European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 07, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday september 7. 1985 the stars and stripes Page 9 is photo by Dave c looking out Over Praia Harbor from his tugboat is skipper James a. Mcdowell. The chief warrant officer s vessel shares the Harbor right photo with local sailboats. It was a Stormy voyage once again an azores of eng and fug s Nof a ways snug n .1. Kinc i a. Bureau waifs Field. A ores the night before army chief warrant officer James a. Mcdowell left for Long Ltd to skipper a tugboat Back to tar Scira Island he told an acquaintance he was looking Forward to the voyage being a smooth one for a change. The 41-year-old Mcdowell had made the voyage three times before. All three trips had been made in conditions Hal sometimes were appalling. When i delivered the tug to England last year we ran into a storm that kicked up swells 30 to 40 feet High. Two ships Sank within 100 Miles of us and the seas were so Otthat we could t go outside for 48  he recalled. But for this trip he said we have picked what should be the Best time of the year weather Wise. And we should have a smooth and uneventful crossing. Tue Masler Mcdowell and his Crew three fellow War rant officers and 15 enlisted personnel picked up the tug la Raf by Lac. England a waterfront base 89 Miles Southwest of London across from the major to of we got hit by a Strong Gale with winds of 47 to 54 Mph the seas were 35 in 45 feet High and were completely covering the tug. The seas were so big they ripped All the lights off the Tup badly Bent a set of steel stairs that Lead from the Pilot House Down to the deck and busted out the Center window of the Pilot House. We had water everywhere even Down in the Galley and the Crew s quart ers Mcdowell recalled in an interview thursday. There arc vessels known As seagoing tugs powerful Salvage ships Over 200 feet Long that arc at Home in the worst of sea states but the tug in which Mcdowell s Crew was battling the fury of the Atlantic is not one of them. Their tug is a 107-fool-Long, 1,200-Horsepowcr vessel that was built in the late 1940s. It was designed not for trans Atlantic Crossings but for coastal work. It had been Over hauled at Hythe because there is no shipyard in the azores thai can do such work. The storm lasted for two Days and we took a beating. The Bow and the Pilot House were being completely buried by the Waves and seas were sweeping Over the top of our Mast which is located amidships behind the Pilot House and about 30 feet above the sea. Only one other person aboard had made the trip be tween England and the a ores before and All but three of us were very seasick but at no time did we think w c might not make it through the storm. However we were considering heading Back to England if the plywood had not held up. Finally the storm ended and. For the last two Days of the five Day trip we had Beautiful weather Mcdowell said. Mcdowell is a Veteran of two infantry Tours in Vietnam who has been in army tugboat work for the last 13 years. Tug repaired Back at work the native of Jekyll Island. Ga., whose father and Grandfather were both ship masters said the tug now has been repaired and is Back at work alongside the other two tugs assigned to his outfit the military traffic manage ment come s trans terminal unit. Lajes is where the Navy docs the flying the air Force provides the Overall support and the army s thu will its Small flee of boats and lug operates the Harbor activities three Miles away Al i Raia a Viloria. The unit commanded by . Col. William r. Cousins escorts ship Inlo port and oversees their unloading to ensure Hal sup plies Etc Ryling from fuel to dog food to f tvs reaches the 3,800-Slrong american military Community Here. The unit loads and discharges ships a cargo ship come in about every three weeks and three or four tankers a month Call Al Praia and occasionally gels involved in search and Rescue missions. Cousins said probably once a month we gel involved in Rescue work. Normally the missions involve . Ves Sels usually Navy ships Wilh injured Crew  about three times a month his unit tows Large is at sea to provide gunnery practice for the portuguese air Force s fial g-91 fighters that arc so aligned Al Lajos Field 1c provide base defense. The thu also uses ils boats to provide support 1c mar Here for sightseeing and fishing trips. Such trips arc of crawled nearly every weekend provided inc weather is Good. In the past although three lugs were always assigned Here one of them was always Al by Lac for a year Al a Lime while being overhauled. Currently inc full comple men of tugs is Here and the three arc ready for any task even though Only Hoo Crews arc assigned to Ihm. From now on according to Mcdowell All depot level maintenance work on the tips will be carried out at Lajos Field by thu personnel. However Star log next year the tugs will have logo to a shipyard in Lisbon to be hauled out for Bol Tom work. For some reason. Inc pros Cal of nol having to make the Long voyage by lug Between England and the azores docs l seem to bother Mcdowell