dete pertaining to the atoll.
44-

The contractor's Boat iool and the Navy Boat Fool provided

a coordinated boating service to all task groups at Bikini, Boast
acsignacris were made by a joint scheduling panel which met nightly
oa Eninman Island and allotted boats, bused on usera’ requests for
service.

The Navy boat dispatcher'a headjuarters was on the YFE,

In addition a Navy dispatcher was stationed with the contructor's
boat dlepatcher an Eninuan to coordinate the use of Navy boats by
the civilian tesk groups.

All boats were redio-equipped.

In time

;

ell cajor ships were furnished bodt pool radios as well to facili-~
tate comact between boats amt quarterdeck personnel.

After HAVO

the oontractor's boat dispatcher moved abosrd AINSWORTH, and the schedling panel met there.

This joint operation functioned very sacothly,

despite some early elagivings on the part of both participants.
4Se

Boat operctions at Bikini were complicated greatly by the

normal choppy state of the lagoon. ‘The location of the base of cpare
etions in the southern end of the lagoon, with shot sites cenerally in
the northern end, cansed the ship anchorage ani principal boating area
to be almost an cpen roedstesad.

hile the reef did break up the ocsan

erell, the lagoonats so large thet the southern anchorage had no

shelter whateocever from the prevailing northeast tredewinds.

The

winds were seldom below 17 knots and were frezmently in acess of 2,
with the lagoon in a constantly choppy state.

#thenever the rinis

axcceaied 2) knota the larcon nateres were rough, with a swell that

AFWL In ;

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