87-feet of rock and roll for 37-days
Crewmembers aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Terrapin patrol the water while on a 37-day deployment in Southeast Alaska, July 10, 2016. The crew completed the first ever deployment of an 87-foot Coastal Patrol Boat to Alaska before returning home to Bellingham, Wash., on July 22, 2016. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Coast Guard Cutter Terrapin.)
The 87-foot Marine Protector-class Coast Guard Cutters in the past decade replaced the venerable 1950s and 1960s era Cape and Point-class boats which had seen much use. These boats were designed for 3-day patrols but somewhere along the way this got stretched to 7-day patrols with a cook added to the crew. If you have read my zombie novel (shameless plug) I feature an “87” prominently in that work.
Now, an 87 has gone to the Far North where only 110-foot Island-class boats and above have tread.
From the Coast Guard’s presser:
Coast Guard Cutter Terrapin crew returned home to Bellingham, Friday, after completing a first ever deployment of an 87-foot Coastal Patrol Boat to Alaska.
The crew of the Cutter Terrapin completed a 37-day patrol to Southeast Alaska during which they protected living marine resources, safeguarded lives at sea and enhanced maritime security across the region. During the patrol, the crew assisted in two search-and-rescue cases and completed 46 at-sea boardings including recreational and commercial fishing vessels.
The crew patrolled more than 2,000 miles of Alaska waterways, providing Sector Juneau with more than 450 patrol hours while ensuring a positive Coast Guard presence to remote communities and fishing grounds stretching from the Canadian border in the south to the base of Glacier Bay in the north.
The Terrapin crew primarily patrols the waters of Washington’s coastline, responding to search-and-rescue missions, maritime security, enforcing state and federal fisheries regulations and conducting safety and security exams.
In addition to the Terrapin, there are eight other 87-foot Coastal Patrol Boats stationed throughout the Pacific Northwest, including the Osprey in Port Townsend, the Sea Lion in Bellingham, the Blue Shark in Everett, the Sea Devil and Sea Fox in Bangor/Kitsap (protecting SSBNs), and the Adelie, Swordfish and the Wahoo in Port Angeles.