USCGC Bitt

Last updated
History
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
NameBitt
NamesakeA bitt is a vertical post set on the deck of a ship for securing cables.
Builder Western Boat Building Corp Tacoma, Washington [1] [2]
Commissioned27 May 1966 [2]
Decommissioned4 October 1982
In service10 April 1984 as R/V Clifford A. Barnes
Out of serviceDecember 2018
FateTransferred to National Science Foundation, October 1982 [3] Sold at auction June 2019
StatusActive as Pleasure Craft M/V BITT Home Port Benicia California
General characteristics
Class and type65 foot–harbor tug
Displacement74 tons
Length64 ft 11 in (19.79 m) [4]
Beam19 ft 1 in (5.82 m)
Draft9 ft (2.7 m)
Propulsion1 Caterpillar D379 V-8 diesel; 550 shaft horsepower
Speed(cruising) 7.0 kn (13.0 km/h; 8.1 mph)
Range(cruising) 3,690 nmi (6,830 km)
Complement8
Armamentnone

USCGC Bitt (WYTL-65613) was a cutter in the U.S. Coast Guard. Constructed by Western Boat Building Corp and commissioned in 1966, the vessel served as part of the USCG for sixteen years before being decommissioned in 1982 and transferred to the National Science Foundation (NSF). During her Coast Guard service, Bitt was based in Washington and Alaska, where she was utilized mainly in a law enforcement and search and rescue (SAR) role. She was purchased by a civilian couple living and raising their first child aboard the vessel.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Construction and design

Crewed by five personnel, Bitt was a small vessel displacing 74 tons. [2] She was 64 ft 11 in (19.79 m) long, [4] with a beam of 19 ft 1 in (5.82 m) and a 9 ft (2.7 m) draft. The vessel's main drive engine consisted of one Caterpillar D379 V-8 diesel, which produced 400 shaft horsepower and drove a single propeller, [4] [3] giving a cruising speed of 7.0 kn (13.0 km/h; 8.1 mph) and a cruising range of 3,690 nmi (6,830 km). [2] Her maximum speed was 10.6 kn (19.6 km/h; 12.2 mph), where she could patrol 1,130 nmi (2,090 km). [4] She carried no armament but was fitted with a SPN-11 detection radar. [2] Upon completion, she cost a total of $US 158,366 to construct. [4]

History

Bitt was one of fifteen steel-hulled icebreaking small harbor tugs that were put into service in the 1960s to replace 64 ft (20 m) wooden-hulled harbor tugs that the Coast Guard had used since the 1940s. [5] She was initially homeported at Bellingham, Washington where her duties included law enforcement, SAR, and ice operations. [4] [5] On 5 January 1969, she assisted in evacuating a stranded person near the Nooksack River when a dike broke. [5] On 29 July 1969, she towed the disabled fishing vessel Jet Stream to safety from Admiralty Inlet. [5] On 20 October 1975, she rescued two persons from a capsized sailboat. [5] She transferred to Valdez, Alaska in 1978. [4] [5] She was decommissioned in October 1982 and transferred to the National Science Foundation for use as the Research Vessel Clifford A. Barnes. After serving through an agreement with the University of Washington School of Oceanography research facilities in Seattle, Washington, the University of Washington decommissioned the vessel at the end of 2018. She was purchased at auction by a civilian couple in 2019, who renamed her back to Bitt. The couple currently live aboard her with their child in Northern California. [3] [6] [7]

Notes

Citations
  1. ↑ "Western Boatbuilding". Small Ship Building and Boat Building Yards. Shipbuildinghistory.com. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Scheina, p 105
  3. 1 2 3 "R/V Barnes". School of Oceanography Vessels. University of Washington. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Data Sheet for 65' WYTL tug" (pdf). USCGC Bitt (WYTL-65613). U.S. Coast Guard. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Scheina, p 106
  6. ↑ "MODIFICATIONS TO CONVERT THE FORMER USCGC BITT TO A RESEARCHVESSEL", Access to Archival Databases (AAD), The National Archives Administration (NARA)
  7. ↑ "R/V Barnes", School of Oceanography website, University of Washington
References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Coast Guard Cutters and Craft Index. United States Government.

Related Research Articles

USCGC <i>Acushnet</i> (WMEC-167) United States Coast Guard cutter

USCGC Acushnet (WMEC-167) was a cutter of the United States Coast Guard, homeported in Ketchikan, Alaska. She was originally USS Shackle (ARS-9), a Diver-class rescue and salvage ship commissioned by the United States Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for coming to the aid of stricken vessels and received three battle stars during World War II, before a long career with the Coast Guard. Acushnet patrolled the waters of the North Pacific and was one of the last World War II era ships on active duty in the US fleet upon her retirement in 2011.

USCGC Spar (WLB-403) was a 180-foot (55 m) sea going buoy tender. An Iris class vessel, she was built by Marine Ironworks and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth, Minnesota. Spar's preliminary design was completed by the United States Lighthouse Service and the final design was produced by Marine Iron and Shipbuilding. On 13 September 1943 the keel was laid, she was launched on 2 November 1943 and commissioned on 12 June 1944. The original cost for the hull and machinery was $865,941.

USCGC <i>Bollard</i>

USCGC Bollard (WYTL-65614) is a cutter in the U.S. Coast Guard.

USCGC <i>Wachusett</i> (WHEC-44)

USCGC Wachusett (WHEC-44) was an Owasco-class high endurance cutter built for World War II service with the United States Coast Guard. She was commissioned too late for service in that war and consequently did not see wartime service until the Vietnam War.

USCGC <i>Winona</i>

USCGC Winona (WHEC-65) was an Owasco class high endurance cutter built for World War II service with the United States Coast Guard. The war ended before the ship was completed and consequently she did not see wartime service until the Vietnam War.

USS <i>Calypso</i> (AG-35)

The third USS Calypso (AG-35) was launched 6 January 1932 for the United States Coast Guard as USCGC Calypso (WPC-104) by the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. She was initially stationed at San Diego, California, and transferred to Baltimore, Maryland in 1938. She was transferred from the Coast Guard to the U.S. Navy on 17 May 1941 and commissioned the same day.

USCGC Raritan (WYT-93/WYTM-93) was a United States Coast Guard 110 ft (34 m) harbor tug that was in service from 1939 to 1988. She served on the Greenland Patrol during World War II and after the war on the Great Lakes. From 1980 until decommissioning she was homeported at Governors Island.

USCGC Clover WAGL/WLB/WMEC-292, a Cactus (A) Class buoy tender was built by Marine Iron and Shipbuilding, Duluth, Minnesota. Her keel was laid 3 December 1941, and she was launched 25 April 1942. She was commissioned on 8 November 1942 in the United States Coast Guard as the United States Coast Guard Cutter Clover. She was built as a WAGL, redesignated a WLB in 1965, and again redesignated a WMEC in 1979.

USCGC Catenary (WYTL-65606) was a cutter in the United States Coast Guard (USCG). Constructed by the Gibbs Gas Engine Company and commissioned in early 1962, the vessel served as part of the USCG for over 30 years before being decommissioned in mid-1995 and sold to the United States Merchant Marine Academy. During her service Catenary was based primarily on the east coast of the United States where she was utilized mainly in a law enforcement role.

USCGC <i>General Greene</i>

USCGC General Greene (WPC/WSC/WMEC-140), was a 125 ft (38 m) United States Coast Guard Active-class patrol boat, in commission from 1927 to 1968 and the fourth cutter to bear the name of the famous Revolutionary War general, Nathanael Greene. She served during the Rum Patrol, World War II and into the 1960s performing defense, law enforcement, ice patrol, and search and rescue missions.

USCGC Point Glass (WPB-82336) was an 82-foot (25 m) Point class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1962 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat. Since the Coast Guard policy in 1962 was not to name cutters under 100 feet (30 m) in length, it was designated as WPB-82336 when commissioned and acquired the name Point Glass in January 1964 when the Coast Guard started naming all cutters longer than 65 feet (20 m).

RV <i>Clifford A. Barnes</i>

RV Clifford A. Barnes was a research vessel that was owned by the National Science Foundation and operated as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System fleet. The University of Washington School of Oceanography operated the vessel under a charter-party agreement.

USCG 65 Small harbor tug

The USCG 65' small harbor tug is a class of fifteen tugs used by the United States Coast Guard for search and rescue, law enforcement, aids-to-navigation work and light icebreaking. The tugs are capable of breaking 18 in (0.46 m) of ice with propulsion ahead and 21 in (0.53 m) of ice backing and ramming. They were designed with steel hulls to replace the 64 ft (20 m) wooden-hulled tugs that had been in service since the 1940s and were built by Gibbs Gas Engine Company, Jacksonville, Florida; Barbour Boat Works of New Bern, North Carolina; and Western Boat Builders Corporation, Tacoma, Washington from 1961 to 1967. They were originally powered by a single 400 horsepower diesel engine, however several have been re-powered with 500 horsepower main drive engines since they were constructed.

USCGC <i>Marion</i>

USCGC Marion (WSC-145), was a 125 ft (38 m) United States Coast Guard Active-class patrol boat in commission from 1927 to 1962. She was named for Francis Marion, an American Revolutionary War general who was known for his unconventional warfare tactics. Marion served during the Rum Patrol and World War II performing defense, law enforcement, ice patrol, and search and rescue missions. Most notably, Marion served as the platform for the first intensive oceanographic studies made by the Coast Guard.

USCGC <i>Crawford</i>

USCGC Crawford (WSC-134), was a 125 ft (38 m) United States Coast Guard Active-class patrol boat in commission from 1927 to 1947. She was named for William H. Crawford, (1772–1834) who was appointed in 1816 as Secretary of the Treasury by President James Madison and he continued under President James Monroe through 1825. Crawford was the seventh vessel commissioned by the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and the Coast Guard named after the former secretary. She served during the Rum Patrol and World War II performing defense, law enforcement, ice patrol, and search and rescue missions.

USCGC <i>Aspen</i> Seagoing buoy tender of the United States Coast Guard

USCGC Aspen (WLB-208) is the eighth cutter in the Juniper-class 225 ft (69 m) of seagoing buoy tenders. She is under the operational control of the Commander of the Eleventh U.S. Coast Guard District and is home-ported at Yerba Buena Island in San Francisco, California. Her primary area of responsibility is the coastal waters, river bars and high seas from the California–Oregon border to San Diego, California. Aspen conducts heavy lift aids-to-navigation operations, and law enforcement, homeland security, environmental pollution response, and search and rescue as directed.

USCGC Cape Cross was a 95-foot (29 m) type "C" Cape-class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1958 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat.

USCGC Cape Horn was a 95-foot (29 m) type "C" Cape-class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland, in 1958 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat.

USCGC Cape Darby was a 95-foot (29 m) type "C" Cape-class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1958 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat.

USCGC Cape Shoalwater was a 95-foot (29 m) type "C" Cape-class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1958 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.