USCGC Laurel (WLB-291)
Encyclopedia
USCGC Laurel WAGL/WLB-291, a Cactus (A) Class buoy tender
was built by Zenith Dredge of Duluth, Minnesota
. Her keel was laid 17 April 1942, launched 4 August 1942 and commissioned on 24 November 1942.
until 8 October 1943 when she was reassigned and stationed at Boston, Massachusetts. There she joined her sister ships the Cactus (W-270)
, Cowslip (W-277)
and Conifer (W301)
. There she was used primarily for cargo and passenger transport and for escort and icebreaker
duties in Greenland
waters. For a brief time, from 3 September 1946 to 8 December 1946 the Laurel was stationed at Portland, Maine
.
On 8 December 1946 Laurel was reassigned to Rockland, Maine
and used for maintaining navigational aids, search and rescue
operations and ice breaking. On 4–5 January 1953 towed fishing vessel
Estrella to Gloucester, Massachusetts
. On 27 May 1957 towed fishing vessel Regina Maria to Rockland, Maine, and on 7–8 August 1958 was the on-scene operational commander following a collision at the entrance to Narragansett Bay
during a heavy fog
.
On 10 January 1959 assisted fishing vessels Bobby and Harvey off Rockland, Me., on 13–14 March 1959 assisted disabled lobsterman Betty Lu, on 25 November 1959 assisted tug
Alta May and tow near Rockland, Me., and on 4 July 1967 recovered the wreckage and bodies from a private plane that had crashed into the water off of Moose Point, Maine. On 21 May 1969 Laurel was reassigned to Morehead City, North Carolina
to continue her duties as a buoy tender and search and rescue vessel. On 22–28 January 1970 helped fight a fire on the Norwegian motor vessel Thordis Prethus off the North Carolina
coast.
In the fall of 1974 Laurel underwent a minor renovation before being reassigned in January 1975 to Ketchikan, Alaska
. While in Ketchikan she was used for maintaining navigational aids, search and rescue operations, icebreaking, law and treaty enforcement and securing U.S. territorial waters. In September 1983 she was moved again to San Pedro, California. In addition to her usual duties she was used for MX missile tests, NOAA
buoy
deployments and mine-laying. In May 1984 Laurel sustained major damage to her main motor and was towed to Point Loma
by the Coast Guard cutter Confidence
.
From July 1986 to 1990, Laurel had major renovations to machinery, living spaces and superstructure under the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP). New main General Motors
diesels were installed, new generators, propulsion systems, new vang supported boom system (eliminating the distinctive Cactus (A) Class, “A” frame boom support), marine sanitation system, navigational electronics and more.
Following SLEP, Laurel was dispatched to Mayport, Florida where she continued her buoy tender duties until decommissioned on 1 December 1999 and sold at GSA auction.
The Laurel is presently moored in Green Cove Springs, Florida
. She is owned by the same owners as the former cutter Hornbeam which presently goes by the name Rum Cay Grace and serves as a live-aboard dive platform.
Buoy tender
A buoy tender is a type of vessel used to maintain and replace navigational buoys. The name is also used for someone who works on such a vessel and maintains buoys....
was built by Zenith Dredge of Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. Her keel was laid 17 April 1942, launched 4 August 1942 and commissioned on 24 November 1942.
Ship's history
Immediately after being commissioned the Laurel was stationed at Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
until 8 October 1943 when she was reassigned and stationed at Boston, Massachusetts. There she joined her sister ships the Cactus (W-270)
USCGC Cactus (WLB-270)
The USCGC Cactus is a 180 foot sea going buoy tender . A Cactus class vessel, she was built by Marine Ironworks and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth, Minnesota. Cactus preliminary design was completed by the United States Lighthouse Service and the final design was produced by Marine Iron and...
, Cowslip (W-277)
USCGC Cowslip (WLB-277)
The USCGC Cowslip is a sea going buoy tender . A Cactus class vessel, it was built by Marine Ironworks and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth, Minnesota. Cowslips preliminary design was completed by the United States Lighthouse Service and the final design was produced by Marine Iron and...
and Conifer (W301)
USCGC Conifer (WLB-301)
The USCGC Conifer was a 180 foot seagoing buoy tender. Conifer and her sister ships, commonly referred to as "one-eighties", served as the backbone of the Coast Guard's Aids to Navigation fleet for over 50 years before their replacement by the newer Juniper-class cutters.-Background and ship...
. There she was used primarily for cargo and passenger transport and for escort and icebreaker
Icebreaker
An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller vessels .For a ship to be considered an icebreaker, it requires three traits most...
duties in Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
waters. For a brief time, from 3 September 1946 to 8 December 1946 the Laurel was stationed at Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
.
On 8 December 1946 Laurel was reassigned to Rockland, Maine
Rockland, Maine
Rockland is a city in Knox County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,297. It is the county seat of Knox County. The city is a popular tourist destination...
and used for maintaining navigational aids, search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
operations and ice breaking. On 4–5 January 1953 towed fishing vessel
Fishing vessel
A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish in the sea, or on a lake or river. Many different kinds of vessels are used in commercial, artisanal and recreational fishing....
Estrella to Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
. On 27 May 1957 towed fishing vessel Regina Maria to Rockland, Maine, and on 7–8 August 1958 was the on-scene operational commander following a collision at the entrance to Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
during a heavy fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
.
On 10 January 1959 assisted fishing vessels Bobby and Harvey off Rockland, Me., on 13–14 March 1959 assisted disabled lobsterman Betty Lu, on 25 November 1959 assisted tug
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
Alta May and tow near Rockland, Me., and on 4 July 1967 recovered the wreckage and bodies from a private plane that had crashed into the water off of Moose Point, Maine. On 21 May 1969 Laurel was reassigned to Morehead City, North Carolina
Morehead City, North Carolina
Morehead City is a port city 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...
to continue her duties as a buoy tender and search and rescue vessel. On 22–28 January 1970 helped fight a fire on the Norwegian motor vessel Thordis Prethus off the North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
coast.
In the fall of 1974 Laurel underwent a minor renovation before being reassigned in January 1975 to Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States, the southeasternmost sizable city in that state. With an estimated population of 7,368 in 2010 within the city limits, it is the fifth most populous city in the state....
. While in Ketchikan she was used for maintaining navigational aids, search and rescue operations, icebreaking, law and treaty enforcement and securing U.S. territorial waters. In September 1983 she was moved again to San Pedro, California. In addition to her usual duties she was used for MX missile tests, NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
buoy
Buoy
A buoy is a floating device that can have many different purposes. It can be anchored or allowed to drift. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is now most commonly in UK English, although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation...
deployments and mine-laying. In May 1984 Laurel sustained major damage to her main motor and was towed to Point Loma
Point Loma, San Diego, California
Point Loma is a seaside community of San Diego, California. Geographically it is a hilly peninsula that is bordered on the west and south by the Pacific Ocean, the east by the San Diego Bay and Old Town and the north by the San Diego River...
by the Coast Guard cutter Confidence
USCGC Confidence (WMEC-619)
USCGC Confidence is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter.-History:Construction of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Confidence began at the United States Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, Maryland, in 1965 and was completed in 1966...
.
From July 1986 to 1990, Laurel had major renovations to machinery, living spaces and superstructure under the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP). New main General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
diesels were installed, new generators, propulsion systems, new vang supported boom system (eliminating the distinctive Cactus (A) Class, “A” frame boom support), marine sanitation system, navigational electronics and more.
Following SLEP, Laurel was dispatched to Mayport, Florida where she continued her buoy tender duties until decommissioned on 1 December 1999 and sold at GSA auction.
The Laurel is presently moored in Green Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs, Florida
Green Cove Springs is a city in Clay County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,908. It is the county seat of Clay County....
. She is owned by the same owners as the former cutter Hornbeam which presently goes by the name Rum Cay Grace and serves as a live-aboard dive platform.