USCGC Raymond Evans is the tenth vessel in the United States Coast Guard's Sentinel-class cutter.[3][4] All the vessels are named after members of the Coast Guard, or its precursor services, who are remembered for their heroism. Names had already been assigned for the first fourteen vessels, when Commander Raymond Evans died, and the USCG Commandant announced that the next Sentinel class cutter would be named after him. Joseph Napier, who was originally scheduled to be the namesake of the tenth vessel, had his name moved to the beginning of the second list of heroes names, and will now be the namesake of the fifteenth vessel.

USCGC Raymond Evans (WPC-1110)
Raymond Evans, during her sea trials
History
United States
NamesakeRaymond Evans (USCG)
BuilderBollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana
LaunchedJune 25, 2014
AcquiredJune 25, 2014[1]
CommissionedSeptember 6, 2014[2]
Identification
MottoWe have a job to do
Statusin active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeSentinel-class cutter
Displacement353 long tons (359 t)
Length46.8 m (154 ft)
Beam8.11 m (26.6 ft)
Depth2.9 m (9.5 ft)
Propulsion
  • 2 × 4,300 kW (5,800 shp)
  • 1 × 75 kW (101 shp) bow thruster
Speed28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Endurance
  • 5 days, 2,500 nmi (4,600 km; 2,900 mi)
  • Designed to be on patrol 2,500 hours per year
Boats & landing
craft carried
1 × Short Range Prosecutor RHIB
Complement4 officers, 20 crew
Sensors and
processing systems
L-3 C4ISR suite
Armament

The vessel was delivered to the Coast Guard, for pre-commissioning trials, on June 25, 2014.[1][3][4] On August 20, 2014, an open house was held to allow residents of Key West, Florida to tour the vessel.[5] The vessel was commissioned on September 6, 2014.[2][6][7][8]

Design edit

The Sentinel-class cutters were designed to replace the shorter 110-foot (34 m) Island-class patrol boats.[9] Raymond Evans is equipped with a remote-control 25 mm Bushmaster autocannon and four, crew-served M2HB .50-caliber machine guns. It has a bow thruster for maneuvering in crowded anchorages and channels. It also has small underwater fins for coping with the rolling and pitching caused by large waves. It is equipped with a stern launching ramp, like the Marine Protector-class and the eight failed expanded Island-class cutters. It has a complement of twenty-two crew members. Like the Marine Protector class, and the cancelled extended Island-class cutters, the Sentinel-class cutters deploy the Short Range Prosecutor Rigid-hulled inflatable (SRP or RHIB) in rescues and interceptions.[10]

According to Marine Log, modifications to the Coast Guard vessels from the Stan 4708 design include an increase in speed from 23 to 28 knots (43 to 52 km/h; 26 to 32 mph), fixed-pitch rather than variable-pitch propellers, stern launch capability, and watertight bulkheads.[11]

Raymond Evans has an overall length of 153 feet 6 inches (46.79 m), a beam of 25 feet (7.6 m), and a displacement of 325 long tons (330 t; 364 short tons). Its draft is 9 feet 6 inches (2.90 m) and it has a maximum speed of over 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph). The Sentinel-class cutters have an endurance of five days and a range of 2,950 nautical miles (3,390 mi; 5,460 km).[9]

Career edit

In early January, while operating off the coast of Guyana with USCGC Stone (WMSL-758), Raymond Evans boarded a suspected narcotics trafficking vessel. After testing the packages found on board, 970 kilograms of cocaine were recovered and the suspected traffickers were detained.[12]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Acquisition Update: Tenth Fast Response Cutter Delivered to the Coast Guard" (Press release). United States Coast Guard. 2014-06-26. Retrieved 2014-06-26.
  2. ^ a b "Coast Guard commissions 10th fast response cutter". Coast Guard News. 2014-09-06. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  3. ^ a b "Bollinger delivers the CGC Raymond Evans the tenth fast response cutter to the USCG". Lockport, Louisiana: Bollinger shipyards. 2014-06-25. Archived from the original on 2014-08-20. Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. has delivered the RAYMOND EVANS, the tenth Fast Response Cutter (FRC) to the United States Coast Guard.
  4. ^ a b "Bollinger Delivers 10th Coast Guard FRC". Maritime Executive. 2014-06-25. Archived from the original on 2014-06-26. Retrieved 2014-06-25. The Coast Guard took delivery on June 25, 2014 in Key West, Florida and is scheduled to commission the vessel in Key West, Florida during September, 2014.
  5. ^ Adam Linhardt (2014-08-18). "Coast Guard: Free tours of new cutter". Key West, Florida: Florida Keys News. Archived from the original on 2014-08-20. The Coast Guard will offer free tours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and on Monday of its newest Sentinel class Fast Response Cutter. the Raymond Evans -- named after the late Coast Guard Cmdr. Raymond J. Evans -- is the fourth FRC to arrive in the Southernmost City.
  6. ^ "KEY WEST NAVY LEAGUE COMMISSIONING COMMITTEE welcomes you". Key West Navy League. Archived from the original on 2014-08-21. Retrieved 2014-08-20. Be a SPONSOR of the commissioning and be part of the excitement as our local Coast Guard Sector builds the newest local fleet! Next Commissioning is September 6, 2014 for CGC RAYMOND EVANS (WPC-1110).
  7. ^ Nancy Klingener (2014-08-26). "New Coast Guard Ship Honors WWII Hero In Key West". WLRN. Archived from the original on 2014-08-27. Retrieved 2014-08-27. A World War II hero will be honored when the Coast Guard's newest cutter is commissioned into service in Key West on Sept. 6.
  8. ^ Adam Linhardt (2014-09-06). "Newest Key West cutter enters service". Key West, Florida: Key West Citizen. Archived from the original on 2014-11-27. Coast Guard Sector Key West officially becomes home today for the 154-foot Cutter Raymond J. Evans. The Raymond J. Evans will be commissioned as it becomes the fourth of six new Fast Response Cutters that will be stationed in the Southernmost City.
  9. ^ a b "Fast Response Cutter" (PDF). United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  10. ^ "Short Range Prosecutor (SRP)". Integrated Deepwater System Program. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
  11. ^ "Bollinger awarded potential $1.5 billion FRC contract". Marine Log. 2009-09-26. Archived from the original on 2010-01-04.
  12. ^ "On Maiden Voyage, USCGC Stone Crew Interdict Narcotics in Caribbean". U.S. Southern Command. Retrieved 2021-03-19.