Deputy Secretary England To Launch Coast Guard Buoy Tender

Release Date: 08/21/03 00:00:00

For Immediate Release
U.S. Coast Guard
August 21, 2003

Marinette, Wis. - Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Gordon R. England, joined by his wife Dorothy and Commandant of the Coast Guard Admiral Thomas Collins, will launch the U.S. Coast Guard's latest Juniper B-class 225-foot buoy tender on Saturday, August 23.

Mrs. England will serve as the ship's sponsor and christen the vessel as Coast Guard Cutter Sequoia when it is launched from Marinette Marine Corporation's shipyard.

"Sequoia, with its multi-mission capabilities and stellar crew, will be an outstanding addition to the Coast Guard's fleet," said England.  "Dotty and I are very proud to welcome the Coast Guard's latest cutter to DHS."

Carrying a crew of six officers and 34 enlisted personnel and displacing 2,000 tons, the Sequoia will be the fifteenth of 16 new Juniper Class buoy tenders to be launched.  Sequoia is scheduled to be delivered to the Coast Guard on April 21, and should arrive at its homeport in Apra Harbor, Guam in late summer 2004.

The primary mission of the Juniper Class seagoing buoy tender is to maintain the largest buoys in the Coast Guard's inventory of more than 50,000 aids to navigation, while also supporting every other Coast Guard role and mission.  A Juniper Class seagoing buoy tender recently returned from a deployment in the Persian Gulf, where it participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sequoia is powered by two Caterpillar diesel engines enabling it to reach speeds of 15 knots as well as break through 14 inches of ice. In addition, it is equipped with an oil spill recovery system and some of the latest technology that includes state of the art navigation, communication and security systems.

This page was last modified on 08/21/03 00:00:00