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Photographs by John McGrail
ut^here every day, in all weather, from the U. S. > i Guarb>maintaining the navigation aids. They are els. They seldom get more recognition than a wave from a passing^skipper, but the work of the Black the safety of all Who go down to the sea in ships.
The USCGC Cowslip (WLB-277), shown (above) in Portsmouth, Virginia, was commissioned in 1942. Her crew of six officers and 44 enlisted Coast Guardsmen maintains the navigation buoys in the lower portion of the Chesapeake Bay. Every buoy is hauled and serviced annually; position verified by precise navigation; batteries or solar panels checked; lights and electrical system refurbished. The 18,000-pound concrete mooring blocks are hauled every two years. Spot repainting is the final touch before the buoy- deck supervisor signals the boom operator to move the buoy outboard and a crewman releases the chain. The hulk of a buoy visible on the previous page and on the facing page was recovered this day after spending a year on the bottom.
T GUARD
The fleet has an excellent safety record despite the hazards of handling the heavy, ungainly buoys and moorings in all kinds of weather. The huoy-deck supervisor with his years of experience is the key to the operation. This buoy—
LC—marks the harbor entrance for the Naval Amphibious Base at Little Creek, Va.