.gif)
USCGC Storis (WMEC-38)
Encyclopedia
For the computer software
company, see STORIS Management Systems
.
The USCG medium endurance cutter
Storis (WMEC-38) was the oldest vessel in commission with the United States Coast Guard
fleet at 64 years and 5 months. She was the first American
vessel to circumnavigate North America
.
, STORIS participated in the Greenland Patrols. She was tasked with patrolling the east coast of Greenland
to prevent the establishment of German
weather stations.
On 10 June 1943, the began escorting convoy GS-24 from Narsarssuak to St. John's, Newfoundland, in company with the MOJAVE
(Flag), TAMPA, ESCANABA
, and ALGONQUIN, the convoy consisting of USAT FAIRFAX and USS RARITAN. At 0510 on the 13th, dense black and yellow smoke
was reported rising from the ESCANABA. She sank at 0513. STORIS and RARITAN were ordered to investigate and rescue survivors while the rest of the convoy began zigzagging and steering evasive courses to avoid submarine
s. At 0715 the two cutters returned, having rescued 2 survivors and found the body of Lt. Robert H. Prause, which was on the RARITAN. No explosion had been heard by the other escort vessels. The entire crew of 103 of the ESCANABA was lost with the exception of these two men.
During her first years, STORIS operated in the very waters from which her name was derived. "Storis" is a Scandinavia
n name taken from the Eskimo
word "sirorssuit" meaning "great ice."
to Curtis Bay
, Maryland
. On September 15, 1948, STORIS was reassigned to Juneau, Alaska
where she participated in the Bering Sea Patrol, which entailed delivering medical, dental
and judicial services to isolated native villages in the far reaches of the territory. At the same time, STORIS assisted in establishing Alaskan LORAN radio-navigation stations
, provided supplies for the Defense Early Warning System and conducted hydrographic
surveys in the uncharted waters off the Arctic.
On July 1, 1957, STORIS departed in company with the Coast Guard Cutters BRAMBLE (WLB-392)
and USCGC SPAR (WLB-403)
to search for a deep draft channel through the Arctic Ocean
and to collect hydrographic information. Upon her return to Greenland waters, STORIS became the first U.S. registered vessel to circumnavigate the North American continent. Shortly after her return in late 1957, the STORIS was reassigned to her new homeport of Kodiak, Alaska
.
In 1972, STORIS underwent a major renovation converting her from a light icebreaker
to a medium endurance cutter. With the change in designation, there also came a change in primary duties. The primary functions of STORIS shifted to enforcing laws and treaties of the domestic and foreign fisheries in the Bering Sea
and Gulf of Alaska
. STORIS underwent another major maintenance overhaul in 1986 that replaced her power plant and expanded her living quarters to include a new berthing area for women and a lounge for the crew.
waters. STORIS also had a cameo in the movie "The Guardian"
at Suisun Bay.
Congressman Don Young
of Alaska, is working towards turning STORIS into a museum ship.
The ultimate fate of the vessel is yet to be determined. As of December 2011 STORIS remains in the MARAD mothball fleet in Susiun Bay CA.
24 April 2008, the Coast Guard Authorization Bill was (H.R. 2830) was passed. Included is the clause to transform the STORIS to a Museum and educational center in Juneau, AK.. When the bill was finally passed as the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 the language transferring Storis to The Storis Museum had been stricken.
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
company, see STORIS Management Systems
STORIS Management Systems
For the U.S. Coast Guard cutter, see USCGC Storis.STORIS Management Systems, Inc. or STORIS is a privately owned American company that provides business software for the retailing industry.-History:...
.
The USCG medium endurance cutter
USCG Medium Endurance Cutter
The United States Coast Guard's cutter fleet contains numerous smaller vessels, and about three dozen large icebreakers, High endurance cutters, Medium Endurance cutters, and three National Security Cutters. There are two legacy vessels, the Alex Haley and the Acushnet.There are 13 vessels in the...
Storis (WMEC-38) was the oldest vessel in commission with the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
fleet at 64 years and 5 months. She was the first American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
vessel to circumnavigate North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
World War II
The keel of STORIS was laid down on July 14, 1941. STORIS was launched on April 4, 1942 and commissioned on September 30, 1942 as an ice patrol tender. Initially assigned to the North Atlantic during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, STORIS participated in the Greenland Patrols. She was tasked with patrolling the east coast of 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...
to prevent the establishment of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
weather stations.
On 10 June 1943, the began escorting convoy GS-24 from Narsarssuak to St. John's, Newfoundland, in company with the MOJAVE
USCGC Mojave (WPG-47)
The Mojave was launched by the Union Construction Co., Oakland, California on 7 September 1921 as a United States Coast Guard cutter. She was sponsored by Miss Elizabeth Haske of Oakland and commissioned at Oakland on 12 December 1921....
(Flag), TAMPA, ESCANABA
USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77)
The United States Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba was an "A" class cutter stationed on the Great Lakes from her commissioning in 1932 until the start of US military involvement in World War II in 1941...
, and ALGONQUIN, the convoy consisting of USAT FAIRFAX and USS RARITAN. At 0510 on the 13th, dense black and yellow smoke
Smoke
Smoke is a collection of airborne solid and liquid particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-product of fires , but may also be used for pest...
was reported rising from the ESCANABA. She sank at 0513. STORIS and RARITAN were ordered to investigate and rescue survivors while the rest of the convoy began zigzagging and steering evasive courses to avoid submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s. At 0715 the two cutters returned, having rescued 2 survivors and found the body of Lt. Robert H. Prause, which was on the RARITAN. No explosion had been heard by the other escort vessels. The entire crew of 103 of the ESCANABA was lost with the exception of these two men.
During her first years, STORIS operated in the very waters from which her name was derived. "Storis" is a Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n name taken from the Eskimo
Eskimo
Eskimos or Inuit–Yupik peoples are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska , Canada, and Greenland....
word "sirorssuit" meaning "great ice."
Post World War II career
Following the war, the homeport of STORIS was changed from BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to Curtis Bay
Curtis Bay, Baltimore
Curtis Bay is a neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The neighborhood is located in a highly industrialized waterfornt area in the southern part of the city, and receives its name from the body of water in which it sits...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. On September 15, 1948, STORIS was reassigned to Juneau, Alaska
Juneau, Alaska
The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
where she participated in the Bering Sea Patrol, which entailed delivering medical, dental
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
and judicial services to isolated native villages in the far reaches of the territory. At the same time, STORIS assisted in establishing Alaskan LORAN radio-navigation stations
LORAN
LORAN is a terrestrial radio navigation system using low frequency radio transmitters in multiple deployment to determine the location and speed of the receiver....
, provided supplies for the Defense Early Warning System and conducted hydrographic
Hydrography
Hydrography is the measurement of the depths, the tides and currents of a body of water and establishment of the sea, river or lake bed topography and morphology. Normally and historically for the purpose of charting a body of water for the safe navigation of shipping...
surveys in the uncharted waters off the Arctic.
On July 1, 1957, STORIS departed in company with the Coast Guard Cutters BRAMBLE (WLB-392)
USCGC Bramble (WLB-392)
USCGC Bramble is one of the 39 original seagoing buoy tenders built between 1942-1944 for the United States Coast Guard. Bramble is currently a museum ship, part of Port Huron Museum, located in Port Huron, Michigan. She will be closed to the public effective August 14, 2011, owing to a lack of...
and USCGC SPAR (WLB-403)
USCGC Spar (WLB-403)
The USCGC Spar was a sea going buoy tender. An Iris class vessel, she was built by Marine Ironworks and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth, Minnesota. Spar's preliminary design was completed by the United States Lighthouse Service and the final design was produced by Marine Iron and Shipbuilding...
to search for a deep draft channel through the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
and to collect hydrographic information. Upon her return to Greenland waters, STORIS became the first U.S. registered vessel to circumnavigate the North American continent. Shortly after her return in late 1957, the STORIS was reassigned to her new homeport of Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...
.
In 1972, STORIS underwent a major renovation converting her from a light 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...
to a medium endurance cutter. With the change in designation, there also came a change in primary duties. The primary functions of STORIS shifted to enforcing laws and treaties of the domestic and foreign fisheries in the Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
and Gulf of Alaska
Gulf of Alaska
The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found.The entire shoreline of the Gulf is...
. STORIS underwent another major maintenance overhaul in 1986 that replaced her power plant and expanded her living quarters to include a new berthing area for women and a lounge for the crew.
Media
STORIS participated in the rescue of the fishing vessel Alaskan Monarch, off Saint Paul Island, in March 1990. Video of this incident often appears on TV shows such as The Deadliest Catch, to illustrate the dangers of working in Bering SeaBering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
waters. STORIS also had a cameo in the movie "The Guardian"
Decommissioning
The STORIS was decommissioned in a ceremony in Kodiak on February 8, 2007. The cutter then sailed to Alameda, California, where it was made ready for its immediate destination as part of the "Mothball Fleet"National Defense Reserve Fleet
The National Defense Reserve Fleet consists of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States of America during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises.The NDRF is...
at Suisun Bay.
Congressman Don Young
Don Young
Donald Edwin "Don" Young is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1973. He is a member of the Republican Party.Young is the 6th most senior U.S. Representative and the 2nd most senior Republican Representative, as well as the 2nd most senior Republican in Congress as a whole...
of Alaska, is working towards turning STORIS into a museum ship.
The ultimate fate of the vessel is yet to be determined. As of December 2011 STORIS remains in the MARAD mothball fleet in Susiun Bay CA.
24 April 2008, the Coast Guard Authorization Bill was (H.R. 2830) was passed. Included is the clause to transform the STORIS to a Museum and educational center in Juneau, AK.. When the bill was finally passed as the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 the language transferring Storis to The Storis Museum had been stricken.