POINT WHITEHORN, 1967
WPB 82364
Photo of POINT WHITEHORN
Class history—The 82-foot patrol boats have mild steel hulls and aluminum superstructures. Longitudinally framed construction was used to save weight.
These boats were completed with a variety of power plants. 82301 through 82313, 82315 through 82317, and 82319 through 82331 were powered by two Cummins 600-hp diesels. Boats 82318 and 82332 through 82379 received two Cummins 800-hp diesels. The 82314 was fitted with two 1,000-hp gas turbines and controllable-pitch propellers. The purpose of this installation was to permit the service to evaluate the propulsion equipment. All units were eventually fitted with the 800-hp diesels. Units remaining in 1990 were re-equipped with Caterpillar diesels.
WPB 82301 through 82344 were commissioned without names; at that time the Coast Guard did not name patrol craft shorter than 100 feet. In January 1964 they were assigned names.
Builder: J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma, WA
Commissioned: 13 July 1967
Decommissioned: 30 March 1995
Disposition: Scuttled in March 1997
Length: 82’10” oa, 78’ bp
Navigation Draft: 5’11” max (1960)
Beam: 17’7” max
Displacement: 69 fl; 60 light (1960)
Main Engines: 2 Cummins diesel (see class history)
BHP: 1,600
Performance, Maximum Sustained: 18.0 kts, 542-mi radius (1,600 hp, 1963)
Performance, Economic: 9.4 kts, 1,500-mi radius (1,600 hp, 1963)
Maximum Speed: 22.9 kts (1963)
Fuel Capacity: 1,840 gal
Complement: 8 men (1960), 2 officers, 8 men (1965)
Electronics:
Radar: SPN-11, CR-103 (1960), or SPS-64
Armament: 1 x 20mm (1960), 5 x .50 cal mg, 1 x 81 mm mortar (Vietnam service)
Ship's history:
The Point Whitehorn was stationed at St. Thomas, VI, from 1967 to 1995. She was used for law enforcement and search and rescue operations. On 4 March 1968, she assisted following the grounding of the tanker Ocean Eagle off Puerto Rico. On 11 April 1968, she helped fight fire on M/V Pizarro at San Juan, PR. On 29-30 April 1969, she helped fight fire on the British tanker Mobile Apex near St. Croix, VI. On 6 January 1970, she assisted in escorting the disabled tanker Antonatos. On 20 February 1970, she helped fight fire on the Spanish M/V La Mancha off San Juan, PR. On 23 November 1970, she helped fight fire in Krum Bay, VI. On 29 March 1982, assisted by a Coast Guard helicopter, she seized a shrimp boat carrying 10 tons of marijuana after a six-hour chase. On 16 August 1983, she assisted M/V Westbridge 26 miles southwest of St. Thomas. On 24 May 1984, she rescued two from a Cessna aircraft in San Juan harbor. On 6 August 1984, she assisted in the rescue of survivors from a pleasure craft off Cooper Island, British Virgin Islands. On 17 August 1984, she seized the sailboat Arawak 60 miles east of St. Thomas carrying 2 tons of marijuana. On 23 October 1984, she seized F/V Carolina One 150 miles south of Puerto Rico with marijuana on board. On 11 December 1984, she seized the Panamanian M/V Silver Star II 180 miles east of St. Martin with 10 tons of marijuana in a secret compartment. On 16 December 1984, she towed the disabled M/V Kim-G 30 miles southeast of St. Thomas to safety.
Sources:
Cutter History File. USCG Historian's Office, USCG HQ, Washington, D.C.
"The 82-Foot Class Patrol Boat." U.S. Coast Guard Engineer's Digest No. 133 (Mar-Apr 1962), pp. 2-5.
Robert Scheina. U.S. Coast Guard Cutters & Craft, 1946-1990. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1990