The White-class buoy tender is a class of buoy tenders of the United States Coast Guard. Eight ships of the YF-257-class lighter were transferred from the United States Navy and were in commission from 1947 until 2002.[1]
 USCGC White Bush | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | White class |
| Builders |
|
| Operators | |
| Preceded by | Eagle class |
| Succeeded by | Casco class |
| Built | 1944-1945 |
| In commission | 1947-2002 |
| Planned | 8 |
| Completed | 8 |
| Lost | 1 |
| Retired | 7 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Buoy tender |
| Displacement | 600 t (591 long tons) |
| Length | 132 ft 10 in (40.49 m) |
| Beam | 30 ft 0 in (9.14 m) |
| Draft | 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 10.5 kn (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) |
| Range |
|
| Complement | 1 warrant, 20 crewmen (1947) |
Design
According to her Ship's Characteristics Card dated August 30, 1965, the White-class buoy tenders were 132 feet 10 inches in overall length; 132 feet in length between perpendiculars; 30 feet 9.75 inches in extreme beam; 15 feet 8 inches in depth of hold; 6 feet 2 inches in draft forward fully loaded; and 5 feet in draft forward with a light load. Their one mast was 48 feet tall. The vessel displaced 600 tons and had a maximum speed of 9.2 knots (17.0 km/h; 10.6 mph) fully loaded. Their hulls, superstructure, decks, bulkheads, and frames were constructed of steel. Auxiliary boats in 1965 included a fiberglass outboard and three seven-man inflatable lifeboats. In 1965, they had original diesel engines built by Union Diesel Engine Company, Oakland, California, with two propellers, 300 horsepower (220 kW) each, and two auxiliary diesel generators.[2][3]
They underwent a major renovation at the United States Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, Baltimore, Maryland during the 1960s and 70s. These modifications included updated equipment to improve her AtoN capabilities. Before decommissioning, White Pine's length was 133 feet; beam, 31 feet; and draft, 8 feet. Her displacement tonnage was listed at 606 gross tons and her mast height as 37.5 feet. She had a lifting capacity of 20,000 pounds, using two hydraulic pumps. She had twin Caterpillar diesel engines, 375 horsepower each, twin propellers, and Detroit Diesel auxiliary generators. Cruising capacity was 10 knots. Her maximum time out to sea was twenty days at 8 knots. Her complement of officers and crew was 26.[3]
Ships in the class
| White-class buoy tender | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull no. | Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Fate |
| WAGL-540 / WLM-540 | White Sumac | Niagara Shipbuilding Co. | 1942 | 1943 | 19 September 1947 | 1 August 2002 | Transferred to Dominican Republic as Capotillo (BA-2), 2002 |
| WAGL-541 / WLM-541 | White Alder | 1942 | 1943 | 19 September 1947 | - | Sank after collision on 7 December 1968 | |
| WAGL-542 / WLM-542 | White Bush | Basalt Rock Co. | 1943 | 1944 | 11 August 1947 | 16 September 1985 | Returned to US Navy as USS White Bush (IX-542), 1985 |
| WAGL-543 / WLM-543 | White Holly | 3 August 1943 | 8 April 1944 | 1 December 1947 | 30 September 1998 | Sold to merchant service as MV White Holly, 1999 | |
| WAGL-544 / WLM-544 | White Sage | Erie Concrete & Steel Supply Co. | 29 March 1943 | 19 June 1943 | 9 August 1947 | 7 June 1996 | Donated to merchant service, 1999 |
| WAGL-545 / WLM-545 | White Heath | 4 June 1943 | 21 July 1943 | 9 August 1947 | 31 March 1998 | Transferred to Tunisia as Turgueness (A-805), 1998 | |
| WAGL-546 / WLM-546 | White Lupine | 1943 | 1943 | 5 September 1947 | 27 February 1998 | Transferred to Tunisia as Tabarka (A-804), 1998 | |
| WAGL-547 / WLM-547 | White Pine | 12 June 1943 | 28 August 1943 | 3 August 1948 | 29 June 1999 | Transferred to Dominican Republic as Tortuguero (BA-1), 29 June 1999 | |
References
- This article contains public domain text from the United States Coast Guard Historian’s Office website.
- http://www.uscg.mil/history/WEBCUTTERS/NPS_133_HAER_Report.pdf
- Cutter History File. USCG Historian's Office, USCG HQ, Washington, D.C.
- Robert Scheina. U.S. Coast Guard Cutters & Craft, 1946–1990. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1990.
- U. S. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. U.S. Coast Guard 133-foot (41 m) Buoy Tenders. HAER booklet. Washington, DC: National Park Service, February, 2004. [ HAER no. DC-57; Todd Croteau, HAER Industrial Archeologist (project leader); Jet Low, HAER Photographer; Mark Porter, NCSHPO Consultant (historian), and Candace Clifford, booklet design. ]