All in a day's work

Division Officer BMC Darrell Washington leads a crew of 16 Sailors who maintain a small fleet of vessels, including, two 40-foot search and rescue (SAR) boats, two center-console, twin-outboard patrol boats and two jet-drive patrol boats.

EM2 Terry Armstrong supervises maintenance and repair of boat electrical systems. "Scheduled maintenance and repairs are vital to keeping a safe operating environment. Just like the deep-water Navy, there's always something to clean, scrape, paint or lubricate," said Armstrong.

EN2 Jeffrey Ray is the training, hazardous materials and safety petty officer. "Oil spill drills are a priority at the boathouse," explained Ray. "We're a first-responder when it comes to containing fuel, oil and other contaminants. Should a spill occur, we immediately notify the base environmental protection team and other governmental agencies."

Search and rescue (SAR) craft at dock in the NAS Jacksonville Boathouse on the St. Johns River. Photo by Clark Pierce.

To maintain 24-hour readiness, the boat division trains NAS Jax police and fire personnel to operate SAR and security craft. "While the boathouse crew is on call for emergencies, we can't provide 24/7 coverage, so we augment our crew with security and firefighter personnel who we qualify to operate our boats," said Ray.

Armstrong noted that the boat division also trains with a number of local, state and federal agencies, including the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The NAS Jacksonville Boathouse provides berths for two SAR boats and four patrol craft. Photo by Clark Pierce.

The NAS Boathouse also supports helicopter squadrons from NAS Jax and NS Mayport in training exercises for SAR swimmer certifications. Aircrew rescue swimmers must secure a survivor to a helicopter hoist in both day and night operations on the St. Johns River.

"Another challenging assignment for the boathouse crew is the NAS Jacksonville Air Show, where we deploy buoys to designate our river security boundary for flight operations. Our division is also part of the multi-agency security team to promote safety when hundreds of civilian craft anchor nearby for the air show," said Armstrong.

In a regular SAR deployment, the rescue swimmer (right) jumps into the water and approaches the survivor. Photo by Clark Pierce.

The Boathouse is always a popular stop for base tours by JROTC visitors. "After we show guests around the facility, we invite them aboard a SAR boat and perform a man-overboard drill. Everybody enjoys getting on the water for an up close look at how we operate. For teenage guests, it's also an interesting yet low-key recruiting tool."

An NAS Jax SAR craft, piloted by EN2 Jeffrey Ray, rendezvoused with the SH-60B Seahawk, piloted by Lt. Dan Jones and Lt. Hope Kelly, for rescue swimmer training in choppy waters of the St. Johns River. Photo by Clark Pierce.

Rescue swimmers of HSL-42 "Proud Warriors" prepare to shove off from NAS Boathouse. (Back row, from left) AW2 Wade Johnson, AW2 Stephen Franklin, AWCS Bruce Hinschberger. (Front row, from left) AW2 Matthew Owens, AW2 Grayson Young, (not shown) AW2 Matthew Moody. Photo by Clark Pierce.

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