FAQ's

Q: What kind of vessel does Unit 33 have?

A: Unit 33 operates a Titan 249 XL (Carswell) rigid aluminum hull inflatable boat powered by twin 200 horsepower Mercury OptiMax outboard motors. The vessel is 8.55 Metres (28 feet) in length, with a 3.2 Metre (10.3 feet) beam and 0.8 Metre (32 inch) draft. She is equipped with dual VHF's, GPS, Radar, Depth Sounder, Night-Vision binoculars, Right-Over equipment, Fire / Bilge Pump, Towing capability, First Aid and various Safety equipment. Cruising speed is around 35 Knots, while top end is in excess of 50 Knots.

Q: What happens when I join the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Unit 33 ?

A: First of all, you are not going to get paid since this is a volunteer civilian organization where expenses and operating costs (Approximately $ 20,000 CDN/year) are covered by Revenues from casino nights, grants, and partially by the Canadian Coast Guard. The Unit Leader assigns persons to a rescue crew. Crew assignments may take a couple of months, depending upon vacancies and your experience. You will be loaned a survival suit and be offered a variety of training opportunities at no cost. During your first year with the Coast Guard Auxiliary you will have the opportunity to experience approximately 40 hours (3 hours every 4 weeks) on the water training in the Jack Groves, and 35 hours of classroom training during the monthly CCGA and OBSRS (Oak Bay Sea Rescue Society) meetings. The Coast Guard will also put on a weekend long SAR (Search and Rescue) course, and other courses will be available. You will also taste salt water, get soaking wet, cold and wind burnt.

Q: What does Unit 33 expect from me?

A: Reliability: When on a crew you must be available to respond to emergency pages and be at Oak Bay Marina within 15 minutes of being paged or ensure that an alternate crew person is available to respond. The lives of mariners or your fellow crew members may be endangered if you fail to respond to a page. You should also be willing to take on the water and classroom training. There are 8 volunteer crews ( 4 persons per crew) providing 24 hour coverage for the Oak Bay Area. See the Calendar for the shift times for each crew.