Modernization: Supporting our underway fleet

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Posted by: LT Connie Braesch

What does it mean to be Semper Paratus? You may think it means ready for the SAR alarm to sound or keeping a keen eye on port security, but in this case it means remaining vigilant in every sense of the word.

small boat operations

A small boat crew transfers contraband after a seizure on a routine law enforcement patrol. SFLC provides the engineering and logistics support to cutters underway to ensure they are mission ready. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

Recently, a deployed 270-foot Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC) was performing routine small boat operations. While deploying the small boat, the cutter’s boat crew noticed a potential failure to their davit, the mechanical system used to lower the cutter’s small boat into the water. The davit is essential for mission execution and must be ready to go at a moment’s notice to deploy the small boat to intercept a “go-fast” or rescue a mariner in distress.

Remaining ever vigilant, engineering personnel aboard the cutter noticed damage to a small, but necessary component to the davit. Unfortunately, the potential failure the crew noticed could easily go undetected and could have had catastrophic potential.

Adding to the concerns, when a Coast Guard Cutter is underway, connecting with its logistics and engineering support on land can be challenging.

While the engineering team aboard the cutter worked to find the root of the problem, their engineering team on land, the Surface Forces Logistics Center (SFLC), was immediately available and worked tirelessly to provide support.

SFLC Logo

SFLC provides engineering, supply and logistics support to the surface fleet.

SFLC, the single conduit for mission support for all Coast Guard surface assets, coordinated with the cutter and released a fleet-wide message outlining the inspection process and repair procedures for the potential failure. The message was released and acknowledged by all cutters in the fleet – in less than 24 hours.

As a result, several other cutters reported that they had similar problems prompting a complete replacement of the key parts across the fleet, sparing the Coast Guard from a potential fleet-wide failure.

As the Coast Guard continues to modernize its processes and procedures, responding to situations like this one have become expedited and streamlined. The prompt and detailed reporting by the cutter, coupled with the swift action of the SFLC, ensured that the cutter and her crew remained Semper Paratus.

  • Denis Hearn

    Cutting the budget is not the way to accomplish this mission.

  • Robert Teeter

    Taking care of these issues would be a lot quicker and easier with new equipment on new vessels, instead of having the new davits and new small boatd on 40 year-old cutters. When an aircraft carrier holding 2000 crew members can out run a cutter that hold barely 80, it’s time for a new kind of modernization.

  • Jon Dominos

    Was the boat ever fixed? How long were they inoperable? What did SFLC do to assist in getting any parts if needed? Agree with the previous two posts.

  • John Kelly

    Patients being airlifted off Beaver Island in Lake Michigan were told of the possible removal of the helicopter from Traverse City with Chicago becoming the useless nearest emergency flight to all the northern Lake Michigan area. If true, this is an abandonement of a critical USCG mission. If not true, it is causing needless concern to health providers and others in this area. Don’t let drugs and terrorism cancel the old life-saving missions.

  • LTJG Stephanie Young

    John Kelly,

    Thank you for your inquiry. I have received confirmation from the Coast Guard’s Office of Aviation Forces (CG-711), that the there are no intentions of moving aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Michigan.

    You can find out more information about the Coast Guard’s aviation program here:

    Very Respectfully,
    LTJG S. Young
    United States Coast Guard Public Affairs

  • LTJG Stephanie Young

    Jon Dominos,

    Below are the answers in response to your questions, with input from the Coast Guard Engineering and Logistics Directorate (CG-4):

    Was the boat fixed?
    -The cutter made temporary repairs to the davit in accordance with the technical guidance provided in the fleet-wide message sent from SFLC.

    How long were they inoperable?
    -The repairs were made the same day the problem was discovered.

    What did SFLC do?
    -SFLC ordered and then shipped the parts required for the cutter to make permanent repairs.

    Very Respectfully,
    LTJG S. Young
    United States Coast Guard Public Affairs

  • Jerry Lausen

    The davit on a 40 year old or 2 year old cutter is not the problem and unfortunately all the details of the casualty or the root cause of the failure were not published in the article. This davit system coupled with the OTHB is a reliable system. The cutter was not identified by name and thereby the age of the davit is unknown but is less than 6 years old since manufacture. Based on the limited information provided, the pin connecting the weighted travelling block and the Cranston-Eagle hook is the most abused component in the assembly during operation and while the davit is static. Rest assured that davit maintenance is critical on every cutter and generally not subjected to “reduced” funding. I am confident the cutter was unaware of the impending failure as was anyone in the maintenance or logistics chain. A failure of this type is the first in the history of this davit and with the attention it seems this has received with be the last. The number of cycles this davit has since put into operation makes with the limited number of overall failures for the davit system makes it one of the most reliable pieces of equipment onboard any cutter.