USCGC Washington (WPB-1331)

USCGC Washington (WPB-1331) is an Island-class cutter of the United States Coast Guard. Washington was constructed at Bollinger Machine Shop and Shipyard in Lockport, Louisiana, and commissioned on 15 June 1990.

USCGC Washington off Palau in 2019
History
United States
Name: USCGC Washington
Namesake: Washington Island, Washington, Wisconsin
Builder: Bolinger Shipyard, Lockport, Louisiana
Cost: $7 million
Launched: 10 November 1989
Commissioned: 15 June 1990
Decommissioned: 18 December 2019
Homeport: Apra Harbor, Guam
Identification:
Motto: Our Cause is Noble
Status: Decommissioned
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type: Island-class cutter
Displacement: 168 tons
Length: 110 ft (33.5 m)
Beam: 21 ft (6.4 m)
Speed: 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range: 2,000 nmi (3,704 km; 2,302 mi)
Complement: 18

Currently operating in the Coast Guard 14th District, the cutter reports to Sector Guam. Washington supports multi-mission operations throughout Sector Guam's vast area of responsibility, which includes the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zones surrounding Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and an international SAR area that includes the Republic of Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia, conducting search and rescue response missions, and ports, waterways and coastal security operations.[1]

Washington was decommissioned at Naval Base Guam on 18 December 2019.[2]

Design

The Island-class patrol boats were constructed in Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana. Washington has an overall length of 110 feet (33.5 m). she has a beam of 21 feet (6.4 m) and a draft of 7 feet (2.1 m) at the time of construction. The patrol boat has a displacement of 154 tonnes (152 long tons; 170 short tons) at full load and 137 tonnes (135 long tons; 151 short tons) at half load. It is powered two Paxman Valenta 16 CM diesel engines or two Caterpillar 3516 diesel engines. It has two 99 kilowatts (135 PS; 133 shp) 3304T diesel generators made by Caterpillar; these can serve as motor–generators. Its hull is constructed from highly strong steel, and the superstructure and major deck are constructed from aluminum.[3][4]

Bridge of the Washington off Palau in October 2019.

The Island-class patrol boats have maximum sustained speeds of 29.5 knots (54.6 km/h; 33.9 mph). It is fitted with one 25 mm (0.98 in) machine gun and two 7.62 mm (0.30 in) M60 light machine guns; it may also be fitted with two Browning .50 caliber machine guns. It is fitted with satellite navigation systems, collision avoidance systems, surface radar, and a Loran C system. It has a range of 3,330 miles (2,890 nmi; 5,360 km) and an endurance of five days. Its complement is sixteen (two officers and fourteen crew members). Island-class patrol boats are based on Vosper Thornycroft 33 m (108 ft) patrol boats and have similar dimensions.[3][4]

Operational career

In October 2019 the Washington participated in a joint fisheries patrol, off Palau, in cooperation with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency.[5]

Notes
  1. Pacific Daily News Navigator On-line 8 July 2010
  2. Muir, Sara (18 December 2019). "Coast Guard decommissions Island-class cutter in Guam after nearly 30 years' service". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  3. "110-foot Island Class Patrol Boat (WPB)" (PDF). United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  4. "USCG 110' "Island Class" Patrol Boats (WPB)". Bollinger Shipyards. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  5. "Coast Guard participates in Operation Kurukuru". DVIDSHUB. Palau. 2019-10-06. Retrieved 2020-04-06. Lt. j.g. Victor Broskey, the Coast Guard Cutter Washington's (1331) executive officer, takes part in a navigation brief on the cutter's bridge prior to getting underway to participate in Operation Kurukuru off Palau, Oct. 6, 2019.

References
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