USCGC Chincoteague (WPB-1320)

For other ships with the same name, see USCGC Chincoteague.
USCGC Chincoteague (WPB-1320)
USCGC Chincoteague (WPB-1320)
History
United States
NamesakeChincoteague Island, Virginia
Builder
Commissioned8 August 1988
HomeportSan Juan, PR
IdentificationNAOI [1]
Motto"Ride the White Horse" [2]
Statusin active service
General characteristics
Class and typeIsland class patrol cutter (WPB)
Displacement153 tons
Length110 ft (34 m)
Beam21 ft (6.4 m)
Draft6.5 ft (2.0 m)
PropulsionTwo Alco-Paxman Valenta 16 RP200-1 geared diesel engines, 5,280 hp (3,940 kW), two screws.
Speed29 knots
Range1,900 miles
Endurance6 days
Boats & landing
craft carried		1 - Cutter Boat Medium (90 HP outboard engine)
Complement16 personnel (2 officers, 14 enlisted)
Sensors and
processing systems		AN/SPS-64V radar
Armament
Aircraft carriedNone

USCGC Chincoteague (WPB-1320) is an Island-class cutter of the United States Coast Guard. The third Coast Guard vessel to bear the name, Chincoteague was constructed at Bollinger Machine Shop and Shipyard in Lockport, Louisiana. She was commissioned on 8 August 1988.[3]

Assigned to operate from Mobile, Alabama, later she was reassigned to Key West, Florida to serve with Coast Guard Group Key West, while her current home port is San Juan, Puerto Rico. Chincoteague has served in the search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, the war on drugs, and Alien Migrant Interdiction Operations,[3] rescuing thousands of migrants from throughout the Caribbean, and seizing thousands of pounds of illegal drugs.[3]

Towards the end of 2009, Chincoteague was drydocked for maintenance and repairs [4] in Tampa, Florida by Riverhawk Marine.[5]

Armament

Chincoteague is normally armed with a single Mk 38 Bushmaster 25mm chain gun forwards, and a pair of M2 .50-caliber machine guns. However, the ship has been modified to allow for quick installation of the Bolt On Weapons System (BOWS) in place of its towing equipment, which would add a second Mk 38 cannon with ammo storage, and a launcher for FIM-92 Stinger MANPADS anti-aircraft missiles.[6]

MY Titanic rescue

On 31 March 2010, the motor yacht Titanic, carrying three people, developed a leak while on a voyage from Grenada to Puerto Rico, 108 nautical miles (200 km) south east of St Croix.[7] Upon receiving Titanic's distress call, Chincoteague was dispatched to tow the stricken vessel, assisted by the tug Mitchel, to Frederiksted, United States Virgin Islands.[7][8]

References

  1. ^ "US Coast Guard Asset Guide - Part 3". Milcom Monitoring Post. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  2. ^ "Reunion Hall - USCGC Chincoteague". Fred's Place - The Place To Meet Old Shipmates. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  3. ^ a b c "Sector San Juan: USCGC Chincoteague". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  4. ^ "DRYDOCK REPAIRS USCGC CHINCOTEAGUE (WPB-1320), Solicitation Number: HSCG80-10-Q-3FA008 (Original Synopsis)". FedBizOpps.com. 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  5. ^ "DRYDOCK REPAIRS USCGC CHINCOTEAGUE (WPB-1320), Solicitation Number: HSCG80-10-Q-3FA008 (Award)". FedBizOpps.com. 2009-08-31. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  6. ^ "USCG ISLAND CLASS PATOL BOATS WPB". IU School of Informatics and Computing—Bloomington Computer Science Program. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  7. ^ a b Smithen, Corless. "Coast Guard rescues crew from Titanic". Virgin Islands Daily News. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  8. ^ "Aberystwyth lifeboat man's DIY store Caribbean rescue". BBC News Online. 6 April 2010. Retrieved 7 April 2010.