36-foot motor lifeboat

The United States Coast Guard's series of motor lifeboats included a class of 36 foot motor lifeboats. The Coast Guard built the first of version these vessels in 1929 (Type "T"), and retired the last active version (Type "TRS" 1937-1956), in 1987 (CG-36535 Station Depoe Bay OR) as they were replaced by the 44 foot Steel Hull Motor Lifeboat. CG 36500 was retired from active service in 1968, and has since been restored and preserved as a floating museum. These vessels are remembered for the daring rescues Coast Guard seamen performed, using them.

MLB CG-36535, off Nehalem River MLB Station (circa 1975).
Class overview
Name: 36' MLB
Operators: United States Coast Guard
In service: 1929–1970's
Planned: 218
Completed: 218
Active: 0
General characteristics
Length: 36 ft (11 m)

Unlike the Coast Guard's more recent motor lifeboat, the 47 foot motor lifeboat, the 36 foot class was piloted entirely from an open cockpit, where crew-members were exposed to the elements. This was a hardship for the crew, as many rescues were of mariners at risk precisely because their vessels were at risk due to bad weather.

The most memorable rescue performed using a 36-foot lifeboat was that of crew members of the stricken SS Pendleton by CG 36500 under the command of Boatswain's Mate Bernard C. Webber.[1][2][3][4] The 2016 feature film The Finest Hours is based on the 1952 Pendleton rescue.

References
  1. Dan Lamothe (13 July 2015). "The real-life story behind Disney's forthcoming Coast Guard rescue movie, 'The Finest Hours'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015.
  2. "Bernard C. Webber, USCG 1928–2009". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  3. Stephanie Young (27 October 2010). "Coast Guard Heroes". United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  4. "The Pendleton Rescue" by Captain W. Russell Webster, USCG, December 2001 Naval Institute Proceedings (Vol 127, pp. 66–69) http://www.uscg.mil/history/Pendleton_Webster.html%5B%5D

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