Two Coasties Head West: "Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw"

Monday, July 20, 2009

"Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw"

We stopped in Macinaw city for a tour of the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw, which is now a museum open to the public. After a normal tour of the vessel, we met Bill Baunman (Engine Man) on board Cutter Mackinaw for three seasons back in 1949, 50 & 51. Bill was kind enough to take us old Coasties back aboard for a full "Cooks Tour" of the ship where we got to see many more things not open to the public.

Me, Kathy, Louie & Bill Baunman

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Blood Brothers - Trip Video

Blood Brothers - hosted at Vimeo.

This video is a summary of the trip from the Atlantic to the Pacific. All videos on this blog are hosted by Vimeo, and can be downloaded for personal viewing on your computer, cell phone or other hand-held device. To download for viewing on other devices, use the link that follows each video - this link takes you to the host page on Vimeo. Once there, navigate to the lower right corner of the page and follow instructions for downloading to your computer. Once on your computer, you can then upload to other devices. Enjoy...

About This Blog

Hi everyone. As you know, we're fulfilling a lifelong dream to travel across the United States by motorcycle. Our main objective is to visit with four other Coast Guard Shipmates, a.k.a. BROTHERS (see more below) now living in various states along the way.

We hope to use this blog to document our progress along this journey. Thanks to everyone for their support, and their prayers.

Please bear with us as we figure out the blogosphere. And please leave comments - we really appreciate them!

~Chan
~Louie

Coast Guard Brothers

Six of us old shipmates were stationed together 40 years ago on the Coast Guard Icebreaker Staten Island (WAGB 278).

Louie Carrillo (a.k.a. LOUIE)
Bobby Chandler (a.k.a. CHAN)
George Kelly(a.k.a. KELLY)
Bobby Van De Pol (a.k.a. STORK)
Ray Weber (a.k.a. WEBER)
Walter Kline (a.k.a. SPUD)

If you are wondering what the term BROTHER is all about, well, it was 40 years ago that this ship, along with these shipmates, departed Pier 91 in Seattle Washington on a six month journey over the top of the world - the Northwest Passage - with the super tanker and ice breaker USS Manhattan. During that trip, we circumnavigated the North American continent, while spending 123 continuous days in the polar ice cap, away from civilization.

After the first month in the ice, mail calls are a thing of the past -- as well as supplies of bread, milk and other perishables.

After two months in the ice, meals are prepared strictly by cans and you find that you have seen every movie onboard at least 3 times.

After 3 months in the ice, attitudes and patience dwindle big time!

And after 4 months in the ice, if someone says good morning and you don't punch them right on the mouth, you get to call that shipmate BROTHER!

After 40 years, these old shipmates have come back in contact with one another, and so that is what this trip is actually all about.

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~Chan
~Louie

Two Coasties Head West