MELBOURNE AUXILIARIST SAILS ONBOARD USCGC CONFIDENCE
Article by LTJG Brendan McKinnon, USCG,
USCG Cutter Confidence, Public Affairs Officer (Homeport at Pt. Canaveral FL
Various photographers.
Submitted by Peg McGuinness, Division 4 Publications Officer, D7, Melbourne, FL

USCGC CONFIDENCE (WMEC 619)

If there’s one thing Florida Coast Guard Auxiliarist Ron Bockhold knows very well - it’s navigation.  Ron has spent the last six years with Flotilla 42 in Melbourne, navigating Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway in his sailboat, NICOLAUS COPERNICUS, conducting courtesy marine inspections and patrols.  

When he’s not on the water he’s been in the air, traversing the Pacific Northwest as a veteran airline pilot based in Alaska.  It should come as no surprise that when the Port Canaveral based USCG Cutter CONFIDENCE offered a berth and a spot at the chart table to the Auxiliary, Ron jumped at the chance.

After taking some much needed vacation time, Ron headed to Jamaica in January like thousands of Americans do each winter.  His return trip, however, was anything but conventional. 

Cutter CONFIDENCE pulled into Port Antonio, a small tourist destination on the northeast corner of the island.  The cutter was making one final port call before heading home following a 47 day patrol.  Ron was anxiously waiting with the ship’s line handlers and went to work as soon as the brow was on the pier.

During the Port Antonio visit, Ron joined the ship’s crew on shore excursions to Somerset Falls, local markets and restaurants, and some of Jamaica’s famous beaches, giving Ron a chance to enjoy his vacation and meet most of the cutter’s crewmembers before getting underway.

COMMANDER NARON AND RON BOCKHOLD

Following two days in port, CONFIDENCE set sail from Port Antonio and began the five-day transit home.  Ron immediately began working with the cutter’s bridge watchstanders on a “Navigator of the Watch” qualification.  This qualification is normally reserved for Petty Officers with extensive training and experience. 

CONFIDENCE’s “Navigator of the Watch” assists the Officer of the Deck (OOD) with the safe navigation of the cutter using paper charts, the ship’s electronic systems and multiple weather observation tools.  Most Petty Officers stand four to eight hours of watch each day while attempting to earn this qualification.  Given the short time frame allotted, Ron voluntarily spent over ten hours of each day on the bridge familiarizing himself with the ship’s systems and applying his sailing and flight experience to the navigation of the cutter.

Ron was on the bridge during an all hands damage control drill and maintained the ship’s plot and logs while the crew responded to simulated battle damage and casualties.  He also had an opportunity to spend time in the ship’s engine room as her twin diesel engines propelled the cutter toward Florida at 16 knots.  He also worked on the boat deck with members of the cutter’s Deck Department during the launching of their “Over the Horizon Cutter Boat” using a state-of-the-art davit system.

Ron’s near constant presence on the bridge and strong desire to learn allowed him to complete most of the “Navigator of the Watch” qualification process in only one week, an unbelievable accomplishment.  

RON BOCKHOLD AND COMMANDER CAMERON NARON WITH CREW

Cutter CONFIDENCE’s Commanding Officer, Commander Cameron Naron said of the experience, “He was given the same expectations and opportunities as his active duty counterparts and Ron completed a majority of the qualification process in just seven days.  Given another few days underway, he could obtain a full ‘Navigator of the Watch’ qualification during his next underway period, which would be a significant accomplishment for Ron, CONFIDENCE, and the Auxiliary.  How many Auxiliarists can say that they are ‘Navigator of the Watch’ qualified and performing underway watch duties aboard a 210 foot medium endurance cutter?  Having Ron qualified will provide us a great watchstander resource which will especially help us during transfer seasons or if our current watchstanders experience family emergencies which may require them to leave the ship during a patrol.” 

Ron was also grateful for the training opportunity and looking forward to his next chance to sail with the crew adding, “As a member of some 30,000 Auxiliarists nationwide who stand ready to serve the U.S. Coast Guard it is an honor to do so and a highlight of my six year Auxiliary service.  CONFIDENCE recognizes the Auxiliary as a tremendous force multiplier and seeks to integrate and work with the Auxiliary at every opportunity,” he said.