Thanks for the welcome folks, sorry it took me a few days to get back here after registration.

I served on the USCGC MESQUITE WLB-305 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin from 1966-1970. The MESQUITE was a 180-foot seagoing buoy tender/ice breaker.

With my AtoN designation, I serviced the Poverty Island Lighthouse and Gull Island Light and often times jumped buoys from a small boat to service the lampchanger, test and change light bulbs or to test battery voltages. If I couldn't get the buoy back on line then we'd get the MESQUITE underway to pull the buoy and service it on the ship.

Loon, I know you can relate to this. I grew up in the shadows of Old Barney. My parents had a family boat at SPYC and my grandfather's house was just across the street from SPYC on 3rd Avenue. Spent my summers crabbing for Barnegat Bay Blue Claws and digging clams with my grandfather. My grandfather served in the USLSS and then the USCG at CG Stations Island Beach and Cedar Creek. My family dates back as far as I can trace to the mid 1700's in Waretown, NJ.

I'm married 41 years next month, I have three grown kids 2G & 1B and three grandkids, 2B & 1G. My wife and I have been raising two of our grandkids 1G & 1B the last 11 years due to our oldest daughters recurring drug problems. We love having the grandkids with us, keeps us young and they're a joy.