USCG Ocean stations

[rxjeff]

With the wealth of "older" sailors here, would someone mind explaining to a boot what an "Ocean Station" patrol was all about back in the day?  I've heard this term batted around for years but don't understand what one of these patrols entailed? -Jeff

[geejaydee]

I never served on an OSV patrol -- just used to work them on the radio from NMH.

But here's a couple of pretty good summaries put together by Jack of "Jack's Place" fame:

Part  1. http://www.jacksjoint.com/ocean_stations-forum.htm

Part  2. http://www.jacksjoint.com/ocean_stations-contd.htm

...gjd

[vftb]

Jeff, I never did a "white one" but was around during the time of ocean stations.  They went out and sat in the middle of the ocean (literally) and were on station for mid-ocean assistance, weather reports, passing traffic, etc.  They'd go out in the middle of the Pacific and bob around for thirty days ( I think it was 30  ).  There's a whole lot of folks around here that know a lot more about it than I do, but it's a start  .

[Square Knot]

Among other duties, one of the main duties on OSV was, as we called the patrols back then, "Weather Patrols". Each patrol area was a 110 mi. square. There were several National Weather Service personnel aboard that would send up weather baloons to be tracked by radar, and data compiled from the baloons. This was done about every 4 to 8 hours. Barometric pressure (significant in the workings of altimeters in aircraft) was recorded at sealevel and then every 1000 ft. of altitude from the barometer aboard the baloon. The guys in CIC would track the baloon and record wind speed and direction at these various altitudes. All this info was recorded on the status boards in CIC for transfer to Commercial and Military aircraft, by 2 way radio, flying across the oceans. In those days, this was very important information to the aircraft, especially wind speeds and directions.

With the advent of all the new technology of today, GPS, and the ability of aircraft to fly at much higher speeds and altitudes, computerized controlling, the OSV (Ocean Station Vessel), or Weather Ships were rendered useless and an expensive liability, therefore terminated. Lots of sea stories connected to those patrols.

The other aspect of the Weather Patrols was "Ditch and Rescue" at sea. The commercial and military aircraft of that day flew at much slower speeds (propeller driven) and, in case of emergency, could very well make a survivable ditch at sea. The crews of these OSV's were trained to assist in Ditch and Rescue Ops, as did several during their tenure, rescuing all the persons aboard the aircraft. Lots of good stories along this line, too. It was quite impressive to see a "Ditch and Rescue" operation unfold and culminate with a good rescue. We would practice the operation using one of the old UF1G CG Albatross aircraft that could actually land in the water simulating the "Ditch" phase, then the crew follow up with the "Rescue" phase. Very Impressive indeed.

This is kind of a "nutshell" account of the what "OSV" was in their day. Do doubt, there are plenty "Old Timers" here on the board that can add more colorful accounts.

  No.71

[EX-CG-GM]

I only pulled west coast Ocean Stations so can't say what the east coast ones were like.  Mostly I pulled Ocean Station November which was half way between Calif. and Hawaii.  I pulled a couple Victors too.  Halway between Midway and Japan.

On OSN we spent something less then a full month on station.  During that period we basically served as a radio beacon, broadcasting so that airplanes could use us to assist in their navigation.  We were also there in case a plane went down (the Ponchartrain was on scene and saved all passengers and crew of a plane in about '56).

Always had a few scientist types that would launch weather ballons and do God only knows what else.  Then we did Nansen casts.  Had a big winch with a very, very long cable attached.  Special bottles were attached at intervals and then it was lowered into the ocean.  Went down several thoousand feet as I recall.  Once it was at depth a weighte was dropped which closed the bottles.  Haul it back up and the scientists had water samples from the depth.  I installed a grommet in my baseball cap and sent it down 5,000 feet......things were kinda boring out there.  Lots and lots of drills.

Some fairly creative forms of entertainment would surface periodically.  I'll let some other folks chime in on that.

Basically Ocean Station was boring as hell.  I think I pulled about 18 total, maybe a few more.

[EX-CG-GM]

SK-


Looks like our memories were quite similat and the two of us were typing at the same time.   

[mawood]

Then we did Nansen casts.  Had a big winch with a very, very long cable attached.  Special bottles were attached at intervals and then it was lowered into the ocean.  Went down several thoousand feet as I recall.  Once it was at depth a weighte was dropped which closed the bottles.  Haul it back up and the scientists had water samples from the depth.  I installed a grommet in my baseball cap and sent it down 5,000 feet.

Stan,

(Apologies for the slight digression here)

I never served on an ocean station vessel but did do about 3 years on the CGC Evergreen, an oceanographic research cutter which did much of its underway time off Newfoundland on International Ice Patrol.

By the middle 1970s, the Nansen configuratoin was replaced by the Salinity/Temperature/Depth (STD) cast which was basically a one cylinder shaped sensor attached to thousands of feet of cable and handled by a rig that looked more like a gallows then an oceanographic winch.  The sensor was monitored by one or two mini-computers eliminating the need for MSTs to analyze dozens of water samples by hand.


Configuration for a Nansen Cast


STD cast

[Salba]

I pulled a bunch of Ocean Stations on East Coast while aboard Ingham (x's 2) and Chase.  Bravo and Charlie were up north off Canada and had Ice Flow reporting duties as well as the other duties described above.  Hotel was off DC... one cutter was Main Hotel Wx Station (Taney and Gresham come to mind)... so they'd go out for 3-4 weeks and then get relieved by another cutter (like the Ingham) for 3-4 weeks and then return.  Whereas, we on the Ingham would do Bravo's, Charlie's, Delta's and Echo's... as well as Hotel... they'd only do Hotel.  (They had a special Radome on them, unlike the other cutters).

Delta and Echo btw were southern - towards Carribean and were much nicer to do (swim calls, fantail games, etc) then the cold wx Bravo/Charlie partols.

Jeff if you have any specific questions... not already anwered above... post me and I'll try to answer them.

V/R and Best Wishes
Salba

[mawood]

Here's a pretty good essay on the Ocean Station program written by retired Coast Guard Captain R.P. Dinsmore:   (http://www.uscg.mil/History/webcutters/rpdinsmore_oceanstations.html) that is from the Office of the Coast Guard Historian.

If you get the time, Google comes up with some interesting hits concerning both the U.S. and Canadian  participation in the ocean station program: (http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=coast+guard+ocean+station)

Hope this helps.

Mark

[rxjeff]

Thanks for all the links and descriptions fellas, I understand now what they entailed. -Jeff

[Bugsey]

  Hi jeff if you want to see more about o/s go to the halfmoon,s web site an you will see the north atlantic in dec/jan/mar an you will see how nasty the nort atlantic can get,i served 3/6 on the moon a lot of good places an a lot of bad but all enjoyable as a young coastie. Check out the site it pretty cool.


                                                              BUGSEY

[vftb]

Are you talking about this one Bugsey    USCGC Half Moon

[vftb]

You're right Frank, lots of great pictures.  Got nothing to do with ocean stations, but I love this one (go figure  ):

Squadron One boat unrepping from the Half Moon while she was on Squadron Three duty 

[BuoyJumper]

Hey that's Gordy's (ET1-once) boat the Point Cypress.  Great Photo, he'll love seeing that ....... Ltjg Katz was the C.O.

[vftb]

Ain't networking great