen in the fourth "shot" with the men at the extreme left poising in such a way as to permit water to flow out of the craft so that it would not right itself too quickly causing possible injury to the men at the lower right.

I would do the photos injustice trying to scan and put them here as the printout is grainy, but I thought it would make a nice slice of history for others. 


The left column story is headed:

Roosevelt Strives For Neutrality in Mussolini Crisis

The right column story is headed:

U.S. Army Tests New War Planes Before Purchase

[Jack]

The boat I believe is the  Beebe-McLellen surfboat, which was self bailing, had a centerboard and a water ballast system. At the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St Louis, a crew  under the command of Keeper Henry Cleary of  the Marquette,Michigan Station,performed the drill in the quickest time ever done, 13 seconds, The timing starts with the crew seated in the boat and ends when they resume their seats. The time is actually faster than the time that the standard self righting lifeboat in England could due the deed itself.

[BuoyJumper]

This isn't the sequence you are talking about Larry but similiar. 
This drill was performed by Coast Guard Station 256, Mackinac Island, Michigan circa 1916 from the late Don Nelson's website.

[Eupher6]

I noticed the one guy doesn't like to get wet! 

[EX-CG-GM]

I noticed the one guy doesn't like to get wet! 

That's me with the sweep oar.  It ain't that I mind getting wet, but I don't know how to swim.

[Jack]

It's not that you did not want to get wet it is because you knew that the water in the straits of Mackinaw never gets much above 45 degrees even in August and you hated the thought of going into that cold water.

[Cupamud]

Ron,

Those photos you found definitely take the cake on quality! Thank you!   

Jack,

Appreciate the add'l information. I never had much experience with lifeboats, but always liked the look of them.

Do either of you remember the manpower-intensive training boat davit at Coast Guard Island in Alameda? It was part of the training and drills when I went through boot there in August of 1978. I'm not sure what ever happened to that rig, but it sure gave me serious respect for evolutions from the old days...

....and it made me appreciate the hell out of hydraulics! 

Best regards,

Larry aka 

[Jack]

Cape May graduate myself in 61, remember the davits as well as the pulling boats (26' Monomoys) and the weekly boat races - it was a lot of work but a hell of a lot more pleasure than marching with the M1's.