USCGC ''Point Herron'' (WPB-82318) was an Point class cutter constructed at the

Coast Guard Yard The United States Coast Guard Yard or just Coast Guard Yard is a United States Coast Guard operated shipyard located on Curtis Bay in northern Anne Arundel County, Maryland, just south of the Baltimore city limits. It is the largest industrial fac ...

at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1961 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat. Since the Coast Guard policy in 1961 was not to name

cutters Cutter may refer to: Tools * Bolt cutter * Box cutter, aka Stanley knife, a form of utility knife * Cigar cutter * Cookie cutter * Glass cutter * Meat cutter * Milling cutter * Paper cutter * Side cutter * Cutter, a type of hydraulic rescue to ...

under in length, it was designated as ''WPB-82318'' when commissioned and acquired the name ''Point Herron'' in January 1964 when the Coast Guard started naming all cutters longer than .Scheina, p 72

Design and construction details

''Point Herron'' was built to accommodate an 8-man crew.Scheina, p 71 She was the first in class to be 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 she was 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 Herron'' 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

After delivery in 1961, ''Point Herron'' was assigned a homeport of Lewes, Delaware, where she served as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat until 1964. In 1965 she was reassigned to Cape May, New Jersey. The following year she was transferred to Bay Shore, New York where she served from 1966 through 1981. From 1982 until decommissioning she was homeported at Babylon, New York.Scheina, p 74 On 27 July 1991 ''Point Herron'' was decommissioned and transferred to Mexico, who renamed her ARM ''Punto Mastun'' (P 61).

References

;Bibliography * *

External links

"Point" Class 82-foot WPBs
Coast Guard Historian's website {{DEFAULTSORT:Point Herron Herron 1961 ships Ships built by the United States Coast Guard Yard Point-class cutters of the Mexican Navy