USCGC Buckthorn [WLI-642]

1963-Present

Buoy Tender

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

USCGC Buckthorn, St. Marys River, 7/25/2017. Roger LeLievre

Specs

Build Information

Year Built: 1963

Builder: Mobile Ship Repair, Mobile, AL

Hull #–

Registry: US —

IMO #–

Laid Down: —

Launch Date: 1963

Delivered: —

Commissioned: August 18, 1963

Construction

USCGC Buckthorn was constructed in 1963 as a river buoy tender for the U.S. Coast Guard. She is specifically designed for operating on rivers in the Great Lakes region and is able to handle thin ice. She is equipped with a small crane and buoy deck on her forward end for tending to buoys.

Modifications

Crane replaced, early 1990’s.

General Stats

Length Overall: 100′

Breadth: 24′

Depth: 4’08”

Vessel Type: River Buoy Tender

Propellers: 1

Rudders: 1

Crew Compliment: 16

Engineering Equipment

Original

Engine

Engine Type: Diesel Engine

Engine Manufacturer: —

Engine Model: —

Number of Engines: —

Rated HP: —

History

Lineage

USCGC Buckthorn [WLI-642]– 1963-1967

Owner: United States Coast Guard, Washington D.C.

Operator: United States Coast Guard, 9th District, Cleveland, OH

Flag: United States

Home Port: Detroit, MI

USCGC Buckthorn [WLI-642]– 1967-1970

Owner: United States Coast Guard, Washington D.C.

Operator: United States Coast Guard, 9th District, Cleveland, OH

Flag: United States

Home Port: Buffalo, NY

USCGC Buckthorn [WLI-642] – 1970-Present

Owner: United States Coast Guard, Washington D.C.

Operator: United States Coast Guard, 9th District, Cleveland, OH

Flag: United States

Home Port: Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Station History

Detroit, MI – 1963-1967
Buffalo, NY – 1967-1970
Sault Ste. Marie, MI – 1970-Present

Her Story

USCGC Buckthorn was constructed in 1963 by Mobile Ship Repair of Mobile, AL, for the U.S. Coast Guard. She was designed to operate on the Great Lakes as a river buoy tender. She was commissioned on August 18, 1963, and originally stationed at Detroit, MI.

Buckthorn was restationed to Buffalo, NY, in 1967, and to her present home port of Sault Ste. Marie, MI, in 1970. She tends to buoys throughout the St. Marys River system from Whitefish Bay and south into the Les Cheneaux Islands near Cedarville, MI. She handles the most buoys out of any other Great Lakes buoy tender.

USCGC Buckthorn remains in service today, and is currently the oldest Coast Guard Cutter in operation on the Great Lakes.

Compiled By Brendan Falkowski

Updated on August 25, 2021