JUNEAU, Alaska – The Seventeenth Coast Guard District is once again hosting its annual District Buoy Tender Roundup in Juneau this week which includes cutters homeported throughout Alaska as well as a Canadian vessel.
This year’s roundup brings six Coast Guard buoy tenders from Kodiak, Cordova, Petersburg, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Homer together for a week of training. Participating are Coast Guard cutters Spar, Sycamore, Maple, Elderberry, Hickory, and Anthony Petit. The Canadian vessel is the Provo Wallis, a 209-foot Ice Strengthened Medium Navigational Aids Tender.
The event allows more than 200 Coast Guard men and women the opportunity to receive specialized training during the week in areas such as engine repair, buoy maintenance, first aid and more. The roundup gives buoy tender crews the opportunity to exchange ideas and build camaraderie. Due to the remote locations in which the tenders operate, this mission-essential training would be nearly impossible to complete otherwise and has proved successful for more than 20 years.
Included during the roundup is the Buoy Tender Olympics which include fast-paced events like the heat and beat, chain pull, survival suit relay race and tug-o-war.
The Coast Guard Cutter Sycamore and the Canadian coast guard tender, Provo Wallis, will be offering free tours open to the public between the hours of 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday.
Crews aboard Coast Guard buoy tenders in Alaska service 1,250 navigational aids along 33,000 miles of coastline while actively participating in search and rescue, environmental protection, and law enforcement missions.
