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- RETIRING: Group Grand Haven Cmdr. Anthony
Popiel, middle, stands with the crew of the 44-foot motor
life boat, 44382, from Coast Guard Station Michigan City,
Ind. The boat is being decommissioned.
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- No other boat was in site as the
44382 sounded its horn as it left U.S. Coast Guard
Station Grand Haven and entered the Grand River
channel.
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- The noise resounded through the
chilled morning air, signaling the end of an
era.
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- The 35-year-old 44382 was being taken
to North Shore Marina this morning to be placed into
storage.
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- The 44382 is the last 44-foot motor
life boat on the Great Lakes to be decommissioned. It
made its final voyage Wednesday, a cold, 8 1/2-hour trip
up from Station Michigan City, Ind., where it was
stationed.
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- The Coast Guard has been replacing
the 44-foot motor life boasts with the new, faster and
more technologically advanced 47-foot motor life
boats.
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- Group Grand Haven Cmdr. Anthony
Popiel said the 44382 is one of three remaining 44-foot
motor life boats in the United States. The other two are
stationed in Bodega Bay, Calif. and Chatham,
Mass.
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- The 44382 was built in 1967 in Curtis
Bay, Md. It was utilized at Coast Guard Stations Holland,
St. Joseph and Grand Haven until it was transferred to
Michigan City in 1999.
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- My thanks go to The Holland
Sentinel, for
allowing me to use this material.
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