The crews of U.S. Coast Guard cutters patrolling the far-flung ocean stations were subjected to some of the heaviest weather the sea had to offer, yet the cuttermen remained on station to make weather observations and to provide navigation, communication, and search-and-rescue services. On ocean station, seamanship was survival. Ocean Station: Operations of the U.S. Coast Guard, 19401977, is a well-researched text and a gripping read.