USCGC Galveston Island

USCGC Galveston Island (WPB 1349) is an Island-class patrol boat used by the United States Coast Guard for law enforcement and search and rescue duties. She was commissioned on 5 June 1992 and was the last of the Island-class patrol boats built. Her original homeport was Apra Harbor, Guam, but later changed to Honolulu, Hawaii, where she was decommissioned.

History
United States
Name	USCGC Galveston Island
Namesake	Galveston Island, Texas
Operator	U.S. Coast Guard
Laid down	1 July 1988
Commissioned	5 June 1992
Decommissioned	16 March 2018
Homeport	Honolulu, Hawaii
Identification	MMSI number: 367901000 Callsign: NRLP
Nickname(s)	G.I.
Status	Decommissioned
General characteristics
Class and type	Island-class cutter
Displacement	164 tons
Length	110 ft (34 m)
Beam	21 ft (6.4 m)
Draft	6.5 ft (2.0 m)
Propulsion	Twin Paxman Valenta 16-CM RP-200M
Speed	30+ knots
Range	9,900 miles
Endurance	6 days
Boats & landing craft carried	1 – RHI (90 HP outboard engine)
Complement	22 personnel (3 officers, 19 enlisted)
Armament	25 mm Mk 38 machine gun 5 × .50 caliber machine guns 1 × MK 19 40MM Grenade Launcher Various Small Arms
Notes	Communications: VHF and HF

The 110-foot Island-class patrol boat is a Coast Guard modification of the British shipbuilder, Vosper Thornycroft patrol boat design. With range and seakeeping capabilities, the Island class, all named after U.S. islands, replaced the older 95-foot Cape-class cutters. These cutters are equipped with advanced electronics and navigation equipment.

Design

The Island-class patrol boats were constructed in Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana. Galveston Island has an overall length of 110 feet (34 m). It had a beam of 21 feet (6.4 m) and a draft of 7 feet (2.1 m) at the time of construction. The patrol boat has a displacement of 154 tonnes (152 long tons; 170 short tons) at full load and 137 tonnes (135 long tons; 151 short tons) at half load. It is powered two Paxman Valenta 16 CM diesel engines or two Caterpillar 3516 diesel engines. It has two 99 kilowatts (135 PS; 133 shp) 3304T diesel generators made by Caterpillar; these can serve as motor–generators. Its hull is constructed from highly strong steel, and the superstructure and major deck are constructed from aluminium.

The Island-class patrol boats have maximum sustained speeds of 29.5 knots (54.6 km/h; 33.9 mph). It is fitted with one 25 millimetres (0.98 in) machine gun and two 7.62 millimetres (0.300 in) M60 light machine guns; it may also be fitted with two Browning .50 Caliber Machine Guns. It is fitted with satellite navigation systems, collision avoidance systems, surface radar, and a Loran C system. It has a range of 3,330 miles (2,890 nmi; 5,360 km) and an endurance of five days. Its complement is sixteen (two officers and fourteen crew members). Island-class patrol boats are based on Vosper Thornycroft 33 metres (108 ft) patrol boats and have similar dimensions.

History

Galveston Island was decommissioned in Honolulu on 16 March 2018 and it is anticipated that she will be transferred to a foreign government via the Foreign Assistance Act.

Notes

References cited

• "110-foot Patrol Boat (WPB) – Island Class". Aircraft, Boats, and Cutters. U.S. Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 30 April 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
• "USCG 110' "Island Class" Patrol Boats (WPB)". Bollinger Shipyards. Archived from the original on 19 November 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
• "USCGC GALVESTON ISLAND (WPB 1349)" (PDF). U.S. Coast Guard. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
• Scheina, Robert L. (1990). U.S. Coast Guard Cutters & Craft, 1946-1990. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis. ISBN 978-0-87021-719-7.