USCGC ''Spar'' (WLB-403) was a sea going buoy tender. An ''Iris'' class vessel, she was built by

Marine Ironworks and Shipbuilding Corporation Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...

Duluth, Minnesota , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

. ''Spar's'' preliminary design was completed by the

United States Lighthouse Service The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the United States Government and the general lighthouse authority for the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 as the successor of the ...

and the final design was produced by Marine Iron and Shipbuilding. On 13 September 1943 the keel was laid, she was launched on 2 November 1943 and commissioned on 12 June 1944. The original cost for the hull and machinery was $865,941. ''Spar'' was one of 39 original seagoing buoy tenders built between 1942 and 1944. All of the seagoing buoy tenders were built in Duluth except ."U.S. Coast Guard 180-Foot Buoy Tenders", Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) DC-57, National Park Service ''Spar's'' most notable accomplishment was a mission to be the first vessels to circumnavigate North America along with sister ship and the larger from 18 May to 24 September 1957. ''Spar'' was the first vessel to circumnavigate the North American continent within one year.Johnson, p 308 In 1966, nine years after the northwest passage mission, ''Spar'' was assigned a mission conducting oceanographic survey that included port calls at Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, and Ireland. ''Spar'' was decommissioned in 1997 and sold at auction. After changing hands several times, she ended up being transferred to the

Northeastern Maritime Historical Foundation The Northeastern Maritime Historical Foundation is a non-profit organization established to preserve historic vessels. The Foundation has assembled steam-powered vessels in Duluth, Minnesota. In 2005 some of the Foundation's vessels were still b ...

, who evaluated her and determined their best use of the ship was to sell her, or parts of her, to raise money to support their other projects. ''Spar''s main engines, generators, and other equipment were removed and sold to re-power another vessel. The hull was prepared and sunk in June 2004 in 100 feet of water, off

Morehead City, North Carolina Morehead City is a port town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,661 at the 2010 census. Morehead City celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding on May 5, 2007. It forms part of the Crystal Coast. His ...

, where she now serves as an artificial reef.

References

;Footnotes ;Citations ;References cited * * * * * *

External links

Northeastern Maritime Website
Iris-class seagoing buoy tenders 1943 ships Ships built in Duluth, Minnesota Ships sunk as artificial reefs Shipwrecks of the Carolina coast {{US-mil-ship-stub