USCGC William Trump (WPC-1111) is a Sentinel-class cutter of the United States Coast Guard.[3][4] When she was delivered to the Coast Guard, on November 25, 2014, she was the eleventh vessel of her class, and the fifth vessel based in the Coast Guard's station in Key West, Florida.[1]

USCGC William Trump (WPC-1111)
William Trump, at its home port of Key West, Florida
History
United States
NamesakeWilliam Trump
BuilderBollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana
LaunchedNovember 25, 2014
AcquiredNovember 25, 2014[1]
CommissionedJanuary 24, 2015[2]
HomeportKey West, Florida
Identification
MottoAnchored in service
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

Like her sister ships she has the endurance to take her crew on five day missions of up to 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km). She has modern electronics, integrating her with the rest of the Coast Guard and is designed for search and rescue, apprehending smuggling vessels, intercepting international refugees, and other constabulary duties. She carries a high-speed jet-boat, that is deployed and retrieved via her stern launching ramp. She is armed by a remotely controlled 25 mm autocannon, and four crew served Browning fifty caliber machine guns. Her two diesel engines can propel her at 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph).

Operational history

edit
 
The USCG pursued this 35-foot (11 m) vessel, stolen from Fort Myers Florida, in December 2015, for over 300 nautical miles (560 km)

On December 24, 2015, William Trump, with other Coast Guard elements, pursued an expensive pleasure-craft stolen from Fort Myers, Florida.[5] William Trump's chase of the vessel spanned 20 hours, and over 300 nautical miles (560 km), before the three-man crew gave up and surrendered. The stolen craft was a 36-foot (11 m) "go-fast", worth approximately $350,000, was powered by three 300 brake horsepower (220 kW) outboard motors, and was capable of traveling at 75 miles per hour (121 km/h).[6] The three suspects, David Llanes Vasquez, Farfan Ramirez-Vidal and Sauri Raul De La Vega, were turned over to the Lee County Sheriff Department, after the stolen vessel had been towed home.

Initially the Sheriff's department had tried to apprehend the gö-fast, which responded by ramming the law enforcement vessel.[6] The Sheriff's department handed the chase over to the Coast Guard when the vessel left their jurisdiction.

On May 5, 2016, the William Trump was mobilized when a report was received that a fishing vessel was firing upon a pleasure-craft 20 miles from one of the Florida Keys.[7] Both vessel were boarded and brought back to port, for an investigation.

In November, 2018, the William Trump, and her sister ship, the Charles Sexton, interdicted 36 Cuban migrants from illegally entering the US, and repatriated 35 of them to Cabañas, Cuba.[8] One migrant seemed to suffer a heart attack and was sent to a US port for medical treatment.

Namesake

edit

Like all the vessels in her class William Trump is named after an individual from the Coast Guard's past who has been recognized as a hero.[3][4][9][10][11] Her namesake, William Trump, distinguished himself for his heroism helping soldiers land on Omaha Beach, during the Invasion of Normandy, actions that won him a Silver Star.

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Acquisition Update: 11th Fast Response Cutter Delivered To Coast Guard" (Press release). United States Coast Guard. 2014-11-25. Retrieved 2014-11-25.
  2. ^ "Coast Guard Cutter William Trump commissioning ceremony held at Sector Key West". Coast Guard News. 2015-01-24. Retrieved 2015-01-24.
  3. ^ a b "Bollinger delivers FRC named for Normandy hero". Marine Log. 2014-11-25. Retrieved 2014-11-26. We are extremely happy to announce the delivery of the latest FRC built by Bollinger, the William Trump, to the 7th Coast Guard District in Key West, FL," said Bollinger Chief Operating Officer, Ben Bordelon. "We are looking forward to honoring and celebrating the heroic acts of William Trump at the vessel's commissioning.
  4. ^ a b Keith MaGill (2014-11-25). "Local shipyard delivers latest Coast Guard cutter". Daily Comet. Retrieved 2014-11-26.
  5. ^ Michael Braun (2015-12-27). "Trio nabbed in 20-hour high-speed boat chase". Fort Myers Press-News. Retrieved 2015-12-28. A 20-hour high-speed boat chase that at times resembled a James Bond movie ended about 65 miles west of Cuba on Christmas Eve when the three suspects just gave up, law enforcement officials said.
  6. ^ a b Alastair Jamieson (2015-12-28). "Suspected Boat Thieves in Lee County, Florida, Lead Coast Guard on 345-Mile Chase". NBC News. Retrieved 2015-12-28. Three suspected boat thieves led the Coast Guard on a 345-mile high-speed chase lasting nearly 20 hours before they were eventually captured off Mexico, officials in Florida said Sunday.
  7. ^ Chris Eger (2016-05-05). "Coast Guard responds to urgent call of gunfire 20 miles offshore". Guns magazine. Retrieved 2018-11-14. The incident occurred approximately 20 nautical miles southwest of Marquesas Key, Florida, sparked when a 20-foot pleasure craft called in a report that the fishing vessel discharged a firearm numerous times in their direction around 9:45 a.m., as noted in a statement from the 7th Coast Guard District.
  8. ^ "U.S. Coast Guard Cutter William Trump Crew Interdicted Overloaded Vessel, Repatriates 36 Cuban Migrants". Space Coast Daily. 2018-11-12. Retrieved 2018-11-14. The Coast Guard Cutter William Trump crew repatriated 36 Cuban migrants Sunday to Cabañas, Cuba.
  9. ^ Connie Braesch (2010-11-09). "Coast Guard Heroes: William Trump". United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 2012-09-03.
  10. ^ Stephanie Young (2010-10-27). "Coast Guard Heroes". United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 2012-11-27. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  11. ^ "William Francis Trump: Obituary". Tampa Bay Times. 2009-07-26. Archived from the original on 2014-12-05.
edit