USCGC ''Penobscot Bay'' (WTGB 107) is the seventh of nine
United States Coast Guard 140-foot
Bay-class icebreaking tug
The Bay-class tugboat is a class of icebreaking tugboats of the United States Coast Guard, with hull numbers WTGB-101 through to WTGB-109.
They can proceed through fresh water ice up to thick, and break ice up to thick, through ramming. Th ...
s. Homeported in
Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne ( ) is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is situated on a peninsula located between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill Van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east. As of ...
, the primary missions of ''Penobscot Bay'' and her crew are Domestic Icebreaking and Ports, Waterways, & Coastal Security. During the winter months, ''Penobscot Bay'' is responsible for providing search and rescue capabilities to the ice-covered areas in
New York City and the
Hudson Valley, as well as throughout coastal
New England. The cutter also facilitates the safe navigation of commercial product, including gasoline and heating oil, through the ice-choked Hudson River from New York City to
Albany. All Bay-class cutters, including Penobscot Bay, use a low-pressure-air hull lubrication or bubbler system that forces air and water between the hull and ice. This system improves icebreaking capabilities by reducing resistance against the hull, reducing horsepower requirements.
In addition to ice breaking, ''Penobscot Bay'' is heavily involved in providing waterside security for the port of New York/New Jersey, the busiest port on the East Coast. ''Penobscot Bay'' is also responsible for monitoring vessel traffic, enforcing boating regulations for recreational and commercial vessels, and acting as lead security for high-profile events in the port.
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''Penobscot Bay'' is crewed by 17 personnel, consisting of 14 enlisted members and 3 officers. She was built by Bay City Marine in Tacoma, WA, keel was laid on 1 July 1983, launched on 30 July 1984, and commissioned on 4 January 1985. Her overall length is 140 feet with a beam of 37 feet, displacing 662 tons.
References
External links
USCGC ''Penobscot Bay'' Official Facebook
Bay-class icebreaking tugs
1984 ships
Ships built in San Diego
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