Auxiliary patrol vessel

The “Tall Stacks Music, Arts & Heritage Festival” returned to Cincinnati, Ohio on October 4-8th in 2006 with music, food, fun and riverboats that entertained and educated thousands. It happens only once every four years and the last festival attracted more than 900,000 visitors and nearly 5,000 recreational boats

On top of the usual river traffic on the Ohio, the festival brought in 14 paddle wheelers from as far away as Peoria, Nashville, New Orleans, Pittsburg, St. Paul Minnesota, and Galveston, Texas. This included the huge steam powered Mississippi Queen at 382 ft. in length.

As with the last festival, units of the United States Coast Guard were present to maintain security on this crowded section of the Ohio River.  In addition, units of the Auxiliary were there in force to help maintain no-wake zones, direct river traffic in the established transit zone, and perform assists as needed.

The “no wake zone” was in effect during the entire event.  It extended from Ohio River mile 467.0, approximately three miles upriver and four miles down river from downtown Cincinnati.  An exclusion zone existed 100 feet around all event riverboats.   A specific transit zone was established on the Kentucky side of the river to form a channel for use by recreational boaters.

All this became especially important due to heavy rains earlier in the week.  The river the current was swifter and the water level had risen by more than four feet within the Port of Cincinnati.  Because of the number of boats docking and departing in the faster current, riverboat cruises on Friday, October 6th, were cancelled due to the danger it posed to the sternwheelers.  They remained at dock on the Ohio side of the river much of the day.

The condition of the river had also resulted in channel buoys being either submerged or driven out of line.  These buoys defined the transit zone for the recreational boaters.  Team Coast Guard met this challenge successfully with five Defender Class Safeboats from Galveston, Texas, and over a dozen Auxiliary vessels from Divisions 1, 4, 5 and 6 of the Eighth District, Eastern Region.

Each day, these Auxiliary patrols went the limit on hours allowed.  From morning to 2200 hrs, Auxiliary patrols stood watch at their assigned locations and patrolled up and down the river.  People get hungry doing this and that is were Auxiliarist Marianne Kenner came into the activity.

On the Kentucky side of the river tied up along side the USCG Buoy Tender Osage was the 50ft Gibson houseboat Marianne IV.  It was here that coxswains and crewmembers, active duty and Auxiliarist, could tie up and refresh themselves.  Every day of the festival Mrs. Kenner and her assistants prepared hot meals for lunch and dinner.  She and her husband Joe provided a place where those on patrol could be fed, relax for a while, and use the facilities.

Originally from Miami, Auxiliarist Kenner is a retired bank vice president and has been boating all of her life.  “I grew up with boats,” she said.  It was there that she met her husband Joe, a former Marine and Cincinnati Police officer.

She is a past Flotilla Commander, and has provided food, at her own expense, for this year’s event and many others.  “People need to know other people care about them,” she said.  “It takes a lot of spokes to make a wheel turn. You need to take care of the spokes.”

While all members of Team Coast Guard were being served aboard the Marianne IV, Auxiliarist George Groene, Vice Captain and Division Operations Officer handled overall Auxiliary operations and Auxiliarist Rick Kreamelmeyer, Division Captain, handled communications.  

During Tall Stacks, Auxiliarists performed three search and rescue events.  One conducted by Bob and Dee Hendrickson of Flotilla 13.  Two more came from William Reisa of Flotilla 17.

Saturday was the last night of the festival and a wonderful display of fireworks took place on the river.  Following a Coast Guard announcement, closing all river traffic until after the display was concluded, Auxiliary vessels stood at their assigned stations and halted traffic both upstream and down.

When the river was opened, all that pent up river traffic resumed.  It was quite a parade! Team Coast Guard successfully guided everything from 60-foot yachts to a brave soul in a kayak through the narrow transit channel on the south side of the muddy Ohio River.

Four years from now, Auxiliary units of D8-ER will be back to help ensure that the nearly one million participants of the next festival will see these wonderful paddle wheelers without peril.