New skippers take helm

By Matt Turner

Coastguard Hibiscus is proud to have recently added Peter Kramer and Karen Elliott to its roster of skippers. They join a select few volunteers whose experience and knowledge qualifies them to take responsibility for the safety and performance of the rescue vessel and its crew when tasked with saving lives at sea.

Pete has served with the local unit for seven years and Karen for six. Each has well over 1000 hours’ sea time. They decided to ‘buddy up’ and train together for their Certificate of Competency, which they both passed in September. This requires sitting a two-hour written paper; then comes a practical assessment, including an oral exam and a day on the water performing drills and responding to multiple scenarios. Having qualified, they will join the skipper roster with immediate effect.

Pete says that being able to practice with a ‘buddy’ made all the difference. He and Karen have been training together for the past six months and he says having a training partner definitely made life easier, enabling them to bounce ideas off each other and ensure that they both stayed motivated.”

He also praises the five-man support crew, who he says did a fantastic job. Karen echoes these sentiments, thanking all who offered training and encouragement, especially the crew chief, training officer, president and other skippers.

A life on the water
Like many Kiwis, both Pete and Karen have spent a lot of their lives on the water. Pete began boating at the age of eight when his father built a 28’ Davidson yacht; later, he got into diving, and in 1991 acquired his PADI scuba ticket, becoming a dive trainer for nearly 10 years. It was on a dive trip that he was introduced to Coastguard, and one thing led to another. Karen, too, was eight when she began boating around the Gulf islands and the Coromandel coast with her family. After coming across Coastguard at the boat show one year, she joined the Hibiscus unit in 2005, primarily in order to become a safer boatie. Karen says she found herself really enjoying meeting new and interesting people, and the teamwork involved with training.

“Pete and I are really looking forward to sharing the workload with the other skippers and we look forward to showing others that if we can do it, they can do it too.”

Image: From left, Peter Kramer, Karen Elliott and Coastguard president Keith Roberts.

Published 19 October 2011