P a ge 23 t opside V olume 79 , I s s u e 4
Activities of Flotilla 16-7
Information taken from the September issue of The Binnacle ( 16-7 Newsletter ) Editor : Betsy Bauer . All photos taken before 10 / 1 / 21
Thanks to the hospitality of member Ron Coleman , our flotilla was again able to congregate in a lovely waterfront setting . On August 18 , 2021 , our meeting was preceded by subs , homemade delectables and the beverages . Highlights , presented by acting FC John Fisher , were the VE Examiner & Program Visitor Certifications , awarded to Hugh Mehorter . Additionally , Chris Orlando was awarded his Instructor Certificate , adding to our pool of certified instructors . Emphasis was once again aimed at the need for instructors and aides . Public Education is an extremely important mission of the Auxiliary .
Our OPs crew members were able to put in patrol hours . Thanks goes out to facility owners . However , there was only one vessel available for most of the season - John Fisher ’ s . John , our acting FC , graciously provided his beautiful Grady White - a 30 ft seaworthy vessel that comfortably accommodates 5 to 6 crew members . The weekend of August 28th & 29th brought numerous challenges , all well handled by the crew of 6 on the 28th . Included were John Fisher , John Ignozza ( Betsy ’ s QE for her 3 year check ride ), Glenn Delmonico , Basil Iwanik , Betsy Bauer and Jim Picciano ( Coxswain ). The weekend was chilly and windy , with sustained winds blowing 22-25 mph on Saturday . Aside from Betsy ’ s sign-off exercises , the ensemble handled towing , communications , docking , search patterns and general observation duties . Sunday calmed a bit , but still held steady winds over 15 mph . Both days provided great opportunity to hone our skills . Sunday ’ s crew included Coxswain Jim Picciano , crew John Fisher , Ron Coleman , Ted Hall and Betsy Bauer .