USCGC Neah Bay

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Coast Guard Cutter Neah Bay breaks ice DVIDS1090077.jpg
USCGC Neah Bay
History
Flag of the United States Coast Guard.svgUnited States
NameNeah Bay
Namesake Neah Bay
Builder Tacoma Boatbuilding Co.
Laid down6 August 1979
Launched16 February 1980
Commissioned25 October 1980
Homeport Cleveland, Ohio
Identification
Honors and
awards		 See Awards
StatusActive
General characteristics
Class & type Bay-class tugboat
Displacement662 t (652 long tons)
Length42.7 m (140 ft)
Beam11.4 m (37 ft 5 in)
Draught3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
Propulsion
Speed14.7 knots (27.2 km/h; 16.9 mph)
Range
  • 1,500 nmi (2,800 km; 1,700 mi) at 14.7 knots (27.2 km/h; 16.9 mph)
  • 3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
  • 6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement3 officers and 14 enlisted
Armament2 × M240 machine guns

USCGC Neah Bay (WTGB-105) is the fifth vessel of the Bay-class tugboat built in 1980 and operated by the United States Coast Guard. [1] The ship was named after a bay located within the state of Washington and bordered by Puget Sound. [2]

Contents

Design

The 140-foot Bay-class tugboats are operated primarily for domestic ice breaking duties. They are named after American bays and are stationed mainly in the northeast United States and the Great Lakes.

WTGBs use a low pressure air hull lubrication or bubbler system that forces air and water between the hull and ice. This system improves icebreaking capabilities by reducing resistance against the hull, reducing horsepower requirements.

Construction and career

Neah Bay was laid down by the Tacoma Boatbuilding Co., in Tacoma, Washington on 6 August 1979. She was launched on 16 February 1980 and later commissioned in Cleveland, on 25 October 1980.

A Himalayan cat named Casca in which was rescued by Lt. Commander Molly Waters during a stint in Alaska, now sits on board the ship. [3]

On 3 February 2021, Neah Bay was deployed alongside CCGS Samuel Risley to help relieve flooding along the St. Clair River, joining the USCGC Bristol Bay and CCGS Griffon who had previously been working to break up ice jams there. [4]

In January 2025, Neah Bay was one of several Coast Guard ships deployed to free the bulk carrier Manitoulin which was stuck in ice near Buffalo, New York. [5]

Awards

References

  1. ↑ "CGC NEAH BAY". www.atlanticarea.uscg.mil. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  2. ↑ "NEAH BAY History". www.atlanticarea.uscg.mil. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  3. ↑ Smith, Jackie. "Former Hollyhock commander Molly Waters dies after motorcycle crash". Times Herald. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  4. ↑ Fitzgerald, Brian Wells and Laura. "UPDATE: Two more icebreakers deployed to help relieve St. Clair River flooding". Times Herald. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  5. ↑ Ardrey, Taylor. "U.S. Coast Guard works to break ice around massive Canadian ship trapped on Lake Erie". USA TODAY. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
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