USCGC Point Ledge (WPB-82334)
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USCGC ''Point Ledge'' (WPB-82334) 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 1962 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat. Since the Coast Guard policy in 1962 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-82334'' when commissioned and acquired the name ''Point Ledge'' in January 1964 when the Coast Guard started naming all cutters longer than .Scheina, p 75


Construction and design details

''Point Ledge'' 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 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 Ledge'' 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 Ledge'' was stationed at Fort Bragg, California, from 1962 to January 1994 and was used for law enforcement and search and rescue operations. On 31 May 1965 she rescued the crew from F/V ''Christine'' as it sank 20 miles northwest of Fort Bragg. On 5 September 1966, she helped rescue four from pleasure craft ''Aquilo'' and unsuccessfully fought a fire three miles off Fort Bragg. On 7 March 1968, she rescued the pilot from a downed U.S. Air Force
F-101 The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter which served the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Initially designed by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation as a long-range bomber escort (known as a '' ...
off Eureka, California. On 4 November 1976, she engaged in the rescue of three survivors from the F/V ''Pacific Pearl'', which was struck by an unknown vessel 24 miles from
Point Cabrillo Point Cabrillo is a sandstone headland on the Pacific Ocean coast of Mendocino County, California, between the towns of Mendocino, California and Fort Bragg, California. It is the location of the Point Cabrillo Light. Geography-wise, it lies betw ...
. On the night of 27 December 1982, she helped fight fire at a fishery on the
Noyo River The Noyo River (Pomo: ''Chemli-bida'') is a river on the north coast of California in Mendocino County. The river's headwaters are in the steep Mendocino Range, but downstream the river flows through gently sloping marine terraces before draini ...
. From January 1994 to 1996, she was stationed at
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Saint Thomas ( da, Sankt Thomas) is one of the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea which, together with Saint John, Water Island, Hassel Island, and Saint Croix, form a county-equivalent and constituent district of the United States Virgin I ...
where she suffered heavy damage by Hurricane Marilyn in September 1995 and required extensive repairs, which were completed in New Orleans, Louisiana. In March 1996, the newly repaired ''Point Ledge'' reported for duty in
Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...
. She was decommissioned in Mobile on 3 August 1998. She was transferred to Venezuela on 30 August 1998.


References

;Bibliography * * *


External links


"Point" Class 82-foot WPBs
Coast Guard Historian's website {{DEFAULTSORT:Point Ledge
Ledge Ledge or Ledges may refer to: * Ridge, a geological feature * Reef, an underwater feature * Stratum, a layer of rock * A narrow, flat area with cliff faces or steep slopes both below and above, a one sided cut into a cliff or mountain side * Sla ...
1962 ships Point-class cutters of the Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela Ships built by the United States Coast Guard Yard