USCGC ''Point Brown'' (WPB-82362) was an Point class cutter constructed by

J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corp. The J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation was founded in 1924 by Joseph M. Martinac on the Thea Foss Waterway in Tacoma, Washington. It specialized in the construction of tugs, trawlers, purse seiners, ferries, naval patrol craft and power yach ...

at Tacoma, Washington in 1967 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat.Coast Guard Historian website
/ref>Scheina, p 72

Design and construction details

''Point Brown'' was built to accommodate an 8-man crew.Scheina, p 71 She was powered by two VT800 Cummins diesel main drive engines and had two five-bladed propellers. Water tank capacity was and fuel tank capacity was at 95% full.Scheina, p 71 After 1990 many in the Point class were refit with

Caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

diesel main drive engines. Engine exhaust was ported through the transom rather than through a conventional stack and this permitted a 360-degree view from the bridge; a feature that was very useful in search and rescue work as well as a combat environment.Scotti, p 165 The design specifications for ''Point Brown'' included a steel hull for durability and an aluminum superstructure and longitudinally framed construction was used to save weight. Ease of operation with a small crew size was possible because of the non-manned main drive engine spaces. Controls and alarms located on the bridge allowed one man operation of the cutter thus eliminating a live engineer watch in the engine room.Scotti, p 165 Because of design, four men could operate the cutter; however, the need for resting watchstanders brought the crew size to eight men for normal domestic service.Scotti, p 165 The screws were designed for ease of replacement and could be changed without removing the cutter from the water. A clutch-in idle speed of three knots helped to conserve fuel on lengthy patrols and an eighteen knot maximum speed could get the cutter on scene quickly.Scotti, p 166 Air-conditioned interior spaces were a part of the original design for the Point class cutter. Interior access to the deckhouse was through a watertight door on the

starboard side Port and starboard are nautical terms for watercraft and aircraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the bow (front). Vessels with bilateral symmetry have left and right halves which are ...

aft of the deckhouse. The deckhouse contained the cabin for the officer-in-charge and the executive petty officer.Scotti, p 166 The deckhouse also included a small arms locker,

scuttlebutt Scuttlebutt in slang usage means rumor or gossip, deriving from the nautical term for the cask used to serve water (or, later, a water fountain).head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

. Access to the lower deck and engine room was down a ladder. At the bottom of the ladder was the

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...

mess The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...

and recreation deck. A watertight door at the front of the mess bulkhead led to the main crew quarters which was ten feet long and included six bunks that could be stowed, three bunks on each side. Forward of the bunks was the crew's head complete with a compact sink, shower and commode.Scotti, p 166

History

''Point Brown'' was homeported at Little Creek, Virginia from 1967 to 1981 where she was used for law enforcement and search and rescue operations. On 7 January 1968, she escorted distressed FV ''Avalon'' to

Hampton Roads, Virginia Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James, Nansemond and Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point where the Chesapeake Bay flows into the Atlantic O ...

On 14 March 1969, she provided escort following the collision between FV ''Endeavor'' and MV ''African Neptune'' off the Virginia coast. On 5 March 1970, she towed the disabled FV ''Our Lady of Fatima'' 60 miles east of

Cape Henry Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia located in the northeast corner of Virginia Beach. It is the southern boundary of the entrance to the long estuary of the Chesapeake Bay. Across the mouth of the bay to the north is Cape Cha ...

to Hampton, Virginia. On 21 April 1970, she towed the disabled FV ''Sea Queen'' to Hampton. On 4 July 1970, she helped fight a fire in an oil-storage tank at

Sewell's Point, Virginia Sewells Point is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States, located at the mouth of the salt-water port of Hampton Roads. Sewells Point is bordered by water on three sides, with Willoughby Bay to the ...

. On 7 October 1970, she medevaced a crewman from the Argentine MV ''Rio Dulce'' off Cape Henry. On 22 November 1970, she towed the pleasure craft ''Nita Bee'' to Little Creek, Virginia. On 7 January 1979, she towed the disabled FV ''Faith'' to Hampton, VA. On 23 February 1979, she assisted FVs ''Triton 7'' and ''Margery Snow'' that were aground on Little Cobb Island, Virginia. From September 1981 to late 1988, she was stationed at

Oregon Inlet, North Carolina Oregon Inlet is an inlet along North Carolina's Outer Banks. It joins the Pamlico Sound with the Atlantic Ocean and separates Bodie Island from Pea Island, which are connected by the 2.8 mile Marc Basnight Bridge that spans the inlet. As one of the ...

. On 23 July 1980, she towed a disabled naval skiff. On 24 April 1984, she seized the pleasure craft ''Sport Fishing'' northwest of the Windward Passage with of

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...

on board. From late 1988 to 1991, she was stationed at

Atlantic Beach, North Carolina Atlantic Beach is a town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. It is one of the five communities located on Bogue Banks. The population was 1,495 at the 2010 census. History The idea of Atlantic Beach was first envisioned in the 1870 ...

. After a refit she was recommissioned as the ''Lady B'', and served as a vessel in the Coast Guard Auxiliary in New York City.

References

;Bibliography * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Point Brown Brown Ships built in Tacoma, Washington 1967 ships