ABOUT USCGC BAINBRIDGE ISLAND

            USCGC BAINBRIDGE ISLAND is the 43rd "Island Class" cutter to join the fleet, and is named after Bainbridge Island which is located in Puget Sound near Seattle, Washington. The island, once the private hunting ground of Chief Kitsap and later named Bainbridge Island by Captain Vancouver, combines the historic charm of the lumber mills, strawberry fields and WWII military bases with the rural, pastoral ambiance that sets it apart from the bustle of the big city. Bainbridge Island supports a diversity of cul­tures that includes young families, singles and senior citizens who have all made a decision to live on this beautiful island.

            The cutter was built by Bollinger Machine Shop and Shipyard in Lockport, Louisiana and is equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and electronics. BAINBRIDGE ISLAND'S design is based on the internationally known Vosper Thornycroft Patrol Boats of Great Britain. Her twin V-16 caterpillar diesel engines move the ship at speeds in excess of 29 knots. Designed as a high­speed heavy weather craft, BAINBRIDGE ISLAND also employs active-fin roll stabilizers to minimize ship motion and reduce crew fatigue.

            Although built primarily as a law enforcement platform, BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, like all Coast Guard units, is considered a multi-mission resource. From search and rescue to marine environmental protection to national defense, this cutter and her crew are ready and able to respond to any call.

            BAINBRIDGE ISLAND is homeported in Sandy Hook, NJ and is part of Coast Guard Activities New York. This cutter normally operates in the waters of the First Coast Guard District from the Gulf of Maine to Southern New Jersey and engages in Search & Rescue and Enforcement of Fisheries Regulations. BAINBRIDGE ISLAND has also conducted counter-drug patrols in the Caribbean Sea and in early 2003 deployed to the Mediterranean Sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.