Retired???
Mako Mike,
As one of the greatest Commanding Officers use to say to me "Ease your Rudder". I am not retired yet after 27 years of active duty service and have loved almost every minute of it. I have been fortunate to serve at local Stations such as Point Allerton and Scituate welcoming me tothe south shore. It was always a great challenge to locate a lost angler in the fog before the days of GPS, Loran and Chartplotters. I also served on a 210' WMEC, being able to do my part in the drug war. Being a search and rescue controller in Boston was interesting even though it was not underway was interesting. I served as Executive Petty Officer of the mighty tug boat PENDANT breaking ice. It was tough in a rolling sea while drifting for codfish. I was fortunate enough to finally become a Chief Petty Officer and getting my own command of Aids to Navigation Team Boston working buoys and lighthouses with a crew of 18 from Hampton to Plymouth. What do you know, I made Chief Warrant Officer and went to a 180' sea going buoy tender out of Kodiak, Alaska sailing from Seattle to the Bearing Sea, a very rewarding experience and today work in Naval Engineering as a BOSN overseeing small boat (less than 65') maintenance from Sandy Hook to Eastport.
Would I do it all over, in a heartbeat and hope to stay a few more years. I love the job as much as taking people out on RELENTLESS cod fishing. If anyone is ever thinking about going in give me a shout anytime. I would be glad to answer any questions you may have.
Any prior Coasties, give me an e-mail and exchange notes incl;uding the Bittersweet and Rockaway Sailors. It is a small world here at S-B.com.
Thanks,
CWO4 Dave Waldrip
RELENTLESS
PS: I just got out of a herring management meeting, a whole other post.
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