laststandonzombieisland

In a move illustrating the shoe-string kinds of ops the Coast Guard has to pull off, the recently decommissioned 110-foot Island-class patrol boat USCGC Cuttyhunk (WPB 1322), which was just removed from active duty after 34 hard years, mostly in the Pacific Northwest, still has an ounce of life to give.

Instead of heading off to different assignments, the crew of “The Pest of the West” sailed their old boat to Ketchikan, Alaska. There, they have taken possession of the sidelined classmate USCGC Anacapa (WPB-1335), which was previously stationed in Petersburg, Alaska.

Commissioned 13 January 1990, Anacapa is actually just a little older than Cuttyhunk but is in apparently better material condition– except for the engines. So with that, the crew of Cuttyhunk, along with dockside help, are turning the 2,100~ bolts required to remove the two diesels (both mains and generators) of both ships, and doing a transplant, moving Cuttyhunk’s old suite to the hollowed-out Anacapa. It seems the best way to get some spare Paxman Valenta 16-CM RP-200Ms is to take them from an old cutter. 

“We have a long road ahead of us, but we are having a great time doing it,” noted the ship’s social media.

After that, Anacapa will be shifting homeports to Port Angeles to continue to serve the Pacific Northwest, with Cuttyhunk’s old crew, engines, and generators, until further relieved.

Maybe the 17th Coast Guard District will spring for new oil for the engines, although since it’s going back to the 13th District in Washington, odds are Cuttyhunk had to bring that up to Alaska as well.