USCGC Biscayne Bay

USCGC Biscayne Bay (WTGB-104) is a United States Coast Guard Cutter and an icebreaking tug. She is based at Coast Guard Station St. Ignace with a primary area of operation in the Straits of Mackinac including Mackinac Island, Mackinac Bridge, and the northern portions of Lakes Michigan and Huron and occasionally Lakes Superior, Erie and their connecting rivers. Beyond her role as an icebreaker, Biscayne Bay performs search and rescue and law enforcement functions.

USCGC Biscayne Bay (WTGB-104)
Photo of USCGC Biscayne Bay (WTGB-104)
USCGC Biscayne Bay (WTGB-104)
History
United States
NamesakeBiscayne Bay in southern Florida
BuilderTacoma Boatbuilding Company
Commissioned8 December 1979
HomeportSt. Ignace, Michigan
Identification
Nickname(s)Sentinel of the Straits
StatusActive
BadgeUSCGC Biscayne Bay (WTGB-104) Coat of Arms
General characteristics
Class and type140-foot Bay-class icebreaking tug (WTGB)
Displacement690 tons[1]
Length140 ft (43 m)[1]
Beam37 ft 6 in (11.43 m)[1]
Draft13 ft (4.0 m)
Installed power
  • 2 × 1,426 hp (1,063 kW) Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines
  • 2 × 125 kW generators
Propulsion2,500 hp (1,900 kW) Westinghouse electric motor driving the main propulsion shaft
Speed14.7 knots (27.2 km/h; 16.9 mph)
Range7,413 km (4,606 mi)
Complement17 (3 officers, 14 enlisted)
Armamentmounts for two .50 cal machine guns
ArmorIce belt thickness 5⁄8 in (1.6 cm)
NotesIcebreaking capacity: 3 knots ahead - 20 in (51 cm), back and ram - 6–9 ft (1.8–2.7 m)

Design

Biscayne Bay is the fourth ship in a class of ice-breaking tugboats designed to have greater multi-mission capabilities than the 110-foot Calumet-class harbor tug (WYTM). The most significant differences include: greater horsepower, greater speed, longer range, increased ice-breaking capability, a hull lubrication system (bubbler), greater degree of automation, and better habitability.[2]

References
  1. "USCGC Biscayne Bay Cutter Characteristics" (PDF). Ninth Coast Guard District. United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  2. Hunt, Robert R.; Hundley, Lowry L. (1979), Katmai Bay (WTGB-101) Speed, Tactical, and Maneuvering Trials, Bethesda, Maryland: David W Taylor Naval Ship Research And Development Center, archived from the original on 15 May 2012, retrieved 10 March 2009


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