JUNEAU, AK, UNITED STATES
08.16.2023
Video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexandria Obrien
U.S. Coast Guard District 17

The Buoy Tender Olympics were held in Juneau, Alaska, August 16, 2023 as a part of the 17th District annual Buoy Tender Roundup.

The Buoy Tender Roundup (BTR) is a weeklong event that gives the participants an opportunity to receive specialized training, provide discussions to enhance operations, and test their seamanship skills.

The Buoy Tender Olympics took place on the third day of BTR and consist of several events designed to test the participant’s seamanship, build camaraderie, and strengthen relationships among the crews and our partners.

Crews from Coast Guard Cutters Kukui, Cypress, Elm, Henry Blake, Anthony Petit, Elderberry, and U.S. Army divers participated in multiple events including a chain pull, line toss, boom spot, TugOWar, and the heatandbeat.

The chain pull consists of two teams pulling apart a pile of 1,700pound chain with hooks, dragging the chain to the other end of the playing field, and “faking” the chain out on the other end. Faking the chain means laying it on the deck in an organized serpentine pattern. The first team to do this wins. This is practice for the crew members who regularly have to manage similar chain while tending buoys.

The line toss consists of teams from each cutter throwing a heaving line across the deck to a target. The heaving line has to land on the target in order for the crews to collect points. This simulates the reallife process of rescuing people in the water.

The boomspot event entails a crew member from each cutter operating the cutter’s boom, that’s carrying a full bucket of water, through an obstacle course. The person who looses the least amount of water from the bucket, wins the game. This practice in operating the boom enhances the boom operator’s precision.

The heatandbeat consists of crews from each cutter heating a rivet and hammering it into a shackle. This is required when a section the mooring chain connected to the buoy is worn too thin and needs to be changed out with new chain. The crew who completes their heatandbeat the fastest wins.