CCB MEDIA PHOTOS
New Commander in Charge at Coast Guard Chatham Corbin Ross inspects and greets all the station’s crew along with former commander Robert Goley.
CHATHAM – The Coast Guard’s Chatham Station held a change of command ceremony Friday, followed by a retirement ceremony.
Officer Robert C. Goley handed over the station’s command to Officer Corbin J. Ross.
In a second ceremony, marked by emotion from those gathered, Goley, the father of three young children, retired from the Coast Guard.
Goley said his first steps when he took over the Chatham station three years ago were to approach members of the community.
He says he had heard that the Chatham station was “unique” and he wanted to know what that meant.
“I said who do I need to talk to find out what’s up with Chatham, what’s unique about Chatham, how do you succeed in Chatham. The two people who came to mind were Stu Smith, the Chatham harbormaster, and the other was Master Chief Jack Downey,” he said.
Retiring Commander of Coast Guard Chatham Robert Goley poses with his family, his wife, Stephanie, and children Kai, Liam and Addison.
Downey had been commander of the Chatham station in the late 1980s.
He says Chatham Harbormaster Stuart Smith advised him to try to repair relations with the fishing community. Downey advised him to listen to the community.
Goley said Smith gave him some important advice. “He said, ‘Well, the relationship with the fishing fleet isn’t the best right now and I really recommend you reach out to the fishing fleet,’” Goley recalled.
The new officer in charge did that by waiting around at the Chatham Fish Pier when fishermen were unloading their catches so he could introduce himself to local fishermen. He had been advised to meet John Our and Peter Taylor.
“I made it my mission to go out and find these two fishermen, who I had no clue who they are. I knew what boats they have—that’s it. I go out to the fish pier every day after work around 2 o’clock and watched the boats come in,” he said.
Both Our and Taylor attended the change of command ceremony, an indication of good relations with Goley.
New Commander in Charge at Coast Guard Chatham Corbin Ross.
Goley said he told them, “Always know that every interaction you’re going to have with the Coast Guard from now on is going to be professional and respectful. And I expect the same from you guys. We tie up next to each other. Yeah, we regulate you but we also save you.”
“i think that was the start of a really good relationship,” Goley said.
But Goley said the number one thing that made the Chatham station unique was the Chatham Bar, the shifting sands at the entrance to Chatham Harbor. He said Downey advised him, “Don’t turn you back to it, because it can change in a minute,” he said.
Goley said when he arrived at the station three years ago, the channel was located about 400 yards north of where it is now. “Incredibly dynamic bar,” he said.
Goley said that he came to find out the purpose of the station. “In my opinion, the reason Coast Guard Chatham is here is we serve our fishing fleet,” he said. “Chatham was founded over 300 years ago as a fishing town.”
Goley said he had strengthened ties to the group, Women of Fishing Families, and Cape Cod Fishermen’s Alliance, known as the Hook.
Coast Guard Station Chatham.
To strengthen that relationship, Goley said he started a tradition of having the Coast Guardsmen attend the fishing alliance’s annual gala, the Hooker’s Ball.
“I think it’s one of the best ways for us to interact with our number one customers, and that’s the fishermen,” he said.
Besides the Chatham harbormaster, also attending the change of command and retirement ceremonies were the harbormasters of the other three nearest harbors in Orleans, Chatham and Harwich, as well as fire chiefs from nearby towns. Goley said there have been a lot of joint training sessions with all of those units.
Also in attendance were the so-called Chatham Legends, who are retired Chatham Coast Guardsmen who remain in the area.
Those men, Goley said, serve as living reminders of what makes the Chatham Coast Guard Station unique.
