Coast Guard adopts a new model for the Special Purpose - Shallow Water Patrol Craft

YANKEETOWN, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES

09.29.2021

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Erik Villa Rodriguez    

U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area

The United States Coast Guard is responsible for saving approximately 3,560 lives per year. As a lifesaving service, the Coast Guard needs to transit on any water surface to efficiently respond to emergencies and complete the mission. The Coast Guard is well known for its efforts to make the impossible happen, working through limitations and succeeding- this is what makes our service so unique.

The Coast Guard performs multiple search and rescues across the United States; completing missions on national and international waters utilizing new technologies. The service is constantly evolving with the help of maritime advances and developing new methods to perform the mission to assist everyone in distress.

U.S. Coast Guard Station Yankeetown’s location in Florida has a considerable amount of shallow water bodies; for that reason, the station is taking the lead in a new project that will affect the way the organization operates in shallow water environments. A new specialized shallow-craft vessel was received by the station in the summer, and is being tested and modified according to the rescue crew’s needs. This Coast Guard station crew is working diligently to make the vessel fully operational and perform in close-to-shore situations.

“The special-craft greatly reduces the response time,” said Chief Petty Officer Kyle Suga, Station Yankeetown officer-in-charge. “So for example, one of the areas that used to take us an hour and 20 minutes to transit to we can get there in less than 30 minutes now, because we can shoot across a shoulder area that we'd never be able to do before.”

The 27-foot aluminum patrol craft accommodates a coxswain, and up to three additional crew personnel or passengers while executing high-speed mission duties. The maximum speed is 43 mph, and has a range of 297 miles in calm water. This impressive special-craft can perform in depths as shallow as 11 inches and has an operating distance from shore of five miles.
This vessel can reach more areas and allows for more agility when maneuvering in shallow water environments such as mangroves, beaches, and swamps. Station Yankeetown crewmembers will complete the trial and feedback stage with the vessel, and the respective customizations will be applied to the rest of the fleet before being delivered Coast Guard-wide.

“You have to learn the asset,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Bryan Cloutier, Station Yankeetown coxswain. “You have to learn the asset, get behind the helm, and figure it out. As soon as you do, you become an asset as well.”

• Date Taken: 09.29.2021
• Date Posted: 12.20.2021 15:46
• Story ID: 411587
• Location: YANKEETOWN, FLORIDA, US