Sandy Point Vessel Safety Checks

Alert 11, Summer 2025

Auxiliarist Steve Bell spent a cool and rainy morning at Sandy Point Marina performing Vessel Safety Checks in support of their Opening Day festivities and the start of National Safe Booting Week. The organizers had four boats on the list to be inspected and Steve was able to complete all of them in a few hours. Of the four only two passed, but the ones that did not pass learned what changes were needed to pass. In both cases, they were provided the new QR code card so they could access the Federal Regulations, and one vessel was provided a Pollution Placard, a MARPOL Trash Placard, and a Carbon Monoxide sticker. The vessels that failed can be inspected again once they solve their deficiencies.

• Vessel Exams & Program Visitors

Also in this issue

• Emergency Management Team

  Sector Puget Sound is establishing an Auxiliary Emergency Management Team to support contingency exercises, ICS training and contingency planning, coordinated by Auxiliarist Stephen Hueffed.

• Auxiliary Escorts USCGC Eagle

  Dozens of Auxiliary boat crew members from Puget Sound flotillas, including Flotilla 11, escorted the USCGC Eagle into Seattle on July 9.

• Bellingham Yacht Club Class

  Pam, Peter and Leslie taught boating safety topics to the Bellingham Yacht Club’s youth program at the club’s request.

• Boat Crew Patrols

  Flotilla boat crews spent the summer verifying science buoy locations, running search patterns, supporting the WA360 race and joining the USCGC Eagle escort.

• Division 2 Public Ed Class

  Pam helped instruct an eleven-student Boat America boating safety class in Anacortes for Division 2.

• Terrapin Change of Command

  Command of the Bellingham-based 87-foot cutter USCGC Terrapin passed from LTJG Katya L. Armbrecht to LTJG Jane A. Alandydy.

• Sea to Ski

  Manny Eusebio, Jeff Shaw and Moti Krauthamer crewed the flotilla’s safety patrol for the race, which went smoothly with no kayak leg rescues needed.

• FEMA Geospatial Damage Assessments

  Auxiliarists trained on FEMA’s mapping system help record disaster damage; a flotilla member’s team identified damaged buildings in Ruidoso, New Mexico, supporting a federal disaster declaration.

• Member Training

  Manny Eusebio completed the requirements for AuxOp, and a hybrid Core Training Blitz is planned for the fall.

• Navigation Systems

  Two flotilla AVs have begun 2025 PATON verifications, completing 12 of 44 with two discrepancies reported.

• Awards in 2025

  Flotilla members recognized in 2025 for years of membership, AUXOP qualification, operations service and public education service.

• Parting Shot

  A surprise occupant of a kayak, photographed by Coast Guard Station Seattle.