data pertaining to the atoll,
44.

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

a coordinated boating service to all task groups st Bikini,

Boat

assignacrts were made by a joint scheduling panel which met nightly

on Eninmsan Island and allotted boats, based on users! requests for
service.

Ths Navy boat dispatcher's headuarters was on the YFH,

In addition a Havy dispatcher was stationed with the contractor's
boat diepatcher on Eninman to coordinate the use of Navy boats by
the civilian tesk groups.

All boats were redio~-equipped.

In time

;

all cajor ships were furnished boat pool radios as well to facilitate contact between boate amt quarterdeck personnel.

After Bra¥o

the contractor's boat dispatcher moved abosrd AINSWORTH, and the schedGling pene] met there.

This joint operation functioned very amothly,

despite some early xiszivings on the part of both participants.
45

Boat operations at Bikini were complicatedgreatly by the

normal choppy state of the lagoon, The location of the base of opar=
etions in the southern end of the lagoon, with shot sites generally in
the northern end, caused the ship anchorage ami principal boating area
to be almost an open roedstead,

While the reef did break up the ocean

swell, the lagoonwzs so large that ths southern anchorage had no
shelter whatsoever from the prevailing northeast tradewinds.

The

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

dhenever the rninis

exceeded 29 knota the lagoon waters were rough, with a swell that

APWeInn

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