The Marine Protector class is a class of coastal patrol boats of the United States Coast Guard. The 87-foot-long vessels are based on the Stan 2600 design by Damen Group, and were built by Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, Louisiana. Each boat is named after a marine predator.[3]

The Coast Guard placed its original order in 1999 for 50 boats, which were delivered by mid-2002.[4] Several additional orders brought the class to a total of 74 ships, with the last, USCGC Sea Fox, being completed in October 2009.[3][5][6] Four additional vessels were built for Foreign Military Sales, with two each going to Malta and Yemen.[7]

The Marine Protector class replaced the 82-foot Point class. These older boats had one small and one large berthing area, and they had to stop for five or more minutes to deploy or retrieve their pursuit inflatable boat via a small crane. The last Point-class cutter was decommissioned in 2003.[8][9]

In 2020 the Department of Homeland Security proposed a budget for the Coast Guard for 2021 where 8 Marine Protector cutters would be decommissioned, as their missions could be taken by new Sentinel class cutters.[10]

Contents

1 General characteristics

2 Boats in class

3 References

4 External links

General characteristics

Missions include combating drug smuggling, illegal immigration, marine fisheries enforcement and search and rescue support. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks many have a homeland security mission in the form of ports waterways and coastal security (PWCS) patrols.[11]

Boarding parties can be launched while the vessel is underway, through the cutter's stern launching ramp.[3] The attached rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) has been upgraded since the initial inception of this class of cutter, in an effort to increase speed and sea state sustainability for boarding parties and rescue and assistance teams. The stern launching system requires just a single crewmember to remain on deck to launch or retrieve the boarding party.

Their high-speed pursuit boat uses the same diesel fuel as the cutters.[3]

The cutters consume approximately 165 gallons of diesel per hour at their maximum speed of 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph).

Like all new U.S. Coast Guard vessels, the Marine Protector class are designed to accommodate crews of mixed gender with five separate small berthing spaces accommodating standard crews of ten with maximum berthing for 12.[3]

Sea Dragon and Sea Dog assigned to guard a United States Navy submarine base in Kings Bay, Georgia, and Sea Devil and Sea Fox guard another submarine base in Bangor, Washington, mount an additional machine gun, one operated by remote control.[3]

Boats in class

Image Name Hull Number Builder Commissioned Homeport Status Active

USCG WPB 87301 Barracuda - at speed.jpg USCGC Barracuda WPB-87301 Bollinger Shipyards 1998 Eureka, CA Active

The USCGC Hammerhead (WPB-87302) played a role in burying JFK Jr. -a.jpg USCGC Hammerhead WPB-87302 Woods Hole, MA

USCGC Mako transits the Cape May Canal -b.jpg USCGC Mako WPB-87303 Cape May, NJ

Coast-Guard-Cutter-Marlin.jpg USCGC Marlin WPB-87304 Fort Myers Beach, FL

USCGC Stingray (WPB-87305) -a.jpg USCGC Stingray WPB-87305 Mobile, AL

United States Coast Guard Cutter DORADO (WPB 87306).jpg USCGC Dorado WPB-87306 Crescent City, CA

USCGC Osprey (WPB-87307) patrols Puget Sound.jpg USCGC Osprey WPB-87307 Port Townsend, WA

Coast Guard Yard dry-docks Cutter Chinook -a.jpg USCGC Chinook WPB-87308 New London, CT

Lifting the USCGC Albacore (WPB-87308) out of the water, for maintenance.jpg USCGC Albacore WPB-87309 New London, CT

USCGC Tarpon.jpg USCGC Tarpon WPB-87310 Tybee Island, GA

USCGC Cobia (WPB-87311).jpg USCGC Cobia WPB-87311 Mobile, AL

Marine Protector off Alameda.jpg USCGC Hawksbill WPB-87312 Monterey, CA

Aerial view of the USCGC Cormorant (WPB-87313).jpg USCGC Cormorant WPB-87313 Fort Pierce, FL

USCGC Finback (WPB-87314), at speed.jpg USCGC Finback WPB-87314 Cape May, NJ

USCGC Amberjack (WPB-87315) moored at South Padre Island -- 2001-02-07.jpg USCGC Amberjack WPB-87315 South Padre Island, TX

USCGC Kittiwake, near Keehi Lagoon, Hawaii, in 2008.jpg USCGC Kittiwake WPB-87316 Honolulu, HI

USCGC Blackfin counters Greenpeace.jpg USCGC Blackfin WPB-87317 Santa Barbara, CA

USCGC Bluefin.jpg USCGC Bluefin WPB-87318 Fort Pierce, FL

Coast Guard Cutter Yellowfin moored at the pier of Sector Charleston in Charleston, S.C..jpg USCGC Yellowfin WPB-87319 Charleston, SC

USCGC Manta (WPD-87320) carrying visitors on a tour of the Houston Ship Channel - 2016-04-21.jpg USCGC Manta WPB-87320 Freeport, TX

Crane hoists the USCGC Coho (cropped).jpg USCGC Coho WPB-87321 Panama City, FL

USCGC Kingfisher in front of the Sidney Lanier Bridge.jpg USCGC Kingfisher WPB-87322 Mayport, FL

USCGC Seahawk 2007-10-31 -b.jpg USCGC Seahawk WPB-87323 Carrabelle, FL

USCGC Steelhead & 41' (539142716).jpg USCGC Steelhead WPB-87324 Port Aransas, TX

USCGC Beluga in Portsmouth, VA, 2011-08-06.jpg USCGC Beluga WPB-87325 Little Creek, VA

Something crowded the stern of the USCGC Blacktip on 2004-01-21 -b.jpg USCGC Blacktip WPB-87326 Oxnard, CA

USCGC Pelican, decorated with flags, on her commissioning day, 2001-01-08 -a.jpg USCGC Pelican WPB-87327 Abbeville, LA

USCGC Ridley (WPB 87328), patrols the Lower New York Bay -- 080521-G-8732C-020 (cropped).jpg USCGC Ridley WPB-87328 Montauk, NY

USCGC COCHITO (WPB 87329) -a.jpg USCGC Cochito WPB-87329 Little Creek, VA

Manowar2.jpg USCGC Manowar WPB-87330 Galveston, TX

USCGC Moray, under tow.jpg USCGC Moray WPB-87331 Jonesport, ME

USCGC Razorbill enforces a safety zone in the vicinity of a vessel collision (cropped).jpg USCGC Razorbill WPB-87332 Gulfport, MS

USCGC Adelie 87333 SFO-Bay.jpg USCGC Adelie WPB-87333 Port Angeles, WA

Speedy USCGC Gannet.jpg USCGC Gannet WPB-87334 Dania, FL

USCGC Narwhal.jpg USCGC Narwhal WPB-87335 Corona Del Mar, CA

Janet Napolitano rides the USCGC Sturgeon, 2011-08-08 -a.jpg USCGC Sturgeon WPB-87336 Grand Isle, LA

USCGC Sockeye provides security after a barge allided with a bridge near San Francisco.jpg USCGC Sockeye WPB-87337 Bodega Bay, CA

Ibis patrols the Potomac -a.jpg USCGC Ibis WPB-87338 Cape May, NJ

USCGC Pompano.jpg USCGC Pompano WPB-87339 Gulfport, MS

USCGC Halibut-profile.jpg USCGC Halibut WPB-87340 Marina Del Rey, CA

Crew lines the rail of the USCGC Bonito.jpg USCGC Bonito WPB-87341 Pensacola, FL

USCGC Shrike, guardian of the space coast.jpg USCGC Shrike WPB-87342 Port Canaveral, FL

USCGC Tern.jpg USCGC Tern WPB-87343 San Francisco, CA

USCGC Heron patrols the Potomac River during 58th Presidential Inauguration -a.jpg USCGC Heron WPB-87344 Sabine Pass, TX

Coast Guard cutters Adelie and Wahoo, moored in Port Angeles, Washington -a.jpg USCGC Wahoo WPB-87345 Port Angeles, WA

USCGC Flyingfish provides security during a remembrance of the Boston Marathon Bombing - 140421-G-VV362-633.jpg USCGC Flyingfish WPB-87346 Boston, MA

USCGC Haddock returns from a big drug bust -- 2014-10-02.jpg USCGC Haddock WPB-87347 San Diego, CA

USCGC Brant (WPB-87348) in Corpus Christi, Texas - 2003-10-30.jpg USCGC Brant WPB-87348 Corpus Christi, TX

USCGC Shearwater on the Elizabeth River -- 2012-06-06.jpg USCGC Shearwater WPB-87349 Portsmouth, VA

A USCGC Petrel of the Marine Protector class -- in San Diego.jpg USCGC Petrel WPB-87350 San Diego, CA

87351[12] Malta

USCGC Tern.jpg USCGC Sea Lion WPB-87352 Bellingham, WA

USCGC Skipjack (WPB 87353) entering Corpus Christi, Texas.jpg USCGC Skipjack WPB-87353 Galveston, TX

USCGC Dolphin WPB-87354 Miami, FL

USCGC Hawk WPB-87355 St. Petersburg, FL

USCG Sailfish Roosevelt Is jeh.jpg USCGC Sailfish WPB-87356 Sandy Hook, NJ

USCGC Sawfish, sailing into the sunset.jpg USCGC Sawfish WPB-87357 Key West, FL

US Coast Guard, Seattle-27Oct2010.jpg USCGC Swordfish WPB-87358 Port Angeles, WA

Tiger Shark (2651242096).jpg USCGC Tiger Shark WPB-87359 Newport, RI

US Navy 050719-N-9293K-009 The U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Blue Shark (WPB 87360) arrives at its new homeport of Everett, Wash.jpg USCGC Blue Shark WPB-87360 Everett, WA

USCGC Sea Horse on Virginia's Elizabeth River -- cropped from 141105-G-ZV557-045.jpg USCGC Sea Horse WPB-87361 Portsmouth, VA

Interagency interdiction seizes more than half a ton of marijuana 150310-G-GV559-486.jpg USCGC Sea Otter WPB-87362 San Diego, CA

USCGC Manatee WPB-87363 Corpus Christi, TX

USCGC Ahi.jpg USCGC Ahi WPB-87364 Honolulu, HI

Coast Guard Cutter Pike (3119832802).jpg USCGC Pike WPB-87365 San Francisco, CA

Training tradition 110914-G-LS819-001.jpg USCGC Terrapin WPB-87366 Bellingham, WA

USCGC Sea Dragon, shortly after her arrival at her base in King's Bay, Georgia - 2007-12-08.png USCGC Sea Dragon WPB-87367 Kings Bay, GA In Active Service

USCGC Boutwell (WHEC-719) and USCGC Sea Devil (WPB-87368).jpg USCGC Sea Devil WPB-87368 Bangor, WA

USCGC Crocodile out front of the Tampa Convention Center - 2014-08-28.jpg USCGC Crocodile WPB-87369 St Petersburg, FL

Coast Guard Cutter Diamondback relocates to Sector Jacksonville 130613-G-JG957-008.jpg USCGC Diamondback WPB-87370 Miami Beach, FL

USCG Reef Shark at Guantanamo Bay.jpg USCGC Reef Shark WPB-87371 San Juan, PR

Coast Guard Cutter Alligator conducts drug offload in St. Petersburg 2014-11-13 -c.jpg USCGC Alligator WPB-87372 St. Petersburg, FL

USCGC Sea Dog and USCGC Sea Dragon keep the USN's big subs safe at Kings Bay, Georgia, 2012-09-25.jpg USCGC Sea Dog WPB-87373 Kings Bay, GA

US Navy 090818-N-1325N-003 U. S. Coast Guardsmen man the rails as the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sea Fox (WPB 87374) is brought to life at Naval Base Kitsap.jpg USCGC Sea Fox WPB-87374 Bangor, WA In Active Service