I know that others have mentioned the ability (or non-ability) of US Power Squadron personnel being able to accurately find geodetic monuments and list them as "not found". Here is a report that I made to NGS in 1997 and then US Power Squadron came along in 2004 and could not find it based upon my detailed description! So, I go back in 2005 and nothing had changed. There is even a cemetery directory on the grounds showing how to get to named headstones. Three previous reports by C&GS list the same headstones. Embarrasing! (Color highlites added by me).
STATION RECOVERY (1997)
RECOVERY NOTE BY LOCAL SURVEYOR (INDIVIDUAL OR FIRM) 1997 (JFP)
STATION IS LOCATED IN THE COLUMBUS CEMETERY WHICH IS SITUATED IN THE
SOUTHEASTERN PART OF THE CITY. THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE CEMETERY
BEING AT THE INTERSECTION OF 11TH STREET AND 12TH AVENUE. STATION IS
7.5 FEET (2.3 M) EAST-SOUTHEAST FROM THE EAST FACE OF AN 18 INCH
DIAMETER HACKBERRY TREE, 2 FEET (0.6 M) SOUTH FROM A ROW OF HACKBERRY
TREES IN AN EAST-WEST LINE, 3 FEET (0.9 M) NORTH OF A ROW OF HAND
OPERATED WATER HYDRANTS IN AN EAST-WEST LINE, 129 FEET (39.3 M) NORTH
OF THE NORTH CURB OF AN EAST-WEST LINE, 129 FEET (39.3 M) NORTH OF THE
NORTH CURB OF AN EAST-WEST CEMETERY DRIVE, 10.3 FEET (3.1 M) SOUTHEAST
OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE JORDAN ANDREEF TOMBSTONE
WHICH IS GRAY IN COLOR, 12.0 FEET (3.7 M) NORTHWEST OF THE BOTTOM OF
THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE JOHN BOOTH TOMBSTONE WHICH IS GRAY IN
COLOR, 1.8 FEET (0.5 M) SOUTHWEST OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SOUTHWEST
CORNER OF THE EVELYN MARX TOMBSTONE WHICH IS MADE OF CONCRETE, 109.5
FEET (33.4 M) SOUTHWEST AND PERPENDICULAR FROM A WOVEN WIRE FENCE
RUNNING SOUTHEAST-NORTHWEST (FORMER CB AND Q RAILROAD ROW FENCE) , 98
FEET (29.9 M) SOUTHWEST AND PERPENDICULAR FROM THE SOUTHERLY EDGE OF A
DRIVE RUNNING PARALLEL TO THE WOVEN WIRE FENCE. STATION IS 0.2 FEET
(6.1 CM) BELOW THE GRASS SURFACE AND IS A LIMESTONE 6 INCHES SQUARE
WITH A DRILL HOLE IN THE CENTER SURROUNDED BY THE LETTERS USCGS 1909.
THE LAST 9 OF THE YEAR IS CHIPPED OFF. TO REACH FROM THE MAIN ENTRANCE
AT 11TH STREET AND 12TH AVENUE, GO EAST INTO THE CEMETERY AND FOLLOW
THE NORTHERLY EAST-WEST DRIVE FOR APPROXIMATELY 490 FEET (149.4 M)
FROM THE CENTERLINE OF 12TH AVENUE, THEN FROM THE NORTH CURB OF THE
DRIVE GO NORTH 129 FEET (39.3 M) TO THE STATION.
STATION RECOVERY (2004)
RECOVERY NOTE BY US POWER SQUADRON 2004 (AMM) STATION NOT FOUND. VICINITY LOCATED. MARK SEARCHED FOR AT LENGTH. COULD NOT DETERMINE SPECIFIC SITE OF MARK.
STATION RECOVERY (2005)
RECOVERY NOTE BY INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS 2005 (JFP)
MONUMENT WAS FOUND EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN THE 1997 RECOVERY REPORT.
LOCATION TIES ARE MORE THAN ADEQUATE TO FIND THIS MONUMENT.
I hear they're pretty good at locating lost boaters in distress. Other than that ...
It's "not found" if they can't see it from their boat!
😉
They get "points" for performing certain tasks, including "recovery" of monuments.
But in reality, probably 98% of them have no idea regarding the significance of their report.
I routinely tell any field crew we send out looking for a mark to ignore what the US Power Squadron paragraphs say.
It is underground and not visible to them...therefore, not found...
I once found a benchmark, a brass disk in a 24" x 60" collumn of concrete set flush. It was easy to find because the Witness Post was right next to it. I noticed that the UPS report said something like "The Mark was found 7 feet up on a power pole". I still don't know what that meant.
I've seen some very good and some unbelievable reports by the Power Squadron. The other problem was that there appeared to be no encouragement to add updated information to the ones they did find. I always suspected they had to turn in a list with a check mark "Found" or "Not Found" and didn't have a column for "Didn't have time to search".
The good news is that I've heard they stopped their program of reporting on geodetic marks.
> STATION RECOVERY (2005)
> RECOVERY NOTE BY INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS 2005 (JFP)
> MONUMENT WAS FOUND EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN THE 1997 RECOVERY REPORT.
> LOCATION TIES ARE MORE THAN ADEQUATE TO FIND THIS MONUMENT.
> (JFP) CALLS THE PEOPLE LOOKING INCOMPETENT BOOBS.
#1: What is the US Power Squadron?
#2: You may have given them too much info, Jerry
#3: I hope you are not offended by my add-on.
From their website Carl
What is USPS
Organized in 1914, USPS is a non profit, educational organization dedicated to making boating safer and more enjoyable by teaching classes in seamanship, navigation and related subjects. Our members are boating families who contribute to their communities by promoting safe boating through education. We enjoy participating with our fellow members on the water and in the classroom. USPS has some 45,000 members organized into 450 squadrons across the country and in some US territories. USPS is America's largest non-profit boating organization and has been honored by three US presidents for its civic contributions.
Cy
I have found several that the power squadron said they couldn't find.....I think they just never bothered to look! So they reported not found..
> From their website Carl
>
> What is USPS
> Organized in 1914, USPS is a non profit, educational organization dedicated to making boating safer and more enjoyable by teaching classes in seamanship, navigation and related subjects. Our members are boating families who contribute to their communities by promoting safe boating through education. We enjoy participating with our fellow members on the water and in the classroom. USPS has some 45,000 members organized into 450 squadrons across the country and in some US territories. USPS is America's largest non-profit boating organization and has been honored by three US presidents for its civic contributions.
>
> Cy
Same here. I'm really not sure why an organization that is about boating safety is even out there looking for NGS points.
because they're pompus flushed out coastie wanna be's !!
I did a job forone once and the guy stood at the road, clapped a 90, and told me I was way out of line or my instrument was screwed up. I set the gun on the edge of the pavement, turmed a 90 and showed him how screwed up his "clapped" 90 was nad he said, "yup your instrument is screwwed up," and then proceeded to lecture me becasue he had been in the WW2 US navy and his navigatinoal skills exceed the instruemnts ability to turn 90 degrees...
They started out checking for things on the coastal charts that had changed. They got into finding NGS marks from there, and the river squadrons followed suit so they were active all over the country.
As I said, I think they have ended their program of looking for geodetic marks.
Like any group, their ego, attitude, and skill will vary. I think Foggy ran into a negative 3-sigma example.
US Power Squadron>My apology
Bill, you are absolutely correct.
Actually, my feeling on the USPS is that they, through their boater education classes, have probably saved lives, not to mention the practical advice and knowledge that they have shared to new boaters which has, most likely, improved the on the water experience of thousands of new boaters.
I have taken and passed their course (although they did let me test out without taking the class, i got a 96), my wife did attend the course at my insistence. She did not have any boating experience and they do offer a great course..