The Keeper and surfmen had a daily rigid schedule that was standard throughout the service. The primary responsibility was to be on constant watch for ships in distress and to keep a record of passing vessels. On clear days, from sunrise to sunset, a surfman on day watch always manned the lookout tower. At night and on foggy days, the men walked beach patrol. They would light coston signal flares to warn off ships straying too close to the shore.
While men with small-boat-handling experience were wanted in the service, it took extensive training and continual practice to be able to successfully launch a lifeboat or surfboat in heavy seas and shoot the Lyle Gun to a ship offshore to set up the breeches buoy. Just about every day required some sort of practice to be performed. Along with these practices were cooking, cleaning and maintenance and keeping things in good order. The men took turns serving as the cook.
Umpqua River boatroom, c.1910.
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An interior photo of a life-saving station boathouse is fairly rare in Oregon. This is the boathouse interior at Umpqua River. Almost all of the equipment life-savers used is visible in this photograph from circa 1908. On the front of the boathouse, a pair of double doors each led to a bay on the inside, one bay containing a surfboat and the other a lifeboat. The rafters were used to hang equipment such as the life car and breeches buoy. A small workbench was situated at the back next to the rear doors. On the back wall, megaphones, Lyle gun projectiles, the Lyle gun itself, flares, flare holders, axes, and lanterns are all visible. In the upper right-hand corner are name boards from shipwrecks that the crew had responded to: Tacoma (1883), Bandorille (1895), and Truckee (1897). The lifeboat and surfboat both have been wheeled out along with the beach apparatus cart, so that the entire crew could fit in the picture. (Courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard.)
