United States Coast Guard Cutter

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USCG Barque Eagle
USCG Barque Eagle

A Cutter includes every type of Coast Guard vessel that has an assigned personnel allowance and that has installed habitability features for the extended support of a permanently assigned crew [1]. (over 65 feet in length) are under control of Area Commands (Atlantic Area or Pacific Area). Cutters at or over 65 feet in length come under control of District Commands. Cutters, usually have a motor surf boat and/or a rigid hull inflatable boat on board. Polar Class Icebreakers also carry an Arctic Survey Boat (ASB) and Landing Craft. The following are lists of current and past cutter types:

Contents

[edit] Current Cutters

USCG Ice Breaker Polar Sea
USCG Ice Breaker Polar Sea
USCG Medium Endurance Cutter Harriet Lane
USCG Medium Endurance Cutter Harriet Lane
USCG Inland Construction Tender Saginaw'
USCG Inland Construction Tender Saginaw'

[edit] Historic Cutters

USCG Buoy Tender Firebush
USCG Buoy Tender Firebush
USCG Cutter Durant
USCG Cutter Durant
  • 327' Treasury Class Cutter (WPG)
  • 311' Casco Class Cutter (WAVP)
  • 306' Edsall Class (WDE)
  • 255' Owasco Class Cutter (WPG)
  • 250' Lakes Class Cutter
  • 240' Tampa Class Cutter
  • 213' Diver Class Cutter (WAT)
  • 205' Navaho Class Auxiliary Tug (WAT)
  • 180' Seagoing Buoy Tender (WLB)
  • 180' Oceanographic Vessel (WAGO)
  • 165' Thetis Class Patrol Boat (WPC)
  • 165' Algonquin Class Patrol Boat (WPG)
  • 125' Active Class Patrol Boat (WSC)
  • 110' Calumet Class Harbor Tug (WYTM)
  • 110' Apalachee Class Harbor Tug (WYT)


[edit] History of the Cutter

The Revenue Marine and the Revenue Cutter Service , as it was known variously throughout the late 18th and the 19th centuries, referred to its ships as cutters. The term is English in origin and refers to a specific type of vessel, namely, "a small, decked ship with one mast and bowsprit, with a gaff mainsail on a boom, a square yard and topsail, and two jibs or a jib and a staysail." (Peter Kemp, editor, The Oxford Companion to Ships & the Sea; London: Oxford University Press, 1976; pp. 221-222.) By general usage, that term came to define any vessel of Great Britain's Royal Customs Service and the term was adopted by the U.S. Treasury Department at the creation of what would become the Revenue Marine. Since that time, no matter what the vessel type, the service has referred to its vessels with permanently assigned crews as cutters.

[edit] The First Ten Cutters

In 1790, Congress authorized the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, to create a maritime service to enforce customs laws (1 Stat. L. 145, 175; 4 August 1790). Alternately known as the system of cutters, Revenue Service, and Revenue-Marine this service would officially be named the Revenue Cutter Service (12 Stat. L., 639) in 1863. This service was placed under the control of the Treasury Department.

[edit] See also