U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary - Reno Flotilla 11-03

Li'l Toot

Li'l Toot is the Reno CG Auxiliary mobile education and patrol base. This "boat on wheels" is the product of work by many of the flotilla's members, but would have never happened if it weren't for the hard work of Dave Melroy and Bob Summers. Bob applied to the Boat U.S. Foundation for a grant to create a mobile educational and patrol facility. A boat and trailer were donated to the Reno Flotilla. Bob successfully obtained a grant from Boat US to build the facility. After obtaining the grant money, Dave Melroy took over the massive job of building the new patrol and educational facility. Dave obtained donations of materials from local merchants and spent countless hours building Li'l Toot.

 

Bob Summers and Dave Melroy

Auxiliarists Dave Melroy (L) and Xavier Cipriano with the new Reno Coast Guard Auxiliary Information Booth, Li'l Toot. This picture was taken at the Sparks, Nevada Marina Park where Reno Auxiliarists gave demonstrations and distributed information on safe boating practices.

 

Li'l Toot, Continued...

This combined with his organization of fellow auxiliarists and other volunteers resulted in a first rate facility. Li'l Toot will be taken to local lakes in Washoe County including Lake Tahoe and Pyramid lake. It will serve as our land base while Flotilla members patrol the lake. The facility is set up so Auxiliarists can provide educational materials to the public who will be launching their boats, while maintaining radio contact with Auxiliary Patrol Boats. Special thanks goes to local custom home builder, Dick Schweitzer, who helped frame Li'l Toot and Flotilla Member John Boyne, who spent many hours constructing Li'l Toot. Li'l Toot had her maiden voyage to Pyramid Lake on May 12, 2001 when Flotilla members were patrolling and doing Vessel Safety Checks in cooperation with the Pyramid Lake Tribe.  

The construction of Li'l Toot took many hours. The Li'l Toot Team, consisted of Bob Summers, Xavier Cipriano, John Boyne, Dave Melroy, Tom Komadina, Alan Taylor and Ben Pettit from the Reno Coast Guard Flotilla. We are also grateful to friends Don Cipriano and Dick Schweitzer for their help in the construction of Li'l Toot.     

The construction of Li'l Toot began in the first frigid days of January of 2001. The mobile educational booth took several months of hard work on the part of our flotilla members. The photos show the stages of construction of Li'l Toot.