United States Coast Guard Cutter is the term used by the

U.S. Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mul ...

for its commissioned vessels. They are or greater in length and have a permanently assigned crew with accommodations aboard. They carry the

ship prefix A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship that has historically served numerous purposes, such as identifying the vessel's mode of propulsion, purpose, or ownership/n ...

USCGC.

History of the USCG cutters

The

Revenue Marine ) , colors= , colors_label= , march= , mascot= , equipment= , equipment_label= , battles= , anniversaries=4 August , decorations= , battle_honours= , battle_honours_label= , disbanded=28 January 1915 , flying_hours= , website= , commander1= , co ...

and the

Revenue Cutter Service ) , colors= , colors_label= , march= , mascot= , equipment= , equipment_label= , battles= , anniversaries=4 August , decorations= , battle_honours= , battle_honours_label= , disbanded=28 January 1915 , flying_hours= , website= , commander1= , co ...

, as it was known variously throughout the late 18th and the 19th centuries, referred to its ships as cutters. The term is English in origin and refers to a specific type of vessel, namely, "a small, decked ship with one mast and

bowsprit The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a spar extending forward from the vessel's prow. The bowsprit is typically held down by a bobstay that counteracts the forces from the forestays. The word ''bowsprit'' is thought to originate from the Middle L ...

, with a

gaff Gaff may refer to: Ankle-worn devices * Spurs in variations of cockfighting * Climbing spikes used to ascend wood poles, such as utility poles Arts and entertainment * A character in the ''Blade Runner'' film franchise * Penny gaff, a 19th-ce ...

mainsail A mainsail is a sail rigged on the main mast of a sailing vessel. * On a square rigged vessel, it is the lowest and largest sail on the main mast. * On a fore-and-aft rigged vessel, it is the sail rigged aft of the main mast. The sail's foot ...

on a

boom Boom may refer to: Objects * Boom (containment), a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill * Boom (navigational barrier), an obstacle used to control or block marine navigation * Boom (sailing), a sailboat part * Boom (windsurfi ...

, a square yard and

topsail A topsail ("tops'l") is a sail set above another sail; on square-rigged vessels further sails may be set above topsails. Square rig On a square rigged vessel, a topsail is a typically trapezoidal shaped sail rigged above the course sail and ...

, and two

jib A jib is a triangular sail that sets ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel. Its tack is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bows, or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast. Jibs and spinnakers are the two main types of headsail ...

s or a jib and a

staysail A staysail ("stays'l") is a fore-and-aft rigged sail whose Sail components#Edges, luff can be affixed to a stays (nautical), stay running forward (and most often but not always downwards) from a mast (sailing), mast to the deck (ship), deck, the b ...

." With general usage, that term came to define any vessel of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

HM Customs and Excise HM Customs and Excise (properly known as Her Majesty's Customs and Excise at the time of its dissolution) was a department of the British Government formed in 1909 by the merger of HM Customs and HM Excise; its primary responsibility was the ...

and the term was adopted by the

U.S. Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...

at the creation of what would become the Revenue Marine. Since that time, no matter what the vessel type, the service has referred to its vessels with permanently assigned crews as cutters.

First ten cutters

In 1790, Congress authorized the

Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

, to create a maritime service to enforce customs laws (1 Stat. L. 145, 175; 4 August 1790). Alternatively known as the system of cutters, Revenue Service, and Revenue-Marine this service was officially named the Revenue Cutter Service (12 Stat. L., 639) in 1863. This service was placed under the control of the Treasury Department. The first ten cutters were: USRC Massachusetts (1791)

* USRC ''Vigilant'' * USRC ''Active'' * USRC ''General Green'' * USRC ''Massachusetts'' * USRC ''Scammel'' * USRC ''Argus'' * USRC ''Virginia'' * USRC ''Diligence'' * USRC ''South Carolina'' * USRC ''Eagle''

Current USCG cutter classes and types

*460' Polar Security Cutter (WMSP) *420' Icebreaker ''Healy'' (WAGB) *418'

National Security Cutter The Legend-class cutter, also known as the National Security Cutter (NSC) and Maritime Security Cutter, Large, is the largest active patrol cutter class of the United States Coast Guard. Entering into service in 2008, the Legend-class is the la ...

(WMSL) *399'

Polar-class icebreaker Polar-class icebreakers , are heavy icebreakers operated by the United States Coast Guard (USCG). These cutters, specifically designed for icebreaking, have reinforced hulls, special icebreaking bows, and a system that allows rapid shifting of b ...

(WAGB) *360'

Offshore Patrol Cutter The Heritage-class cutter, also known as the Offshore Patrol Cutter and the Maritime Security Cutter, Medium, is a cutter class of the United States Coast Guard (USCG), developed as part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program and built by E ...

(WMSM) *295' (WIX) *282'

Edenton-class salvage and rescue ship The ''Edenton''-class salvage and rescue ship was a class of salvage and rescue ships that were operated by the United States Navy during the 1970s. Design ''Edenton''-class was a ship class consisting of three purpose built rescue ships, wh ...

, converted to

Medium Endurance Cutter The Medium Endurance Cutter or WMEC is a type of United States Coast Guard Cutter mainly consisting of the Famous- and ''Reliance''-class cutters. These larger cutters are under control of Area Commands (Atlantic Area or Pacific Area). These cutt ...

(WMEC) *270'

(WMEC) *240' (WLBB) *225' Seagoing Buoy Tender (WLB) *210'

(WMEC) *175'

Coastal Buoy Tender The United States Coast Guard commissioned a new Keeper class of coastal buoy tenders in the 1990s that are 175 feet (53 m) in length and named after lighthouse keepers. Keeper-class cutters serve the Coast Guard in a variety of missions and a ...

(WLM) *160'

Inland Construction Tender Inland may refer to: Places Sweden * Inland Fräkne Hundred, a hundred of Bohuslän in Sweden * Inland Northern Hundred, a hundred of Bohuslän in Sweden * Inland Southern Hundred, a hundred of Bohuslän in Sweden * Inland Torpe Hundred, a hundred ...

(WLIC) *154'

Sentinel-class cutter The Sentinel-class cutter, also known as Fast Response Cutter due to its program name, is part of the United States Coast Guard's Deepwater program. At it is similar to, but larger than the lengthened 1980s-era s that it replaces. Up to 58 ves ...

(WPC) *140' Bay-class icebreaking tug (WTGB) *110'

Island-class patrol boat The Island-class patrol boat is a class of United States Coast Guard Cutter, cutters of the United States Coast Guard. 49 cutters of the class were built, of which 37 remain in commission. Their hull numbers are WPB-1301 through WPB-1349. Overv ...

(WPB) *100'

Inland Buoy Tender Inland may refer to: Places Sweden * Inland Fräkne Hundred, a hundred of Bohuslän in Sweden * Inland Northern Hundred, a hundred of Bohuslän in Sweden * Inland Southern Hundred, a hundred of Bohuslän in Sweden * Inland Torpe Hundred, a hundred ...

(WLI) *100'

(WLIC) * 87'

Marine Protector-class coastal patrol boat The Marine Protector class is a class of coastal patrol boats of the United States Coast Guard. The 87-foot-long vessels are based on the Stan 2600 design by Damen Group, and were built by Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, Louisiana. Each boat ...

(WPB) * 75'

River Buoy Tender A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wat ...

(WLR) * 75'

(WLIC) * 65'

(WLR) * 65'

(WLI) * 65' Small Harbor Tug (WYTL)

Historic USCG cutter classes and types

*378'

High endurance cutter The designation of high endurance cutter (WHEC) was created in 1965 when the United States Coast Guard adopted its own designation system. High endurance cutters encompass the largest cutters previously designated by the United States Navy as gu ...

(WHEC) *327' (WPG) *311' (WAVP) *306' (WDE) *269' (WAGB) *255' *250' *240' *230' Light Icebreaker, redesignated

(WMEC) *213' *213'

(WMEC) *205' , converted to (WAT) cutter, redesignated ( WMEC) *180' Seagoing buoy tender (WLB) *180'

Oceanographic vessel A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...

(WAGO) *165' *165' *165' *157' (WLM) *133' (WLM) *125' (WSC) *123'

Patrol boat (Deepwater Modified) A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel A naval ship is a military ship (or sometimes boat, depending on classification) used by a navy. Naval ships are dif ...

( WPB) *110' (WYTM) *110' (WYTM) *110' (WYTM) * 95' (WPB) * 82' (WPB)

Notes

{{Warship types of the 19th & 20th centuries Ship types Ship prefixes