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| 45' AND 50 KNOTS |
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| HIGH TECH EVERYTHING |
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| TWO 800 HP DIESELS, ONE LIKE THIS ON EACH SIDE |
Thursday, 8:00 AM. 47 degrees, wind S, calm. The sky is darkly overcast and the barometer predicts rain. We badly need a long, gentle spring rain, as we have had little significant precipitation in several months. We don’t need a gully washer.
I got a closer look at the new Coast Guard ship yesterday afternoon, courtesy of neighbor Zach. It is a lot bigger than it looks, at 45’ in length. It has two eight hundred horsepower marine diesel engines, can do 50 knots and has a maximum capacity of 27 persons. It can operate with a minimum crew of three, a coxswain and assistant, and an engineer. It has an enclosed cockpit, and a small galley and head forward, safety seats for nine, GPS, radar, compass, etc. It no longer has a ship’s wheel, but is controlled by a joystick, like an airplane, one each for “pilot” and “co-pilot.” Total cost, 2.5million dollars, and built in Marinette, Wisconsin. It has gun mounts for heavy weapons but usually carries only small arms. It is not your grandfather's boat.
The new boat ramp is indeed much more than that; it has a station for washing aquatic invasive species from boats leaving the water, greatly enlarged parking for vehicles, boats and trailers, and a badly needed public restroom.
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