CG-40560 Gets a makeover - Thanks Army Vet Rob Janoski

[BuoyJumper]

Here is an important message from our shipmate Frank "Bugsey" Moran about the need for a helping hand for our shipmates at Station Belle Isle, Detroit. Those of you who live in Michigan, Northern Ohio & Indiana could have a great weekend at the station:

NOW HEAR THIS:

I have been and still am in contact with a BM2 stationed at Belle Isle, Detroit, Michigan. He contacted me because he saw the CG40450 web site. I have been talking with him and he sure does sound like a real gentleman. The long and short of it is he wants to do at least the exterior paint job on 40560 so it will look real good at the CO's retirerment to make for some good photos.

I told him I would reach out to our shipmates to see if any body lives near him or even a few hours away that would like to jump on board and lend a hand.  I told him if I didn't live out here in New Jersey I would love too help and would be honnored to participate in such a neat event.  He also told me that he has plenty of room if someone comes from far away.  They could eat and sleep overnight at the station as long as they don't mind getting woken up by an alarm going off.  I told him I thought it would be a real experenece.

They have got just 8 weeks to finish the project.  If you are interested please email me @ gardenman378@yahoo.com or call me at 201-832-6714. Personaly I think who ever takes part in this project will have a great time and will feel real good about having participated.  This is the exterior painting of the 40' UTB boat CG40560 that sits in the grass in front of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum.

FORTIES/FOREVER
COASTIES/FOREVER
BUGSEY

[robalooski]

is this for coasties only, could come by with some hunter green(that eye paint the roof with)
an add some color to the ole row boat

[Bugsey]

Ron thanks for the plug i really due apprciate it,but i am really surprised not one coasties that i know answered the call,BM2 has some help and he will get it done, i know i would love toand still mite go out for the weekend for me it will diffently be a honnor and a treat, to help and sack out with those guy,s. But like i said thanks RON i know i always can count on you, you must of been one helliva shipmate when you were in the guard because i know you are here.
                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                       FORTIES/and black hulls /forever
                                                                                                                                      BUGSEY

[robalooski]

Bugsey

got yer email, called the number 3 times no answer, will try again in the morning, may go down to belle isle tamara an look at the job site.

[vftb]

Bugsey, I'd be there in a flash and would be proud to help out; problem is, it's a long friggin commute 

[EX-CG-GM]

Bugsey, I'd be there in a flash and would be proud to help out; problem is, it's a long friggin commute 

Yep, same here.  Kinda surprised more folks from that neighborhod haven't signed up.  Wonder if they could recruit some assistance from active duty folks stationed in the area?

[robalooski]

called; no answer, packed up the wife and maps,  wife drives eye navigate, whe cant read a map.  downtown detroit is no fun trip.  Got there with no problems tho one on belle isle, tryin to find an open porcelan facility was dificult and of course the one that was open had no paper of anykind.

the 40 footer is in the ground to the waterline.  the side and center front windows are out, the ceiling of the cabin and the rear deck need scraping, there is 4 inches of water in the cabin space where the bunks(benches) are, the outside hull looks good-just ruff it up and paint, decking has mold issues, most of the deck has slip resistant thin pads some of which are missing peices.  The side wire rail supports in back need welding.

called; no answer, drove down to the station stood in front of the gate looking for a door bell, gate magicly opened, walked into building, coastie came out handed him bouytenders opening for this thread and his eyes lit up.  They tried to find BM2 Chris who I was trying to call- he was at the shooting range.  So they asigned BM2 Terence to take me back to the 40footer.  I had printed some pics from the 40 footer thread and from Bugsey's site to show them the color skeams.  Terence said they had taken the windows to prefab new ones.  The door on the boat is currently plywood no window, they want to get a metal door made.  He walked me around siteing things needed done colors and what needed ordering.

  Terence gave me his number and the station number to call when eye next come down and they'd send 2 coasties out with tools to help out.  Their commander retires the beginning of June, so April for prep and May for painting  may work.

   Between Terence and my wife eggin  him on, eye got a long speel on joining the Auxilary, havent swum fur bout 20 years, being 60 he said eye only have to swim 300 yds and float for 10 min.  Got a tour of their station, the boat house with the airboat and 41 footer, outside at the dock were 2- 36 footers which eye got to see the insides of one, wife didnt join me fur that, she could see the dock and the boat moving, well eye didnt get sea sick, asked him if they had a spitoon on board, he said spit out the window,somehow eye dont think that will go over too well.  had a pop can in my pocket for that.

  plan on going back next week when the rain stops.

[robalooski]

Went down fer my first day of work, got there an hour before the crews arived.  Does sit and wait sound familiar?  Got two guys to help out, they brought a shop vac and a power washer and it wuz just plain luck that the mewseum wuz open so we had electricity and water.  Gona have to write down my helpers names or eye ferget im jus 10 minutes latter.  Seems like eye'll have 2 different guys everytime eye go.  Now I remember why I joined the Army, no hulls to scrape.  Wut was that saying in the Army, "Never Volunteer?"  Now I'm sore all over, layoff sure put me outa shape.  Well, the way the rains are goin, I'll have 2 days between to recuperate.  Ifn eye stayed over at the station, I'd be a crippled old man in no time.  The museum people are sure happy that the work is being done.  Just about everyone walkin by had a comment or two.  One coastie vet made us stand by the boat for photo's, and one photo with his wife.  Wuts this thumbs up thing, is it an old coastey thingy?

[EX-CG-GM]

Should told that Coastie vet to put down the camera and grab a damn scraper!   

robalooski, its great you aare helping out and I am sure I speak for all of us that are too far away to help, when I say "Thank you!" 

[LTGunner]

Rob,

Thanks for "blogging" your adventure.  Sounds like you've made some initial progress; it's great to see you step up and lend a hand.    (note, thumb's up) 
Nice work shipmate!  P.S.  Someone provide you with a USCG cap yet?  Let us know & we'll make it happen. 

[robalooski]

about the hat, I've not worn any hat but a boonie hat since I made my exit frum the army, with two exceptions and they are part of the VVA uniform for parades and color guard, a black baseball cap with our units logo and the black beret with VVA logo.   I've been wearing the light blue camo boonie hat to work on the boat.  I dont think a baseball cap will let me wear a face sheild so the paint chips wont get in me face,  the boony hat being flexible works just fine.  Come painting time I'll retire the blue ones and ware the black ones cuz eye dont care if those get paint on em.

  but thanks fer yer concern, besides its bad enuff that the guys they send out with me are always calling me sir and its a bit grating on the nerves and the wife was getting riled with all the mams, tho she only had one day of it.

[robalooski]

Day two, more of the same(scraping) with two new dudes and not as many sirs.  They realy need to open up a few restrooms on this island.   Boy am I going to have to examin my volunteer criterias.  Say a bakery needs some chocolate cake taste testers  ,  or they need judges fer a beauty contest  .

wonders if paint stripper wood be easier.  Ya I know, you guys just want to see the stripper and not the paint, unless the paints on a young lady and it doesnt interfear with the view.

[robalooski]

day three, more scraping, wire brush gizmo on my drill to clean up a bit.  went with coasties fer lunch, bereetoe made my eyes water.  we spent a few hours looking for better tools to take off the non-slip pads that were stuck 3 deep to the deck, with some sucess, got a concrete grinder.

[robalooski]

Day four and boy am eye sore.  Got me an angle grinder from Miejers fur 50 bucks and 10 blades fur 10 bucks and boy duz that critter tear up the paint and them no slip pads.  Had lunch on the boat, my helpers took an hour and a half fer lunch and one didnt come back, but they left me the generator so eye had something to do till they got back.  Eye just knew Bugsey didnt have it right when he said eye wuz jus gona be a supervisor.

One feller wants to take a torch to the no slip pads, he thinks they may come off like pudding if they were heated, the other said the boatswain wouldn't let him outa the shop with it.  Wonders if that would work or if the fumes wood be to much, he said thats how they cleaned up the bouys.   I has a propane torch, may try it, unless anyone here nose better.

Well one thing is that eye'm sure getting my exercise an not getting rusty on me driving, 33 miles one way.

Feller said he towed the airboat and got 9 miles to the gallon.  I told him since Selfridge Air National Guard sent a C130 why didnt they fly, he said he wanted to know why also.  Hate to have that gas bill to N Dakota and back.

[LTGunner]

Rob,

About those pesky non-skid / no-slip pads.  We used to use a heat gun to loosen up the adhesive.  We would then use a 4" putty knife & scrape them off.  Of course they were applied to a steel decks or aluminum ladder rungs; wood is a whole different (flamable) material.  Try a hair dryer or maybe the EM Shop may have a heat gun. Just don't keep it on one spot too long!   Good luck!