Sector Columbia River
Protecting the Pacific Northwest
Coast Guard Assets within Sector Columbia River
Coast Guard Sector Columbia River has a variety of resources ready 24 hours-a-day / 7 days-a-week to provide assistance to mariners and the public in support of Search and Rescue as well as other Homeland Security missions.
Coast Guard cutters (ships) also call Astoria their home port as they conduct operations off the Northwest coast year round. USCGC ALERT and USCGC STEADFAST are 210 ft medium endurance cutters which conduct multi-mission patrols as far south as Central America. These cutters can often be found off the Washington/Oregon coast protecting living marine resources through enforcement of federal fisheries and safety laws. USCGC FIR is a Juniper Class seagoing buoy tender with the primary mission of maintaining over 150 aids to navigation along the Washington/Oregon coast as well as the Columbia River. This cutter also conducts multi-mission patrols conducting at sea boardings of fishing and other types of vessels.
Coast Guard Air Station Astoria has three HH-60T "Jayhawk" helicopters.
A variety of boat types are assigned to each of the Stations within the
Sector. The two Aids to Navigation Team use trailerable boats working out of Tongue Point, Astoria, OR
and Kennewick, WA. A basic description of each is provided below.
MH-60T Jayhawk Helicopter
Coast Guard Air Station Astoria maintains one MH-60T Jayhawk ready 24/7 with a flight crew and rescue swimmer. With its external fuel tanks, it is capable of reaching as far as 300 nautical miles offshore allowing Air Station Astoria to conduct missions anywhere in the Thirteenth Coast Guard District.
Resource Description:
- Manufactured by Sikorsky
- Classified as a medium range recovery helicopter
- Range of 700 nautical miles
- Normal fuel load: 4500 lbs using external tanks
- Maximum fuel load: 6460 lbs using an additional external tank
- Speed: 135-140 knots, normal cruising 90-125 kts
- Endurance: over 6 hours
- Hoist capacity 600 lbs.
- Lifting capacity (using an external cargo hook) 6000 lbs.
- Crew: 2 pilots, flight mechanic/hoist operator, and rescue swimmer
- Multiple radios including HF, UHF, and VHF including an automatic direction finder
- Portable dewatering pump kit (self contained in a plastic can that can be delivered to a boat)
- Stokes litter and rescue basket
- Designed so crew can use night vision goggles for missions after dark
- Equipped with Night Sun (high intensity search light) and/or Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR) system for certain mission needs
- Can deliver additional rescue gear such as portable radios, large capacity rescue rafts, self-locating datum marker buoys
52 foot Motor Lifeboat (SPC-HW)
Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment at the mouth of the Columbia River and Station Grays Harbor on the mid-Washington coast operate one of the toughest boats in the world. The TRIUMPH (MLB-52314) is assigned to Station Cape "D" and the INVINCIBLE (MLB-52313) is assigned to Station Grays Harbor. The Coast Guard has only four 52 foot MLB's all located in the Thirteenth District (one in Newport, OR and the other in Coos Bay, OR)
Resource Description:
- Conducts offshore rescue under the most severe sea conditions and surf environment (over 30 foot seas or over 20 foot surf)
- Designed and built by the US Coast Guard at its yards in Baltimore. MD
- Steel hull incorporates an inherent self righting capability (can right itself without intervention by the crew even if rolled upside down 180 degrees)
- Twin Detroit Diesel engines
- Range 495 nautical miles at 11 knots
- Draft 6 foot 11 inches
- Exterior bridge (primary operating station) with 360 degree view and interior enclosed bridge
- Crew of 5 including coxswain, engineer and 3 crewmen
- Capable of recovering 40 survivors
- Mini-galley and bunks for extended offshore cases
- Installed fire pump plus portable dewatering pump kit
- VHF and HF radios with automatic direction finder for VHF frequencies
- Integrated navigation system with radar, GPS, and auto-pilot
47 foot Motor Lifeboat (MLB)
Each of the coastal Stations in Sector Columbia River (Tillamook Bay, Cape Disappointment, and Grays Harbor) have two 47 foot MLB's. These are the backbone of the Coast Guard small boat fleet allowing operations in almost any conditions. The design makes it a flexible tool whether recovering persons from the water or standing vigil with a mounted machine gun for ports and waterways security missions. The National Motor Lifeboat School at Cape Disappointment has five 47 foot MLB's and teaches students from around the nation how to operate this boat type in heavy weather and surf.
Resource Description:
- Designed by the Coast Guard to perform missions in adverse weather and sea conditions
- Built by Textron Marine and Land Systems of New Orleans, LA
- Production model began service in 1997
- Primarily serves as a fast response rescue resource for high seas, surf, and heavy weather environment (up to 30 foot seas or up to 20 foot surf or up to 50 knot winds)
- Aluminum hull incorporates an inherent self righting capability (can right itself without intervention by the crew even if rolled upside down 180 degrees)
- Twin Detroit Diesel Electronically Controlled (DDEC) 6V92TA engines rated at 435 BHP each
- Range of 150 nautical miles with a speed of 27 knots
- Towing capacity 150 tons
- Draft of 4 foot 6 inches
- Displacement: 40,000 lbs
- Exterior flying bridge (primary operating station) with 360 degree view
- Interior enclosed bridge with climate control
- Dual control system allowing for operation from port or starboard helm positions
- Crew of 4 including coxswain, engineer and 2 crew.
- Portable dewatering pump kit
- VHF and HF radios with automatic direction finder for VHF frequencies
- Integrated navigation system with radar, GPS, and auto-pilot
25 foot Defender Class (RBS)
The 25 foot "Defender Class" Response Boat can be found at each
of the stations: Grays Harbor, Cape Disappointment, Tillamook Bay and
Portland. These boats provide a fast response for all missions and were first introduced as a standard boat for the Homeland Security mission nationwide.
Resource Description:
- Trailerable allowing launch at remote locations if needed
- Boat weight (fully outfitted, no crew) 7400 lbs
- Manufactured by Safe Boats International, Port Orchard, WA
- Twin Honda 225 HP outboard motors with a draft of 3 feet
- Range 150-175 nautical miles
- Cruising speed 35 knots, maximum speed 46 knots
- Aluminum hull with closed cell polyethylene foam flotation collar and enclosed cabin
- Crew of 2 (minimum), seating for four person crew
- Towing capacity of 10 displacement tons
- Can operate in up to 6 foot seas and up to 25 knot winds
- Operated offshore up to 10 nautical miles or farther depending on conditions
- Gun mounts fore and aft for crew served machine gun
- Design allows the boat to be transported by C-130 aircraft
29 foot Defender Class (RBS-II)
The 29 foot "Defender Class" Response Boat - II can be found at stations: Cape Disappointment and Tillamook Bay.
These boats are the second generation of the Response Boat class uses to provide a fast response for all missions.
Resource Description:
- Trailerable allowing launch at remote locations if needed
- Boat weight (fully outfitted, no crew) 7400 lbs
- Manufactured by Metal Shark Aluminum Boats, Jeanerette, LA
- Twin Honda 225 HP outboard motors with a draft of 3 feet
- Range 220 nautical miles
- Cruising speed 35 knots, maximum speed 46+ knots
- Aluminum hull with closed cell polyethylene foam flotation collar and enclosed cabin
- Crew of 2 (minimum), seating for four person crew
- Towing capacity of 10 displacement tons
- Can operate in up to 6 foot seas and up to 25 knot winds
- Operated offshore up to 10 nautical miles or farther depending on conditions
- Gun mounts fore and aft for crew served machine gun
- Design allows the boat to be transported by C-130 aircraft
26 foot Trailerable Aid to Navigation Boat (TANB)
The 26 foot TANB serves as the workhorse for the Aids to Navigation Team (ANT)
at Tongue Point, Astoria OR and Kennewick WA. Most work done by the ANT involves trailering the boat to
local ramps and launching to service the wide variety of structures and buoys they are responsible for.
Resource Description:
- Trailerable allowing access and launch at ramps nearest to the Aid to Navigation
- Designed and built by Metal Shark Marine, Jeanerette, LA
- Twin 150 HP outboard motors with a draft of 2 feet 4 inches
- Range 170 nautical miles with a cruise speed of 30 knots
- Aluminum hull with a fixed fendering system
- Crew of 2 (minimum)
- Can operate in up to 6 foot seas and up to 25 knot winds
- Normally operated in rivers, bays, and sheltered waters
- Cargo capacity of 1500 lbs
- Removable davit for working loads up to 500 lbs
- Maximum sea state with a working load 2 feet
- Buoy port through starboard bulwark allows easy access for working small Aids to Navigation
20 foot Aid to Navigation Boat - Small (AB-S)
The 20 foot AB-S is a recent addition to the Coast Guard's Aids to Navigation inventory and is used for the same purposes as the 26 foot TANB by the Astoria
and Kennewick Aids to Navigation Teams. The AB-S is used for servicing, construction, repair, and discrepancy response for aids to navigation.
Resource Description:
- Trailerable allowing access and launch at ramps nearest to the Aid to Navigation
- Designed and built by North River Boats, Rosenburg, OR
- Single 100 HP outboard motor with a draft of 1 feet 1 inches
- Range 78 nautical miles with a cruise speed of 31 knots
- Aluminum hull with a fixed fendering system
- Crew of 2 (minimum)
- Can operate in moderate weather up to 3 foot seas and up to 15 knot winds
- Normally operated in rivers, bays, and sheltered waters
18 foot Flood Relief Skiff (SKF)
Station Tillamook Bay operates a flood relief skiff for use in the shallow waters of Tillamook Bay and during seasonal floods common to the area of Tillamook and Nehalem valleys. This small boat is normally operated by two persons in providing rescue or evacuation services in flooded areas. Crews often find themselves navigating down highways, roads, or across fields covered with rushing flood waters deep enough to hide fences or even vehicles. Crews can launch and recover this boat in remote locations often staging along Highway 101 in Tillamook, OR.
Resource Description:
- Trailerable allowing for rapid transport and deployment
- Single small outboard motor
- Shallow draft
- Aluminum hull
- Crew of 2 (minimum)
- Simple rescue and safety outfit