Thursday, September 6, 2012

USCGC Katmai Bay

Next up was a tour of the US Coast Guard Cutter Katmai Bay.  She was the lead ship of a series of icebreaking tugboats and is normally stationed up in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
 She was commissioned in 1979 as a 140 foot icebreaking tug (WTGB) and is named after a Bay in Alaska.  She was designed to have greater mission capability than the older tugs.
 I guess over the course of the years, a ship would manage to get a few ribbons.  Although I have no idea what any of them mean.
 She is powered by two 2,500 horsepower diesel engines which drive an electric motor for the main drive shaft.   She is capable of 14.7 knots.
 Basically air is forced out from the hull which in turns helps in breaking the ice.
 This was another vessel riding shotgun while I was on the ship. 
 A shot of her bow.  You can see the masts of the Niagara and the Hurricane herself.
 A gyroscope.
 The wheel.
 A shot of the two ships in front of her from the Bridge.  I really like getting shots from the bridge.
 A shot of her bow.
 One of the controls stations to the side of the Bridge.
 A closeup of the Coast Guard seal on her smoke stack.
 Another shot of her mast.
 Her inflatable Zodiac craft.  This would be used if they need to chase after something.
 The War of 1812 flag flying from her stern.
 Another shot of her main flags.
 Looking down the side of the boat.
 A shot after I had gotten off her.
And a shot from the Hurricane.

For as often as I've seen her sister vessel in Detroit, I think it was pretty cool to get a chance to tour around this vessel.  The Coast Guard sailors that did the tour were pretty good and very friendly.  They were also very friendly and perfect representatives of our Coast Guard.

At any rate, she is doing the tour with the Hurricane, De Wert and Niagara.  I presume that once she is done with the tour, she will head back up to the Soo.

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