Introduction
Having (fictionally) driven a 47’ Motor Lifeboat and flown a rescue swimmer into the storm, I thought it would be intriguing to look at what other craft the Coast Guard uses.
This “twelfth largest navy in the world” uses:
• The nation’s ice breakers
• 18 different classes of ships, from 418’ National Security Cutters to 65’ Inland Buoy Tenders (yes, they take care of most of the buoys as well)
• The 295’ three-masted tall ship Eagle
• 13 classes of patrol boats from 154’ down to 16’
• 4 types of aircraft
• 2 types of helicopters
• Also drones and most of the offshore navigation radio stations (most of LORAN was decommissioned in 2010 in favor of GPS, but they still run the last five)
In other words:
• 240+ ocean and coastal patrol ships, tenders, tugs, and icebreake
