Just a bit of history: When the Coast Guard was looking for a location to host the NMLBS, two locations were considered; Columbia River, and Cape Hatteras NC, in the end Ilwaco was chosen due to consistant and predictable frequency of large surf and because Cape Hatteras surf was "although as frequent as the Columbia River bar, it was too unpredictable and too dangerous for training..."
Fantastic video guys! The 47" MLB is my favorite of all coast guard vessels. Even visually the low brow of the pilot house suggests this boat is resolute and determined. Very few boats can take the punishment of our Columbia River Bar! Semper Paratus!
Hello I am the Korea Coast Guard It's a really amazing video Is the boat's resilience great? How many times a month do you do boat surfing training? Are there any injuries or accidents during training? Do all of the regular Coast Guard personnel who are not special rescue personnel train? I hope you don't always get hurt even in harsh weaather. Thank you.
Hello. I’ve been retired from the US Coast Guard for a couple of years now but, the National Motor Lifeboat School was my last unit before retirement and I had a hand in the production of this video. So, thank you for your appreciation of the video. Yes, the boat is very reliable. I’ve had a few experiences myself and I know of many instances through the experiences of others where these boats took on a significant amount of damage but, the boats always made it back home. Surf training is usually conducted during the winter months since that’s typically the time of year when we have the storms that produce large swell conditions. Injuries do occur from time to time unfortunately but, risk analysis and mitigation are always a priority during any operation.
I've learned these motor lifeboats are self-righting. How often does this occur? What happens after the boat is re-righted? I imagine it is in pretty rough condition but able to return the crew to home port.
Capsizing is rare and avoided at all costs, it's considered a failure on the part of the coxswain. If it does happen, the mission is continued if at all possible. I'm not familiar with the 47' MLB, but on the old 44' MLB capsizing caused electronics, radar, radio etc damage (due to lack of an enclosed bridge) and about a gallon of oil to be lost from each engine and splattered all over the engine room (resulting in some very irate mechanics who have to scrub everything and trust me the coxswain will be helping them! 😂)
When I attended USCG Motor Lifeboat School in 1985, We were doing surf drills on the 44304. The Chief didn't have enough power on going over the top of the breaker. We broached, then rolled. 360 degrees. Substantial damage, but no casualties, light injuries, and the 304 got us home. I will never forget that experience.
