Point-class cutter


The Point-class cutter was a class of 82-foot patrol vessels designed to replace the United States Coast Guard's aging 83-foot wooden hull patrol boat being used at the time. The design utilized a mild steel hull and an aluminum superstructure. The Coast Guard Yard discontinued the building of the 95-foot in order to have the capacity to produce the 82-foot Point-class patrol boat in 1960. They served as patrol vessels used in law enforcement and search and rescue along the coasts of the United States and the Caribbean. They also served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. They were replaced by the 87-foot s beginning in the late 1990s.

Naming the class

Following the Coast Guard custom in place in 1960 of not naming vessels under 100 feet in length, the first 44 Point-class patrol boats were only identified by their hull number using the scheme of WPB-823xx, where 82 was the design length of the hull. Beginning in January 1964, the Coast Guard started naming all vessels 65 feet in length and over; the 82-foot patrol boats were all given geographical "Point" names.

Design and production

The design of the 82-foot patrol boat actually began in the early 1950s with the introduction of the 95-foot patrol boat, which was introduced to replace the aging wooden gasoline powered 83-foot patrol boats that were produced during World War II. The 95-foot patrol boat was originally developed as a search and rescue boat to replace the less capable 83-foot boat. With the outbreak of the Korean War and the requirement by the Coast Guard to secure port facilities in the United States under the Moss-Magnuson Act, the complete replacement of the 83-foot boat was deferred and the 95-foot boat was used for harbor patrols.
With the goal of reducing manning requirements in mind, the Point-class patrol boat was designed to accommodate an eight-man crew, which was a reduction from the 15-man crews of the Cape-class cutter. Production started in early 1960 at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland and continued through late December 1963, producing 44 boats. The first 30 boats were powered by two Cummins diesel engines; except for 82314, which was powered by two gas turbine engines with controllable pitch propellers and 82318 which had two Cummins diesels installed. Beginning in March 1962 with 82331, all boats were equipped with two 800-horsepower Cummins diesel engines. All were equipped with twin propellers. Eventually all boats were upgraded to the same 800-horsepower main engines used in the later production.
In 1966 a contract for the production of 25 additional boats was awarded to J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. of Tacoma, Washington and all 25 were equipped with the twin 800-horsepower engines of the 1962 and later Yard production. In 1970, the last nine boats of the class were produced at the Yard utilizing the 800-horsepower design of the rest of the class. Those boats in service in 1990 were refit with Caterpillar diesel main drive engines. Engine exhaust was ported through the transom rather than through a conventional stack and this permitted a 360-degree view from the bridge; a feature that was very useful in search and rescue work as well as a combat environment.
The design specifications for the 82-foot cutter included a steel hull for durability and an aluminum superstructure to save weight. Ease of operation with a small crew size was possible because of the non-manned main drive engine spaces. Controls and alarms located on the bridge allowed one-man operation of the cutter thus eliminating a live engineer watch in the engine room. Because of design, four men could operate the cutter; however, the need for resting watchstanders brought the crew size to eight men for normal domestic service. Berthing spaces were provided for 13 so that requirements were met for passengers and extra wartime manning needs.
The screws were designed for ease of replacement and could be changed without removing the cutter from the water. A clutch-in idle speed of three knots helped to conserve fuel on lengthy patrols and an 18-knot maximum speed could get the cutter on scene quickly. Already part of the design, crews stationed in Vietnam found the air-conditioned interior especially helpful. Interior access to the deckhouse was through a watertight door on the starboard side aft of the deckhouse. The deckhouse contained the cabin for the officer-in-charge and the executive petty officer but for Vietnam service the spaces quartered the commanding officer, the executive officer and chief boatswain's mate as well as the chief engineman. The deckhouse also included a small arms locker, scuttlebutt, a small desk and head. Access to the lower deck and engine room was down a ladder. At the bottom of the ladder was the galley, mess and recreation deck, which also included three bunks for first-class petty officers. A watertight door at the front of the mess bulkhead led to the main crew quarters which was 10 feet long and included six bunks that could be stowed, three bunks on each side. Forward of the bunks was the crew's head complete with a compact sink, shower and commode.

History

Domestic service

A total of 79 Point-class cutters were used for law enforcement and search-and-rescue patrol boats beginning in 1960. The cutters were mostly co-located with Coast Guard stations along the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts. Point-class cutters were phased out in the late 1990s by the introduction of the Marine Protector-class coastal patrol boat with the last Point-class cutter being decommissioned in 2003.

Vietnam service

At the request of the U.S. Navy, 26 of the Point-class cutters were transported to Vietnam to serve with Coast Guard crews under U.S. Navy control during Operation Market Time. Coast Guard Squadron One was commissioned at Alameda, California on 27 May 1965. Crews immediately began training and preparation for overseas deployment. All USCG Point-class cutters in Vietnam were later turned over to the South Vietnamese Navy as part of the Vietnamization of the war effort.
When North Vietnam overtook the South the then-South Vietnamese Navy cutters had varied fates. Some were captured and incorporated into the Vietnam People's Navy. A few South Vietnamese boats were scuttled, and some by fleeing South Vietnamese military and civilians to successfully escape to the Philippines. The boats that sailed to the Philippines were pressed into service by the Philippine Navy, boats decommissioned in the 1980s, at which time the boats sold for scrap or to the private market.
, October 1965, for its conversion from Coast Guard use to Vietnam War river patrol duties.

Replacement

When planning the replacement for the Point-class cutter, designers took into consideration the need for different berthing arrangements that would accommodate a mixed-gender crew. Another important feature lacking on the Point-class cutter that was desired on a replacement was a stern launch ramp for the rapid deployment of the cutter's small boat for use in search-and-rescue missions and in law-enforcement work. Both of these requirements were designed into the Marine Protector-class that began replacing the Point-class cutters during the late 1990s. The last Point-class cutter was replaced in 2003.

Commissioning, homeport, and disposition information

Legend:
NameHull numberCommissionedDecommissionedHomeportDisposition
Point CautionWPB-823015 October 196029 April 1970Galveston, Texas 61-65; Division 12, RVN 65-70Transfer to RVN as RVNS Nguyễn An 29 April 1970
Point HopeWPB-823025 October 19603 May 1991Sabine Pass, Texas 61-91Transfer to Costa Rica 3 May 1991
Point YoungWPB-8230326 October 196016 March 1970Grand Isle, Louisiana 61-65; Division 11, RVN 65-70Transfer to RVN as RVNS Trần Lo 16 March 1970
Point LeagueWPB-823049 November 196016 May 1969Morgan City, Louisiana 61-65; Division 13, RVN 65-69Transfer to RVN as RVNS Lê Phước Đức 16 May 1969
Point PartridgeWPB-8230523 November 196027 May 1970Beals and West Jonesport, Maine 61-65; Division 13, RVN 66-70Transfer to RVN as RVNS Bùi Viết Thành 27 May 1970
Point JeffersonWPB-823067 December 196021 February 1970Nantucket, Massachusetts 61-65; Division 13, RVN 65-70Transfer to RVN as RVNS Lê Ngọc Ẩn 21 February 1970
Point GloverWPB-823077 December 196014 February 1970Fort Hancock, New Jersey 61-65; Division 11, RVN 65-70Transfer to RVN as RVNS Đào Văn Đặng 14 February 1970
Point WhiteWPB-8230818 February 196112 January 1970New London, Connecticut 61-65; Division 13, RVN 66-70Transfer to RVN as RVNS Lê Đình Hùng 12 January 1970
Point ArdenWPB-823091 February 196114 February 1970Pt. Pleasant, New Jersey 61-65; Division 12, RVN 65-70Transfer to RVN as RVNS Phạm Ngọc Châu 14 February 1970
Point GarnetWPB-8231015 March 196116 May 1969Norfolk, Virginia 61-65; Division 11, RVN 65-69Transfer to RVN as RVNS Lê Văn Ngà 16 May 1969
Point VerdeWPB-8231115 March 196112 May 1991Venice, Louisiana 61-68; Dauphin Island, Louisiana 69-79; Pensacola, Florida 80-91Transfer to Mexico 12 June 1991
Point SwiftWPB-8231222 March 196130 March 1995St. Petersburg, Florida 61-68; Clearwater Beach, Florida 69-91Stored at CG Yard at least through Jun 1997. Sunk as an artificial reef near Cape May, New Jersey, 30 March 2000
Point SlocumWPB-8231312 April 196111 December 1969St. Thomas, VI 61-65; Division 13, RVN 66-69Transfer to RVN as RVNS Nguyễn Ngọc Thạch 11 December 1969
Point ThatcherWPB-8231413 September 196113 May 1992Miami Beach, Florida 61-63, 66-71; Norfolk, Virginia 64-65; Sarasota, Florida 71-84; Nokomis, Florida 85-92Sunk as artificial reef
Point ClearWPB-8231526 April 196115 September 1969San Pedro, California 61-65; Division 11, RVN 65-69Transfer to RVN as RVNS Huỳnh Văn Đức 15 September 1969
Point MastWPB-8231610 May 196115 June 1970Long Beach, California 61-65; Division 11, RVN 65-70Transfer to RVN as Ho Dang La 15 June 1970
Point ComfortWPB-8231724 May 196117 November 1969Benicia, California 61-65; Division 11, RVN 65-69Transfer to RVN as RVNS Đào Thức 17 November 1969
Point HerronWPB-8231814 June 196127 July 1991Lewes, Delaware 61-64; Cape May, New Jersey 65; Bay Shore, New Jersey 66-81; Babylon, New York 82-91Transfer to Mexico 27 July 1991
Point OrientWPB-8231928 June 196114 July 1970Ft. Pierce, Florida 61-65; Division 12, RVN 65-70Transfer to RVN as RVNS Nguyễn Kim Hưng 14 July 1970
Point KennedyWPB-8232019 July 196116 March 1970San Juan, PR 61-65; Division 13, RVN 66-70Transfer to RVN as RVNS Huỳnh Văn Ngan 16 March 1970
Point LomasWPB-823219 August 196123 May 1970Port Aransas, Texas 61-65; Division 12, RVN 65-70Transfer to RVN as HQ-718 23 May 1970
Point HudsonWPB-8232230 August 196111 December 1969Panama City, Florida 61-65; Division 13, RVN 65-69Transfer to RVN as RVNS Đặng Văn Hoành 11 December 1969
Point GraceWPB-8232327 September 196115 June 1970Crisfield, Maryland 61-65; Division 13, RVN 66-70Transfer to RVN as Dam Thoai 15 June 1970
Point GreyWPB-8232411 October 196114 July 1970Norfolk, Virginia 61-65; Division 11, RVN 65-70Transfer to RVN as RVNS Huỳnh Bộ 14 July 1970
Point DumeWPB-823251 November 196114 February 1970Fire Island, New York 61-65; Division 12, RVN 65-70Transfer to RVN as RVNS Trường Tiền 14 February 1970
Point CypressWPB-8232622 November 196115 August 1970Boston, Massachusetts 61-65; Division 13, RVN 66-70Transfer to RVN as RVNS Hồ Duy 15 August 1970
Point BanksWPB-8232713 December 196126 March 1970Woods Hole, Massachusetts 61-65; Division 13, RVN 66-70Transfer to RVN as HQ-719 26 March 1970
Point GammonWPB-8232831 January 196211 November 1969Ft. Bragg, California 62-65; Division 12, RVN 65-69Transfer to RVN as RVNS Nguyễn Đao 11 November 1969
Point WelcomeWPB-8232914 February 196229 April 1970Everett, Washington 62-65; Division 12, RVN 65-70Transfer to RVN as RVNS Nguyễn Hấn 29 April 1970
Point EllisWPB-8233028 February 19629 December 1969Port Townsend, Washington 62-65; Division 12, RVN 65-69Transfer to RVN as RVNS Lê Ngọc Thanh 9 December 1969
Point MaroneWPB-8233114 March 196215 August 1970San Pedro, California 62-65; Division 11, RVN 65-70Transfer to RVN as RVNS Trương Ba 15 August 1970
Point RobertsWPB-823326 June 19621 February 1992Mayport, Florida 62-92Transfer to EPA as Lake Explorer Duluth, Minnesota
Point HighlandWPB-8233327 June 196224 February 2001Little Creek, Virginia 62-65; Crisfield, Maryland 65-81; Chincoteague, Maryland 81-97; Cape May, New Jersey 97-01Transfer to Trinidad & Tobago as Bacolet Point 30 September 1
Point LedgeWPB-8233418 July 19623 August 1998Ft. Bragg, California 62-94; St. Thomas, VI 94-96; Mobile, Alabama 96-98Transfer to Venezuela 30 August 1998
Point CountessWPB-823358 August 196225 May 2000Bellingham, Washington 62-65; Everett, Washington 66-67; Port Angeles, Washington 68-88; Nokomis Beach, Florida 88-00Transfer to Republic of Georgia 29 June 2000
Point GlassWPB-8233629 August 19623 April 2000Tacoma, Washington 62-70; Gig Harbor, Washington 71-89; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 90-00Transfer to NOAA 3 April 2000
Point DivideWPB-8233719 September 196231 March 1995Newport Beach, California 62-65; Corona del Mar, California 66-95Donated to Seattle Maritime Academy renamed Maritime Instructor.
Point BridgeWPB-8233810 October 196219 September 2001San Pedro, California 62-64; Venice, California 65-78; Marina del Rey, California 79-01Transfer to Costa Rica
Point ChicoWPB-8233929 October 196224 June 2001Sausalito, California 63-65; Benicia, California 66-74; Yerba Buena Island, California 74-80; Bodega Bay, California 80-01Transfer to Costa Rica
Point BatanWPB-8234022 November 196222 September 1999Fort Hancock, New Jersey 62-65; Pt. Pleasant, New Jersey 66-84; Cape May, New Jersey 85-99Transfer to Dominican Republic 22 September 1999
Point LookoutWPB-8234112 December 196224 March 1994Pascagoula, Mississippi 62-64; Morgan City, Louisiana 65-94Sunk as artificial reef at Ocean City, Maryland 4 April 1997
Point BakerWPB-8234230 October 19636 February 2002Port Isabel, Texas 63-65; Port Aransas, Texas 66-91, Sabine Pass, Texas 92-02Transfer to Republic of Georgia
Point WellsWPB-8234320 November 196313 October 2000Montauk, New York 64-00Transfer to Colombia
Point EsteroWPB-8234411 December 19636 February 2001Gulfport, Mississippi 63-01Transfer to Colombia
Point JudithWPB-8234526 July 196615 January 1992San Pedro, California 66-72; Santa Barbara, California 73-92Transfer to Venezuela as Alcatraz 15 January 1992
Point ArenaWPB-8234626 August 196630 March 1995Little Creek, Virginia 66-95Stored at CG Yard at least through Jun 1997
Point BonitaWPB-8234712 September 196614 November 2000Nantucket, Massachusetts 66-71; Woods Hole, Massachusetts 72-88; South Portland, Maine 88-00Transfer to Trinidad & Tobago 14 November 2000
Point BarrowWPB-823484 October 19667 June 1991San Francisco, California 66-80; Monterey, California 81-91Transfer to Panama as Tres de Noviembre 7 June 1991
Point SpencerWPB-8234920 October 196612 December 2000New Orleans, Louisiana 67-85; Galveston. TX 85-00Transfer to Dominican Republic 12 December 2000
Point FranklinWPB-8235014 November 196623 June 1998Cape May, New Jersey 66-98Transfer to Venezuela as Pelicano 3 August 1998
Point BennettWPB-8235119 December 196612 February 1999Port Townsend, Washington 67-99Transfer to Trinidad and Tobago 12 February 1999
Point SalWPB-823525 December 196629 May 2001Grand Isle, Louisiana 67-01Transfer to Colombia 29 May 2001
Point MonroeWPB-8235327 December 196621 August 2001Galveston, Texas 67-68; Freeport, Texas 69-01Transfer to NOAA
Point EvansWPB-8235410 January 19671 December 1999Long Beach, California 67-92; Kauai, HI 92-99Transfer to Philippines
Point HannonWPB-8235523 January 196711 January 2001West Jonesport, Maine 67-01Transfer to Panama
Point FrancisWPB-823562 February 19675 March 1999Fort Hancock, New Jersey 67-76; Highlands, New Jersey 76-99Transfer to Panama as 10 de Noviembre 21 April 1999
Point HuronWPB-8235717 February 196712 April 1999Norfolk, Virginia 67-99Transfer to Panama as 28 de Noviembre
Point StuartWPB-8235817 March 196727 April 2001Long Beach, California 67-95; Newport Beach, California 95-01Transfer to El Salvador
Point Steele
ex-Point Buchon
WPB-8235926 April 19679 July 1998Rockaway, New York 67-70, Oswego, New York 70-80; Key West, Florida 80; Fort Myers Beach, Florida 82-98Transfer to Antigua-Barbuda as Hermitage 17 July 1998
Point WinslowWPB-823603 March 196722 September 2000San Francisco, California 67-80; Eureka, California 81-86; Morro Bay, California 87-94, Morgan City, Louisiana 94-00Transfer to Panama 22 September 2000
Point CharlesWPB-823615 May 196713 December 1991Cape Canaveral, Florida; 67-88; West Palm Beach, Florida 88-91Transfer to Texas A&M University
Point BrownWPB-8236230 March 196727 September 1991Little Creek, Virginia 67-81; Oregon Inlet, North Carolina 81-88; Atlantic Beach, North Carolina 88-91Donated to Coast Guard Auxiliary as Lady B, New York 30 September 1991
Point NowellWPB-8236313 June 196715 October 1999Port Isabel, Texas 67-99Transfer to Jamaica as Savanna Point 15 October 1999
Point WhitehornWPB-8236413 July 196730 March 1995St. Thomas, VI 67-95Scuttled Mar 1997
Point Turner ex-Point HoughtonWPB-8236514 April 19673 April 1998Newport, Rhode Island 67-98Transfer to St. Lucia as Alphonse Reynolds 15 April 1998
Point LobosWPB-8236629 May 1967?Panama City, Florida 67-?Transfer to NOAA, 2001
Point KnollWPB-8236727 June 196711 September 1991New London, Connecticut 67-91Transfer to Venezuela as Petrel 20 December 1991
Point WardeWPB-8236814 August 196729 June 2000San Juan, PR 67-87; Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina 87-00Transfer to Colombia 29 June 2000
Point HeyerWPB-823693 August 196717 December 1998San Francisco, California 67-86; Morro Bay, California 87-98Transfer to Trinidad and Tobago 12 February 1999
Point RichmondWPB-8237025 August 196730 September 1997Anacortes, Washington 67-87Transfer to Ecuador as 23 de Mayo 1997
Point BarnesWPB-8237121 April 197012 January 2000Miami Beach, Florida 70-75; Fort Pierce, Florida 75-00Transfer to Jamaica
Point BrowerWPB-8237221 April 197028 March 2003San Diego, California 70-89; San Francisco, California 89-Transfer to Azerbaijan as Marine Brigade Ship S-201
Point CamdenWPB-823734 May 197015 December 1999San Pedro, California 70-92; Santa Barbara, California 92-99Transfer to Costa Rica
Point CarrewWPB-8237418 May 197022 August 2000San Pedro, California 70-84; Oxnard, California 85-00Transfer to Argentina as ARA Río Santiago
Point DoranWPB-823751 June 197022 March 2000Everett, Washington 70-00Transfer to Philippines
Point HarrisWPB-8237622 June 197012 April 1992Bodega Bay, California 70-77; Guam 78-80; Honolulu, HI 80-81; Nawiliwili, HI 90-92Sold to private owner
Point HobartWPB-8237713 July 19708 July 1999Oceanside, California 70-99Transfer to Argentina as ARA Punta Mogotes
Point JacksonWPB-823783 August 197030 May 2000Woods Hole, Massachusetts 70-00Transfer to Turkmenistan as Merjin 30 May 2000
Point MartinWPB-8237920 August 19706 August 1999Norfolk, Virginia 70-73; Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina 74-83; Atlantic Beach, North Carolina 83-99Transfer to Dominican Republic 1 October 1999

Footnotes

Citations