Parade of Ships thrills Fleet Week visitors in San Francisco

The only thing better than watching Fleet Week's Parade of Ships is to be on one of them with their highly skilled and dedicated crews. For the Parade of Ships, KTVU's Tom Vacar boarded the Coast Guard National Security Cutter Bertholf.

San Francisco, California - The only thing better than watching Fleet Week's Parade of Ships is to be on one of them with their highly skilled and dedicated crews. For the Parade of Ships, KTVU's Tom Vacar boarded the Coast Guard National Security Cutter Bertholf.

With its crew of up 170, Coasties is one of four such national security cutters homeported in Alameda. Earlier this year, the Bertholf engaged in almost four months of joint exercises with naval and coast guard units of Singapore, Malaysia and India.

The cutter routinely operates all over the Pacific, spanning six continents across 74 million square miles of ocean from the U.S. West Coast to the Eastern Asian Pacific, to the Arctic, and Antarctic regions.

"Whether they're pulling drugs off the water in South and Central American international waters, whether they're doing rescue operations in the Berring Sea, humanitarian response need overseas or as needed, they really are very versatile ships," said Senior Chief Matt Masatchi, a USCG Public Affairs Officer.

In a real sense, National Security Cutters are the Swiss Army Knife of the oceans.

"These ships are minimally manned, minimally staffed and so, everybody usually has multiple jobs," said Senior Chief Masatchi.

For one long-retired Coastie, it was the gateway to adulthood.

KTVU flies with the Blue Angels during San Francisco's Fleet Week

KTVU's Cameron Cleveland takes flight with the Blue Angels during Fleet Week in San Francisco. Here's a look at his breathtaking flight over the city.

"Gives you a sense of responsibility because you're working at a job you can't screw up. So, you have to focus on your job and it makes a man out of you or a woman," said Coast Guard retiree, Paul Watroba.

But a cutter is only as good as the skill, dedication and professionalism of the crew.

"It's been exciting, you know, to actually get out and see parts of the world, countries. It's been a pretty amazing career," said Coastie Thad Griffin.

"Being on a ship like this is definitely a humbling experience, but I've never seen a crew grow so much as a family. It's been a lot of fun," said Coastie Christopher Rivera.

"I love it so far. It's been a very big learning experience but, everyone's so great here and they help you get yourself squared away and set up and everything," said Ensign Alexandra Kutal, freshly graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

The person most proud of the crew is its captain.

"You know, we ask them to do a lot, especially this patrol. You know, we're asking them to leave their families at home for four months, to leave their friends an family and their homes for every major holiday with the exception of the Fourth of July and Easter," said Captain Billy Mees, commander of the USCG National Security Cutter Bertholf.

The Coast Guard Cutter that KTVU was on will be open for public tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.