By Neil Moran
You can really appreciate the Coast Guard cutters plying the St. Mary’s River when you’ve spent a day on one. I had the good fortune this spring to join the U.S. Coast Guard crew on their buoy tender Buckthorn, or “Bucky” as it is affectionately called by its crew.
My day started out talking with Commanding Officer Jeff Ritter over a cup of coffee in the mess hall on the lower deck while Bucky was still in port. While the crane operator and deckhands loaded the buoys to the bow of the boat, Captain Ritter explained the important role Bucky plays to keep marine traffic flowing smoothly on the St. Mary’s River and beyond.
“The Buckthorn plays a critical role in our nation’s maritime traffic,” explained Ritter. “Four and a half percent of our nation’s gross national product travels through the St. Marys River.”
Commissioned in 1964, the 100-foot American-made Buckthorn has two main diesel engines. Stationed in Sault Ste. Marie for over 50 years, it is the oldest and smallest Coast Guard cutter on the Great Lakes, yet continues to run strong.
The lighted buoys are critical in guiding the large freighters and other vessels through the 90-mile stretch of the St. Marys River. Going off course can cause a freighter to become grounded, or worse causing delays in shipping.
In addition to tending 104 buoys in the St. Mary’s River system, they also tend several buoys as far south as the Straits of Mackinac, for a total portfolio of 220 buoys. Ritter says although they’re on call for emergencies, tending the buoys and maintaining the vessel keeps the crew busy throughout the season. The Buckthorn is in port during the winter months.
At 0830 Captain Ritter directed me to the wheelhouse to join a briefing with the crew of 14 plus 1, as they say in the Coast Guard, the “one” being Captain Ritter. The day's mission was laid out by the Captain to install eight buoys that would take the better part of an eight-hour shift. Ritter emphasized the importance of safety. The protocols the U.S. Coast Guard uses to ensure safety are impressive and strictly adhered to by the crew.
Then we were off under blue skies and shimmering waters as we headed down river to Lake Nicolet. Ritter and his team made me feel like I was part of the crew. I watched in fascination as the crew lifted the winter markers out of the water and replaced them with the lighted buoys for the prime shipping season. Since the lighted buoys can’t withstand the battering of the ice during winter months, they’re replaced in late fall with the unlighted torpedo-shaped markers that are attached to chains anchored to the floor of the river and will mark the location for the summer buoys when spring returns. A small crane aboard the Buckthorn maneuvers the buoys in and out of the water.
It was smooth sailing on the way back to port and a memorable day indeed. By spending the day on the Buckthorn I was able to appreciate the important work the Coast Guard does on this critical waterway.
Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer AJ Statham summed up the mission as we made our way back to port.
“We’re a small military unity and rely on every individual on board to hold their specialty area,” he explained. “Having lit buoys at night when you’re operating a vessel is important when you’re navigating the St. Mary’s River and its channels.”