Miami Success!

After months of repairs and upgrades the Valiant set back for Miami. Shortly after leaving, the generators died, after months of not being used, causing a small fire and making further travel impossible. The boat docked at the Virginia station and Nate drove back up to Curtis Bay to retrieve parts needed.

They arrived safely in Miami at the end of the week.

Nate still has his apartment and is looking for furniture, as the Coast Guard will no longer be renting furnishings.

He returns to Maryland to retrieve his vehicle and everything he can stuff into it on May 15 and will turn right back around to drive to Miami.

Countdown!

It is Nate's last week in Maryland. He leaves Friday, 4/17 in the morning, back to Miami. He won't be back except when he chooses to take leave here and there...

A positive for him - he found that a huge climbing gym is near his apartment in Miami - and he should be able to keep the aforementioned Miami apartment, as the crew has been responsible with the property. Yeah! It is rough enough to be on the boat when underway, it would be really cruddy to have to live out of a 6'x2' area.

And now he can climb when they aren't at sea.

Take care, kid!

Nathan's Cutter to Finish Repair and Depart 4/17

That is all there really is to it. He goes back to Miami 4/17. He is inching up the list for "A" school - looks like he could go in the next 5-6 months (in North Carolina) if he ever gets a flight physical!

He's Back!

Nathan is back in Glen Burnie, MD - on duty on the cutter at Curtis Bay through at least April 15th. He is around and about. He is looking to get certified on the small boat team.

RETURN OF NATHAN!

Nathan returns on 2/25 to pull HSST duty on his still-disabled cutter in Glen Burnie.

Port Call - Key West, Florida

Nate is in Key West for a few days. He is trying to determine what would be a good course of action for his career. He still wants to go to "A" school, but the wait is long, and he wants to pick up other skills in the meantime. He isn't sure if he will study some on the side for another position, or if he will have some formal training for other jobs on his boat. He really enjoys their port calls in Key West, spending time walking or hanging out in his favorite coffee shop, Bad Ass Coffee, a shop that originated in Hawaii.

This patrol, they have been shuttling migrants. Most notably, a decrepit ship of 242 migrants were intercepted by another cutter and the migrants were transferred to the Diligence, their borrowed ship this assignment, and returned to Haiti.

Nate had been taking some gorgeous sunrise pics, but when he tried to back them up to the computer, he found he had only backed up a link for his card, not the actual photos, so nothing to share yet...

Nate at Sea

Received info from Nate - his words follow:

While at sea, Nate has been "running drills and stuff to test our ability to respond in case of fire and stuff. I'm on the BDS team (battle dress station) we're like a first aid team, we respond with stretchers and stuff working with doc if someone gets hurt. Its pretty cool actually.

Been cleaning the boat so when we give it back we don't have a hugeee lot of stuff to clean yah know?"

Shore Leave! San Juan, Puerto Rico

At 9 am this morning Nate's cutter arrived in San Juan. Shore leave! It is better than Mexico - not all touristy like Cozumel. Major relief to be ashore!

Qualifications Met!

Received an email from Nate - he has passed his boards and met his qualifications on board the cutter. Yeah Nate!!!

Cuba

Nate called from Cuba - he is going to take his boards this trip to get qualified! He may be in Key West next weekend and we hope to hear more then.

Underway

Nate's crew went on patrol today, borrowing the Diligence from Wilmington, NC. The weather was 18 degrees, a bit cooler than they were used to in Miami, and that they will come across while patrolling! Most of the guys had brought light sweatshirts and the like... oops! Nate enjoyed Wilmington (as much as any little city in winter). They stayed on the cutter and had some time off to get pizza in town (yeah "Slice of Life"!) and had time to get some more ink (Nate is on his third tattoo, now). It will take several days to leave the cold and return to the balmy lower coast. They are traveling to move migrants. He should have a few days in ports such as Key West (where he has grown fond of a little coffee shop) and the Bahamas (he hasn't been yet).

Will keep you posted with pics when he sends/posts them while underway.

Stuck in Miami

Apparently Nate will be in Miami for a considerable amount of time prior to "A" School. But 19 year olds measure time differently from others, so maybe it is not as bad as he makes it sound? Here is a shot of him and crew from the Valiant, who are about to go on a 30 day Caribbean patrol on the cutter, Diligence, from Wilmington, NC. Randy and I saw the cutter when we visited there this summer - watching as they were dually recruiting for the Coast Guard, and painting and arc welding. I hope they enjoy Wilmington, it is a cool little city!

Nate's Crew Leaves Wednesday 1/14

They travel to North Carolina to borrow a cutter Wednesday and then they prep to leave for the Caribbean!

Nate

Nate Pics

Some pics to share from the fall patrol and subsequent visit home

Patrol Again

Nate has spent his time on watch at the boat dry docked in Glen Burnie, since November. He will return to Miami in order to go on patrol in the Caribbean on Wednesday 1/7. They are borrowing the cutter from Wilmington, NC to do a 33 day patrol. February in the Bahamas - tough gig... He is shown here with his brother, Ian.