CANADIAN COAST GUARD CUTTER

CANADIAN COAST GUARD: One lovely day, the Canadian Coast Guard hove to in Barrow, Alaska. That summer, one of the doctor's wives was working billing. One of the RN's, Dennis, was a short wave radio afficiando. He kept in touch with all of the people on the ocean. He chatted with the Coast Guard cutter and the Captain invited all of the folks working at the hospital to come on board for a tour. The day I went was with Amy, and Dennis and enough other people to fill the rubber boat thingy. We climbed a fairly sturdy ladder to get on board. Dennis wanted a picture of him in the hypothermia chamber, so I was elected camera holder. The chamber was on deck, Dennis stripped down to his swimming trunks and said “Cheese”. Yep right there in the lovely, warm, bubbling hot tub. Well they had to call it something appropriate for the government to approve and fund. Tee hee. The rest of the tour consisted of a walk to the engine room. Incredibly noisy, they said when they were going through ice pack that noise actually drowned out the sound of the engines. The only other thing down there was a small stores where you could purchase soft drinks, candybars etc. I asked if I could exchange a dollar bill for a looney. Yeah, I still have it somewhere amongst my possessions. Then we went to the bridge and met the Captain and crew. One pretty young lady was from either Quebec or Montreal, she spoke French only. All Canadian Coast Guard cutters are named after Prime Ministers. The one we were on was not the Martha Black. I have a picture somewhere in my several notebooks. I am sure that by now there is one named the Justin Treadeu. Wonder where she has been posted.