USCGC Point Roberts
| History | |
|---|---|
 USA | |
| Name | USCGC Point Roberts (WPB-82332) |
| Namesake | Point Roberts, Whatcom County, Washington |
| Owner | United States Coast Guard |
| Builder | Coast Guard Yard, Curtis Bay, Maryland |
| Commissioned | 6 June 1962[1] |
| Decommissioned | February 1992[2] |
| Fate | list error: <br /> list (help) Transferred to Environmental Protection Agency as Lake Explorer, Duluth, Minnesota, 1992[2][3] |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Patrol Boat (WPB) |
| Displacement | 60 tons |
| Length | 82 ft 10 in (25.25 m) |
| Beam | 17 ft 7 in (5.36 m) max |
| Draft | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Propulsion | list error: <br /> list (help) 1962 • 2 × 600 hp (447 kW) Cummins diesel engines 1990 • 2 × 800 hp (597 kW) Caterpillar diesel engines |
| Speed | 16.8 knots (31.1 km/h; 19.3 mph) |
| Range | list error: <br /> list (help) 577 nmi (1,069 km) at 14.5 kn (26.9 km/h; 16.7 mph) 1,271 nmi (2,354 km) at 10.7 kn (19.8 km/h; 12.3 mph) |
| Complement | Domestic service : 8 men |
| Armament | 1962 • 1 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon[2] |
USCGC Point Roberts (WPB-82332) was an 82-foot (25 m) Point-class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1962 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat. Since the Coast Guard policy in 1961 was not to name cutters under 100 feet (30 m) in length, it was designated as WPB-82332 when commissioned and acquired the name Point Roberts in January 1964 when the Coast Guard started naming all cutters longer than 65 feet (20 m).[2][4]
Construction details
Point Roberts was built with a mild steel hull and an aluminum superstructure that could accommodate an 8 man crew.[5] She was powered by two 600 hp (447 kW) VT600 Cummins diesel main drive engines and had two five-bladed 42 in (1.1 m) propellers. The main drive engines were later replaced by 800 hp (597 kW) VT800 Cummins engines. Longitudinally framed construction was used to save weight. Water tank capacity was 1,550 U.S. gallons (5,900 L) and fuel tank capacity was 1,840 U.S. gallons (7,000 L) at 95% full.[2][5] In 1990 she was refit with 800 hp (597 kW) Caterpillar diesel main drive engines.[2]
History
After delivery in 1961, Point Roberts was assigned a homeport of Mayport, Florida, where she served as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat until decommissioning in 1992.[2][4] On 26 February 1965, she towed the disabled fishing vessel Cherry Lee 25 miles southeast of St. Augustine, Florida, to Mayport during rough weather. On 15 May 1966, she rescued a skin diver off Jacksonville, Florida. On 12 May 1968, she rescued three from fishing vessel Kingfisher 5 miles east of the mouth of the St. Johns River. On 21 July 1968, she medevaced injured seamen from the tanker Transhudson. On 12 January 1969, she escorted the distressed fishing vessel Eagle 25 miles northwest of Key West, Florida, to that port. On 4 August 1970, she medevaced a crewman from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force training ship Katori off Jacksonville. On 28 November 1982, she helped seize motor vessel Lago Izabel and fishing vessel Gigi 120 miles east of Georgia carrying 25 short tons (23,000 kg) of marijuana. In January and February 1986, she recovered debris from space shuttle Challenger off Cape Canaveral, Florida. In August 1988, she escorted the Honduran motor vessel Unicorn Express into Mayport, where over 1,000 lb (450 kg) of cocaine were found in a secret compartment.[2]
In February 1992 Point Roberts was decommissioned and transferred to the Environmental Protection Agency as research vessel Lake Explorer stationed at Duluth, Minnesota.[2][3]
References
- Bibliography
- Scheina, Robert L. (1990). U.S. Coast Guard Cutters & Craft, 1946-1990. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis. ISBN 978-0-87021-719-7.
External links
- "Point" Class 82-foot WPBs Coast Guard Historian's website
- Research vessel Lake Explorer Environmental Protection Agency website
