The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1959-08-07

ment, cruise for 81 days periods in
an ocean area 210 miles square so
that the weathermen can gather
on-the-spot data to relay to the
Weathtr Bureau. Forecasts and
storm warnings based on such data
permit transocean ships and planes
to avoid dangerous climatic con-
ditions. During 1858, 80 Coast
Guard Cutters We're involved in
this program.
Latest addition to the Coast
Guard organization is the Marine
Inspection Service. This branch
supervises the merchant marine in
Gustry to insure compliance with
Coast Guard regulations for design
and construction of vessels, safety
and comfort of passengers and
crew, proficieny of officers and
seamen, and the signing on and off
Of ships personnel.
Marine Inspection Offices are To-
Gated in all the major ports of the
U. S. to facilitate that functioning
of the service to the merchant ma
rine industry. Study, aimed at i'm
proving marine safety methods and
devices in continuously undertaken
by the Coast Guard.
The recent establishment of a
Merchant Vessel reporting pro-
gram has made notable progress
toward increased safety at sea.
Under this program, all merchant
vessels within the North Atlantic
Maritime Region, including the
Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean
are required to report their position
periodically to the Coast Guard at
New York. Upon receipt H.. New I,
York, the information is tie
and, by means of a machiI \
puter, is kept up to date, real
instant use in case of distress. 4
The Importance of safe and
fieient merchant marine is refle
ed in the fact that approximate 7
one-fourth of Coast Guard officer
personnel is employed in merchant
marine safety activities.
In March, 1858, the requirements
were fulfilled to effect the Inter
nation Convention establishing the
Intergovernment Maritime Consul
tative Organization under tn e
United Nations. The Coast Guards
role will be encouragement of
highest practicable standards for
safety and efficiency.
Search and rescue is perhaps the
best known of the Coast Guards
activities. To maintain this highly
efficient function IL major rescue
coordination centers are located in
key ports of the United States.
Here trained officers and men CO.
ordinate rescue procedures, making
sure that the units involved are
keep abreast of each pertinent
facet of the incident. These nerve
centers" are manned around the
clock, for distress knows no time
table.
The Coast Guard maintains the
many aids to navigation which dot
the sealanes pointing the way into
safe channels, harbors and anchor
ages.
There are over $4,000 aids MAIN
tanned by the Coast Guard. About
two-thirds are buoys, and m e
than 500 are fully manned light
houses.
The tallest lighthouse in service
today is the 191-foot Cape Charles
light. The highest light, though it
has only a 43-foot tower, is perched
422 feet above the Pacific on Cape
Mendicino, California.
LORAN (long range aid to
Navigation) is one of the most inn
portant of the Coast Guard "guide
and peacetime needs. Born shortly
posts. 1t serves essential wartime
before the United States entered
World War ii, Loran owes a large
part Of its development to tn e
Coast Guard. By wars end, the
Loran System extended from
Greenland to Tokyo. In 1868, the
Coast Guard operated 81 Loran
Stations in the Atlantic, Pacific
and Gulf of Mexico.
AS you can see, by the multi
tude of duties, each man in the
Coast Guard is important. Each has
to be q specialist--not at just one
job, but at m any. In short, the
emphasis in the Coast Guard is on
brains as well as Drawn. Only in
this manner can the Coast Guard
carry out it's manifold duties, true
to the traditions of mort that 169
years of service to our country in
war and in peace.
i !.