USCGC ''Joshua Appleby'' (WLM-556) is a United States Coast Guard ''Keeper''-class cutter based out of St. Petersburg, Florida.

History

The ''Joshua Appleby'' was commissioned on August 8, 1998. The 6th of 14 ''Keeper''-class cutters, the ''Joshua Appleby'' is one of the most advanced cutters currently in the United States Coast Guard's fleet. The ''Joshua Appleby'' is named in honor of Captain Joshua Appleby, Keeper of the Sand Key Lighthouse 1837–1846. All 14 Keeper-class cutters are named after lighthouse keepers. The ''Joshua Appleby takes for its motto, "The Wrecking Keeper" after Joshua Appleby's very colorful history of shipwreck salvaging.

Mission

The ''Joshua Appleby''s primary mission is the maintenance of over 400 aids to navigation in the Tampa Bay and along the west coast of Florida, including the

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...

. Secondary missions include Alien Migration Intercept Operation (AMIO),

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

(SAR), and pollution response.

Design

The ''Keeper''-class cutters are the first US Coast Guard cutters equipped with Z-drive propulsion units instead of the standard propeller and rudder configuration. They are designed to independently rotate 360 degrees. Combined with a thruster in the bow, they give the Keeper-class cutters unmatched maneuverability. With state-of-the-art electronics and navigation systems including Dynamic Positioning System (DPS) which uses a Differential Global Positioning System, and electronic chart displays, these buoy tenders maneuver and position aids more accurately and efficiently with fewer crew. The advancement in technology has allowed the crew size to be cut from 24-34 members to 18 members.

Namesake

The ship is named after an American lighthouse keeper Joshua Appleby. Appleby is remembered for having lost his life in the

Great Havana Hurricane of 1846 The 1846 Havana hurricane (also known as the Great Havana hurricane of 1846, San Francisco de Borja hurricane and The Great Gale of 1846) was the most intense tropical cyclone in recorded history for 78 years and the first known Category&nb ...

. A native of Rhode Island, Joshua Appleby served as keeper of the

Sand Key Light Sand Key Light is a lighthouse southwest of Key West, Florida, between Sand Key Channel and Rock Key Channel, two of the channels into Key West, on a reef intermittently covered by sand. At times the key has been substantial enough to have trees, ...

in the

. Hurricanes in 1841 and 1842 caused considerable damage to the key, destroying Appleby's house and undermining the foundation of the light. The government repaired the damage and built a seawall, in hopes of adding further protection. A hurricane in 1844 swept away half of the key, part of the sea wall, and again destroyed Appleby's house. Seemingly unfazed by the dangers of his station, Appleby rebuilt and remained as keeper of the light. On 11 October 1846, Appleby, his 51-year-old daughter Eliza, and his 11-year-old grandson Thomas were swept away to become additional victims of the hurricane which was calculated to have caused the deaths of at least 255 people.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joshua Appleby (WLM-556) Ships of the United States Coast Guard Keeper-class cutters 1998 ships Ships built by Marinette Marine