Throughout Wednesday, CBS2 watched as the majestic parade of ships kicked off Fleet Week in New York City.
One ship not participating in the organized festivities is the Coast Guard Cutter Penobscot Bay, but that doesn’t mean its service should not be celebrated. CBS2’s Maurice Dubois got firsthand look at a day in the life on board that vessel.
He was welcomed aboard the 140-foot vessel in port in Bayonne.
“We’re going down the Verrazano Bridge, just to fly the U.S. flag and the Coast Guard flag to show we have a presence on the Hudson River,” Lt. Cmdr. Pat Bennett said.
Bennett said that presence is a cornerstone of the security, law enforcement, and rescue operations the ship is responsible for on the waterways.
“So this is your basic patrol mission, right?” Dubois asked.
“The Coast Guard is here to respond to any threat that there may be,” Bennett said.
In fact, the Penobscot Bay was called to a special mission just last month.
“The most recent threat that we’ve seen was the Brooklyn subway shooting. We were called at a moment’s notice,” Bennett said.
“What was your thought? Personally, you and the crew?” Dubois asked.
“So, for me, I thought, was this going to be the modern day 9/11? My mind went to that because we had no idea,” Bennett said.
It’s all part of the day-to-day Coast Guard operation, the nation’s first armed force on the sea, established in 1790.
There’s a crew of 18 men who currently live on board the Penobscot Bay.
“We have two berthing areas, on the port and starboard side,” Senior Enlisted Man Brandon Tahincioglu said.
Tahincioglu gave Dubois a tour of the ship, showing the captain’s quarters, and he explained a tradition on the bridge.
“Only the captain is allowed to sit in that chair,” Tahincioglu said.
Dubois also saw the mess hall, galley, engine room, and engineering control center.
The Penobscot Bay was built in 1985, one of nine ice-breaking tugs in the Coast Guard.
“Come January, it’s go-season for us,” Tahincioglu said.
Ice breaking is an essential area of responsibility to keep commercial boat traffic, including the transport of gas and home heating oil, moving from Albany to the lower Hudson Bay.
“What are your thoughts on working in a place like this?” Dubois asked.
“Every day you see something different, and you’re always learning, every time we go out,” one seaman said.
“You come to New York Harbor, see the skyline to know it’s there. There’s some significance there,” a seaman said.
“What does Fleet Week mean to you?” Dubois inquired.
“It’s one of the few times of the year that we’re at the forefront,” a seaman said.
“The Coast Guard usually doesn’t get that high recognition, but we are this week, and it’s awesome,” Bennett added.
