The USCG 40-foot Utility Boat

[Jack]

The Ozaukee Water Safety Patrol received CG 40546 in 1984, used it for another 15 years before we retired it , Ken Sutherland bought it, brought it back east and rebuilt it. We used it to respond to over 1000 calls in what ever weather Lake Michigan could throw at it, even in our  6 pack seas (6ft tall - 6ft  apart) she rode good.

 

[BuoyJumper]

Came across this post on Bugsey Moran's 40 Boat Sailors group on the CG Channel Community this morning.  As the late Paul Harvey would say .... "and now you know the rest of the story".

Comment by jerry boen ....

I was at COTP when the 40455 sank. Bill I had no idea anyone took pictures of this event. We did move the painting barge around sometimes for the ships and occasionally helped out a ship but the 40 were not heavy enough to try it when there was any wind at all so it was very unusal to pit a 40 against a ship under its own power..

The day 40455 sank the ship had been tied up on the east side of pier 90 where a navy sea going tug usually tied up. That tug spent a lot of its time over at the sub pins moving ships and subs around that yard. I know she was gone the day the 455 sank, or the event would have not have happened. I remember thinking how strange it was to see a ship tied up that far up the channel and I assumed the navy tug backed her in their for the shore tie service.. She had been backed in so her bow was facing toward Puget Sound. About 100 feet from the COTP boat docks just south of where the admirals barge was. It was unusual for any ship to tie up back that far because it’s narrow and very few services available, but was there for about a week.

As I recall the duty boat crew was asked to pull her stern away from the dock, so she could power out into the sound. They hooked up ass to ass with the ship. We had the monkey cage to stop a broken tow if that happened so the coxswain had some protection. But the fireman and seaman had very little. So they went into the cabin as the 40 took a strain on the line and it stretched and thinned and groaned under the strain but those where the 1 ¼ braded nylon ones are tough and it never broke. If you have ever seen water squirt out of them when they are under a big load you know when it time to get out of dodge.

The ship was away from the dock with all line cast off and was supposed to signal the 40 to back off the tow but never did. Instead they put her in gear and made a run for the sound. The 40 was still under ¾ power and never had a chance. It was stood on its tail, and pulled under backwards. As I recall the line never did break and was cut by someone on the ship. In any event the ship never stopped and powered into the sound and on her way. While, the 40 crew dealt with the damage. As I recall the seaman kicked out the port side window and came out that way and the fireman came out the hatch. I do recall there was an investigation about the event with some accusations about someone being drunk at the helm of the ship and later being passed over for a promotion.

But that could have been just rumor. And I don’t remember anyone ever getting a citation on the 40 crew. It was all kind quiet and no one would talk about it much. As far as the repair goes I was a snipe/coxswain at the time and we took her to the base Seattle for repair by trailer. She was not in all that bad a shape her towing mast has racked out of shape and her window was out but most of the damage was the electronics and engines. We did some of the work ourselves but the civilian crew did most over at that yard. I ran her when she came back and she was fine and ran straight and true. The 40’s were one tough little boat. Nice to know there are a few of them still around.

[BuoyJumper]

Came across this ad I believe from the September 1972
National Geographic featuring New York's 40391.

[BuoyJumper]

The thing that is very interesting about that September 1972 ad above
featuring the 40391 is that photos of the 391 were taken in the fall of
1972 showing the 391 with her New York sister forties ready to be scrapped.

        

Seems pretty silly to me that USCG Public Affairs used a utility boat
that was about to be scrapped when they could have featured one
of the brand new (back then) 44-foot MLB's.

[Zoomer]

Man...that 255 had to have moved pretty far forward to pull a 40 boat under, stern first.  40's had a very low freeboard...hell, I've taken green water from the sides...what the scuppers didn't take care of the bilge pump did....  Guess ya had to have been there....................

I guess Ron, from what that article says it IS totally possible for that stern to be dragged under.....all the power that the ship had was no match for the 40 boat.  Plus given where the towing bit was on a 40 that too added to the leverage.......

[SamF]

WOW! I have never seen this site before. Came upon it by accident. I “skippered” the 40394 for almost 3 years from 1955 – 1958 at COTP East River NY. I understand someone salvaged it. Great stories. What a shame it had to go. I have stories galore about the exploits of the forties at Pier 9. I think we had about 20 of them there along with 64 footers and the 95304 – the Sauk. The old wooden hulled 83327 used to come in once in a while from its perch near the Maritime Academy near the Whitestone Bridge over the East River

 

Sam F

[EX-CG-GM]

If ya' like this than you'll love this site:

40boatsailors

And once yuo log on be sure to check toward the top of the page for another 40 boat site.

[BuoyJumper]

WELCOME ABOARD SAM ... We're glad to have you here.  It must be sad for you to see the 394 and the other NY forties waiting to be scrapped.  That was a sad day for all of us who loved the 40-foot UTB.  You're right though, the 40394 was saved by Ken Sutherland from New York who is a member here and goes by the board name CG40394.   Also our good friend Bugsey Moran saved the 40450 and restored her.  They just had a big outing on the 40450 at CGSTA New York in May.  Maybe you can catch the next 40-boat gathering in New York.  Come on over to the Porpoise Club for a cold cyberbrew and talk about what ever you feel like talking about.

First round is on me Sam .......      

[BuoyJumper]

Check this out shipmates. A rare window sticker from the early
1960's featuring CGSTA Sandy Hook's 40472 on ebay this morning.

   

     

[georgepat]

I was stationed at the CG Yorktown Reserve Training Base in Yorktown, Va from 65 - 69, and was a qualified coxswain on the best boat I have ever handled in my life. I'm speaking of the 40401. She was a steel boat with two GMC 6-71 engines, and was used primarily as a training boat for the CG's OCS program. Sometimes though, if needed, we would be used for SAR or helping local law enforcement in recovering a body from the waters of the York River or the adjacent Chesapeake Bay.

I loved that boat. With those twin screws you could sure put on a display of seamanship when you came in to dock: walkin' her sideways and then just kissing the pier. I still have the Commission pendant.

Georgepat

[BuoyJumper]

Welcome aboard George and thanks for posting. 
Have a great CG DAY and we will see you around the forums.     

[vftb]

Welcome aboard George, glad to have you 

[EX-CG-GM]

Welcome aboard george. Talk real nice and maybe Bugsey will let you have a turn at the helm on his personal 40'.

[Zoomer]

Welcome George!

Ya...gotta agree....nice handling boat, those 40's could make a crappy coxswain look good
Anybody know if ya can walk a 41?

[georgepat]

Hi Zoomer,

I don't know about walking a 41'. My only connection to it was the ferry job. After that it was turned over to others for trials or whatever they did with it.

I do remember though, the Captain's launch at Yorktown was an older steel 30+ footer with a single tunnel prop. Driving that was a friggin nightmare. You were at the mercy of the winds and any chop. I prayed that the skipper had other things to do on those days. 

I spent many hours inside her cabin doing coxcombing on all the bright work, wheel etc. Did cut down on all the spit and polish though!

Georgepat