USCGC Galveston Island (WPB-1349)
# USCGC Galveston Island (WPB-1349)

USCGC Galveston Island (WPB 1349) is an Island-class patrol boat used by the United States Coast Guard for law enforcement and search and rescue duties. She was commissioned on 5 June 1992 and was the last of the Island-class patrol boats built. Her original homeport was Apra Harbor, Guam, but later changed to Honolulu, Hawaii, where she was decommissioned.

The 110-foot Island-class patrol boat is a Coast Guard modification of the British shipbuilder, Vosper Thornycroft patrol boat design. With range and seakeeping capabilities, the Island class, all named after U.S. islands, replaced the older 95-foot Cape-class cutters. These cutters are equipped with advanced electronics and navigation equipment.

## Design

The Island-class patrol boats were constructed in Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana. Galveston Island has an overall length of 110 feet (34 m). It had a beam of 21 feet (6.4 m) and a draft of 7 feet (2.1 m) at the time of construction. The patrol boat has a displacement of 154 tonnes (152 long tons; 170 short tons) at full load and 137 tonnes (135 long tons; 151 short tons) at half load. It is powered two Paxman Valenta 16 CM diesel engines or two Caterpillar 3516 diesel engines. It has two 99 kilowatts (135 PS; 133 shp) 3304T diesel generators made by Caterpillar; these can serve as motor–generators. Its hull is constructed from highly strong steel, and the superstructure and major deck are constructed from aluminium.

The Island-class patrol boats have maximum sustained speeds of 29.5 knots (54.6 km/h; 33.9 mph). It is fitted with one 25 millimetres (0.98 in) machine gun and two 7.62 millimetres (0.300 in) M60 light machine guns; it may also be fitted with two Browning .50 Caliber Machine Guns. It is fitted with satellite navigation systems, collision avoidance systems, surface radar, and a Loran C system. It has a range of 3,330 miles (2,890 nmi; 5,360 km) and an endurance of five days. Its complement is sixteen (two officers and fourteen crew members). Island-class patrol boats are based on Vosper Thornycroft 33 metres (108 ft) patrol boats and have similar dimensions.

## History

Galveston Island was decommissioned in Honolulu on 16 March 2018 and it is anticipated that she will be transferred to a foreign government via the Foreign Assistance Act.

