Division Commander Dee Dee Kincade and Jack Leth are two of the dedicated members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary that help augment the work of the Coast Guard on Lake Tahoe and surrounding waterways.
Our publisher Charlie Good and I spent a recent morning out with Kincade and Leth, as they demonstrated some of the work of the Auxiliary. We met at Sierra Boat Company and boarded Leth’s boat, which he uses for patrols on Lake Tahoe. One of the primary missions of the group is boat safety, and once we were on board, we donned our PFDs. Auxiliary members wear PFDs at all times while on patrol, and during the winter you’ll find them in dry suits.
While still at the dock, Kincade and Leth showed us the safety equipment each member carries during patrol – a whistle or sound-producing device, strobe light, locator beacon, mirror or other reflecting device. Leth also carries a portable, waterproof radio.
As we prepared to get under way, Leth radioed the Coast Guard station in Lake Forest with our location and the number of passengers. These checks are given every 30 minutes. If a patrol doesn’t check in, the Coast Guard knows where to start searching. In inclement weather, radio checks are done every 15 minutes and more detailed, and include longitude and latitude, speed and course.
Lake Tahoe is a beautiful lake, but it also can be a dangerous lake and every precaution is taken. The Auxiliary follows the same safety guidelines as the Coast Guard. “These are the people that are the gold standard,” Leth says.
The Auxiliary is a group of volunteers that help the U.S. Coast Guard by providing free vessel safety checks, educating the public through boat safety classes and speaking to local groups, assisting the Coast Guard with its training exercises, patrolling waterways to educate the public and assist with calls, and through fellowship with the Guard.
Flotilla 11-01 in North Lake Tahoe has 27 members and is one of the four area Flotillas that encompass the 107-member division Kincade oversees. There are Flotillas in South Lake Tahoe, Carson City and Reno. There are about 30,000 Auxiliary members nationwide.
As we head out into Carnelian Bay toward Dollar Point, Leth tells us about one of their duties – checking the ATONs or Aids to Navigation. ATONs are the buoys and navigational markers on the Lake that mark entrances to buoy fields and channels for marinas. The Auxiliary checks the markers to ensure lights are working, the paint and markings are in good condition and they check the GPS coordinates to ensure proper placement. They check all of the private markers around the lake, while the ANTS (Aid to Navigation Team), check the federal markers, which include the shoreward buoys – marked with red triangles denoted water hazards – and the nuns and cans marking the entrance to Emerald Bay, mooring balls and other markers. (The Auxiliary has produced a map of all of the federal markers, along with hazards and landmarks for navigation that it distributes to rental boat locations around the Lake.)
The Auxiliary also checks on the NASA buoys for Jet Propulsion Laboratories – four large, yellow research buoys around the Lake.
As we made our way toward the West Shore, we spotted debris in the Lake and Leth took the boat over to investigate. Kincade used the boat hook to grab the debris, which turned out to be three roses in pristine condition. As we continued over to Sunnyside, where Leth and Kincade treated us to lunch, they explained their training work with the Coast Guard.
While the Coast Guard is busy with calls during the busy summer months, winter is the time for training exercises, which the Auxiliary assists with by providing manpower and boats.
“We get some that come straight out of boot camp to work up to Coxswain (boat captain),” Leth said of the training support for the USCG. “We get a great sense of pride in working with them.”
Auxiliary members also must go through training to perform patrols from those volunteering as boat crews up to Coxswain.
As we boarded the boat after lunch to return to Carnelian Bay, they received a request from the Coast Guard to investigate a water hazard off Sugar Pine Point that had been reported by the “Safari Rose.” We headed down the West Shore to investigate, which Kincade said is a prime example of the Auxiliary’s work. By investigating the non-emergency call, it keeps the Coast Guard free to respond to emergencies.
While heading down the West Shore, we spotted more debris and plucked three balloons out of the Lake. When we arrived at Sugar Pine Point to investigate the hazard, we discovered that they were research buoys for U.C. Davis. Leth reported the information back to the station and notified the “Tahoe Gal” and “Safari Rose” of their location. We then started back to Carnelian Bay.
The Auxiliary also offers free Vessel Safety Checks, with more than 300 already conducted this summer. The safety checks are designed to educate the public and information is not reported to any agency.
Education is one of the primary missions of the Auxiliary, which includes speaking to local groups and agencies, including businesses like rental fleet employees and school groups. They also offer boat safety classes. Charlie and I took the class in June and came away with a wealth of information.
They also assist with special events, including the recent Trans Tahoe Race and the 4th of July fireworks by establishing security zones.
The Auxiliary’s main mission is recreational boating safety, and volunteers are needed to help with their effort. And, you don’t need boating experience to volunteer. Kincade said volunteers are needed to help with finances, the Web site, education, vessel safety checks, training and patrols.
To sign up for the next About Boating Safely class on Aug. 1 or the Kayak Safety class on Oct. 10, call Jerry Gilmore at (530) 587-3334. For a free Vessel Safety Check, call Joe Harris at (650) 279-9159. To volunteer, request a talk from the Auxiliary or for more information, call Dee Dee Kincade at (775) 831-7192.
