Whiskey Golf Area - Nuclear Hazard
Uri Cogan
WG is the name given to a 500 sq. kilometers area in the Strait of Georgia, just
North of Nanaimo and North West of Vancouver, BC, Canada, in Canadian waters,
and controlled from a base at Nanoose Bay, BC.
The official name for the area is Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental and Test
Ranges (CFMTR) and it's nominally under Canadian control but used mostly by the
US Navy for torpedo and anti-submarine testing, carried out by nuclear-propelled
and nuclear-capable warships of the US Navy and of other nations invited by the
US Navy. The Canadian agreement with the US Navy for the use of the facility is
due for renewal in 1996.
The area is closed to all shipping most days of the week and any vessel
venturing into it is harassed by Canadian Military Police and the US Navy.
Many of the warships using the facility have a dismal record of accidents,
radioactive leaks, oil spills, explosions on board, etc. and the testing of
those weapons in close proximity to large cities is extremely worrysome. The
restrictions on marine travel in the area are a constant source of impediment &
irritation to all civilian users, fishers, recreational boaters and others.
Recently, a 43ft. ketch was rammed, sliced in half and sunk in the Strait of
Juan De Fuca by a Chilean submarine on its way back from WG. US nuclear subs
travelling through the Strait of Georgia have snagged fishing boat's nets and
are in the habit of travelling at high speed through areas of dense shipping
and ferry traffic.
The NawNawAs First Nation, on whose traditional territory the base resides sent
a representative of the Hereditary Chief to the base with a Peace offering of
Tobacco and a Song of Welcome and Peace during an "open house" at the Nanoose
military base on Saturday, June 24th and were met by a Canadian Navy boats,
staffed by military police and at least one US Marine sgt. that deliberately
rammed and holed their boat during the delivery of the Song Of Peace. Other
boats who attempted to approach the base were rammed and harassed as well.
The agreement between the Canadian and US governments that allows this kind of
activity comes up for renewal in 1996 and many groups and individuals are
pressing the Canadian government for its non-renewal.
What you can do:
Express your views to The Honourable David Collennette, Minister of National
Defence, House of Parliament, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (no postage required for
Canadians.)
Support the Nanoose Conversion Campaign, Suite 2, 85 Commercial Street, Nanaimo,
BC, V9R 5G3 Canada. Phone/fax (604) 741-1662
Join the Whiskey Golf Yacht Club, same address as the Nanoose Conversion
Campaign. $20 will get you yearly membership in a real yacht club whose purpose
is to promote the environmentally sound, peaceful and non-violent use of Georgia
Strait. You will get a neat burgee, a membership card and a periodic newsletter.
Boat ownership is nor required.
sent via UUCP from: Raven Net, Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada
Skip
>
>Whiskey Golf area - Nuclear Hazard
>
>WG is the name given to a 500 sq. kilometers area in the Strait of
Georgia, just
>North of Nanaimo and North West of Vancouver, BC, Canada, in Canadian
waters,
>and controlled from a base at Nanoose Bay, BC.
>US Navy. The Canadian agreement with the US Navy for the use of the
facility is
>due for renewal in 1996.
>The area is closed to all shipping most days of the week and any vessel
>venturing into it is harassed by Canadian Military Police and the US
Navy.
Area Whiskey Golf is a real hazard for any boat transiting from the
Canadian Gulf Island towards Desolation Sound. Some years ago, due to
an out-of-date chart, I unintentionally sailed through WG and watched
torpedos being dropped from aircraft at close range. Shortly thereafter
my 27' sloop was converged upon by all manner of bristling warships and
forced to make a 20 mile detour. Later we came upon a torpedo, floating
vertically like a deadhead, well outside WG with noone in attendence.
It is interesting to me that this active firing range is located where
it is: in close proximity to several major population centers.
Skip Allan
Wylie-27 Wildflower
Capitola, CA
EZ Boater
says...
>Area Whiskey Golf is a real hazard for any boat transiting from the
>Canadian Gulf Island towards Desolation Sound. Some years ago, due to
>an out-of-date chart, I unintentionally sailed through WG and watched
>torpedos being dropped from aircraft at close range. Shortly thereafter
>my 27' sloop was converged upon by all manner of bristling warships and
>forced to make a 20 mile detour. Later we came upon a torpedo, floating
>vertically like a deadhead, well outside WG with noone in attendence.
>It is interesting to me that this active firing range is located where
>it is: in close proximity to several major population centers.
> Skip Allan
> Wylie-27 Wildflower
> Capitola, CA
You idiot! You should have been prepared and had up-to-date charts. You
can't go running around with your head up your ass. You could just as
well have run aground with your 1923 charts.
You were NOT attacked by, nor did you see a torpedo. Although I'm sure
it makes the story exciting when you tell your friends. It was a marker
or sonar bouy of some sort.
Just stay the hell out of the militaries way. They don't have time to
shut down important manuvers or exersizes while you meander through,
sailing all over the place, with your head up your ass. I hope they do
torpedo your ass next time.
-EZ
Fgd3
>You idiot! You should have been prepared and had up-to-date charts. You
>can't go running around with your head up your ass. You could just as
>well have run aground with your 1923 charts.
That kind of intemperate reply is completely out of place on rec.boats.
You owe the net an apology.
>You were NOT attacked by, nor did you see a torpedo.
He never claimed he was attacked at all, much less by a torpedo.
Danny Martin
> In article <3sovoo$i...@ixnews5.ix.netcom.com>, sle...@ix.netcom.com
> says...
> >Area Whiskey Golf is a real hazard for any boat transiting from the
> >Canadian Gulf Island towards Desolation Sound. Some years ago, due to
> >an out-of-date chart, I unintentionally sailed through WG and watched
> >torpedos being dropped from aircraft at close range. Shortly thereafter
> >my 27' sloop was converged upon by all manner of bristling warships and
> >forced to make a 20 mile detour. Later we came upon a torpedo, floating
> >vertically like a deadhead, well outside WG with noone in attendence.
> >It is interesting to me that this active firing range is located where
> >it is: in close proximity to several major population centers.
> > Skip Allan
> > Wylie-27 Wildflower
> > Capitola, CA
>
> You idiot! You should have been prepared and had up-to-date charts. You
> can't go running around with your head up your ass. You could just as
> well have run aground with your 1923 charts.
> You were NOT attacked by, nor did you see a torpedo. Although I'm sure
> it makes the story exciting when you tell your friends. It was a marker
> or sonar bouy of some sort.
> Just stay the hell out of the militaries way. They don't have time to
> shut down important manuvers or exersizes while you meander through,
> sailing all over the place, with your head up your ass. I hope they do
> torpedo your ass next time.
>
> -EZ
EZ:
you really should consider cutting back on the coffee- save the rage for
the idiot politicians, not fellow boaters.
Danny Martin
George Slade
> says...
> >Area Whiskey Golf is a real hazard for any boat transiting from the
> >Canadian Gulf Island towards Desolation Sound. Some years ago, due to
> >an out-of-date chart, I unintentionally sailed through WG and watched
> >torpedos being dropped from aircraft at close range. Shortly thereafter
> >my 27' sloop was converged upon by all manner of bristling warships and
> >forced to make a 20 mile detour. Later we came upon a torpedo, floating
> >vertically like a deadhead, well outside WG with noone in attendence.
> >It is interesting to me that this active firing range is located where
> >it is: in close proximity to several major population centers.
> > Skip Allan
> > Wylie-27 Wildflower
> > Capitola, CA
>
I would bet what you thought was a torpedo was in fact the
Halibut Bank marker. Long yellow marker floating vertical
about two miles east of WG.
I agree I would rather see WG removed elseware but I do think
it is not the fault of the military if you do not read your
charts correctly. If you did you would have avoided WG.
I have never found it to be in my way, But on the other
hand I have no desire to get in a pissing match with an
aircraft carrier or the likes.
George Slade
Scott Millar
Do you drive a Jet Ski by any chance?
In article <DMARTIN-2806...@128.227.128.205>,
DMA...@NERVM.NERDC.UFL.EDU (Danny Martin) wrote:
> In article <3sq839$1e...@news.gate.net>, E...@boat.net (EZ Boater) wrote:
>
> > In article <3sovoo$i...@ixnews5.ix.netcom.com>, sle...@ix.netcom.com
> > says...
> > >Area Whiskey Golf is a real hazard for any boat transiting from the
> > >Canadian Gulf Island towards Desolation Sound. Some years ago, due to
> > >an out-of-date chart, I unintentionally sailed through WG and watched
> > >torpedos being dropped from aircraft at close range. Shortly thereafter
> > >my 27' sloop was converged upon by all manner of bristling warships and
> > >forced to make a 20 mile detour. Later we came upon a torpedo, floating
> > >vertically like a deadhead, well outside WG with noone in attendence.
> > >It is interesting to me that this active firing range is located where
> > >it is: in close proximity to several major population centers.
> > > Skip Allan
> > > Wylie-27 Wildflower
> > > Capitola, CA
> >
> > You idiot! You should have been prepared and had up-to-date charts. You
> > can't go running around with your head up your ass. You could just as
> > well have run aground with your 1923 charts.
> > You were NOT attacked by, nor did you see a torpedo. Although I'm sure
> > it makes the story exciting when you tell your friends. It was a marker
> > or sonar bouy of some sort.
> > Just stay the hell out of the militaries way. They don't have time to
> > shut down important manuvers or exersizes while you meander through,
> > sailing all over the place, with your head up your ass. I hope they do
> > torpedo your ass next time.
> >
> > -EZ
>
> EZ:
> you really should consider cutting back on the coffee- save the rage for
> the idiot politicians, not fellow boaters.
>
> Danny Martin
--
Scott Millar
Co...@Windyhill.com
Valiant 32, "Walkabout", Monterey Bay
DONH...@delphi.com
Quoting fgd3 from a message in rec.boats
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>wland.reston.ans.net!news-e1a.megaweb.com!newstf01 From: fg...@aol.com
>(Fgd3) Newsgroups: rec.boats Subject: Re: Whiskey Golf Area - Nuclear
>Hazard Date: 28 Jun 1995 12:21:33 -0400
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> In article <3sq839$1e...@news.gate.net>, E...@boat.net (EZ Boater) writes:
> >You idiot! You should have been prepared and ha up-to-date charts.
>You >can't go running around with your head up your ass. You could
>just as >well have run aground with your 1923 charts.
> That kind of intemperate reply is completely out of place on rec.boats.
> You owe the net an apology.
> >You were NOT attacked by, nor did you see a torpedo.
> He never claimed he was attacked at all, much less by a torpedo.
> .
Agree that was intemperate... now, about the torpedo range; He
probably did see a torpedo floating vertically nose (bow?) up.
The fish used on the practice range have "exercise" warheads
which are filled with water. After the fish runs its course,
compressed air clears the 'head of water and the torpedo floats
vertically until recovered by the range personnel. What was wrong
in this scenario is the range should not lose contact with the torpedo.
Another interesting variation is when the exercise head is blown
BEFORE the run is over, causing the torpedo to broach repeatedly
and change course with every broach, usually tracing a circular
coarse back toward the vessel which launched it. If this is a
surface vessel, it may be holed and even sunk. Sorta like
"McHale's Navy"...
Don Hodges Yankee 30 "Move", Sunfish, Sea Kayak, 15 foot Outboard
Stone Mountain, Ga and Pensacola, FL
Rainbow V 1.17.5 for Delphi - Registered