USCGC Balsam Ship History and Legacy

The USCGC Balsam has a rich history that spans over a century. Launched in 1912, this cutter played a significant role in the United States Coast Guard's mission to protect the country's coastlines and waterways.

The Balsam was initially commissioned as a patrol boat, tasked with enforcing maritime laws and preventing smuggling. She served in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, where she was involved in several notable operations.

One of the most notable events in the Balsam's history was her involvement in the 1915 hurricane that devastated the Gulf Coast. She provided critical aid and support to affected communities, earning her a reputation as a reliable and versatile cutter.

The Balsam's legacy extends beyond her impressive service record. She was also a pioneering vessel in the use of radio communication, which greatly improved her ability to respond to emergencies and coordinate with other ships.

USCGC Balsam was built at the Zenith Dredge Company yard in Duluth, Minnesota, with her keel laid down on October 25, 1941.

Her construction was a significant undertaking, with a cost of $916,109.

Balsam's hull was constructed of welded steel plates framed with steel I-beams, providing a sturdy foundation for the ship.

She was designed to perform light ice-breaking, with a reinforced "ice belt" of thicker steel around her waterline to protect it from punctures.

Balsam's bow was also reinforced and shaped to ride over ice, allowing her to crush it with the weight of the ship.

She was 180 feet long, with a beam of 37 feet and a draft of 12 feet.

Her displacement was 935 tons, which increased to 1,025 tons by the end of her Coast Guard service.

Balsam had a single 8.5-foot stainless-steel five-blade propeller driven by a diesel-electric propulsion system.

The ship's fuel tanks had a capacity of approximately 30,000 US gallons, allowing for a range of 8,000 nautical miles at 13 knots.

The USCGC Balsam (WLB-62) was a 180-foot seagoing buoy tender built by Zenith Dredge Company in Duluth, Minnesota. She was one of 39 original 180-foot tenders built between 1942 and 1944.

Her construction was a collaborative effort between the United States Lighthouse Service and the Marine Iron and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth. The keel was laid on 25 October 1941, and she was launched on 15 April 1942.

The original cost for the hull and machinery was $916,109, which is equivalent to $13,222,942 in modern dollars. She was commissioned on 14 October 1942.

Here are some key specifications of the USCGC Balsam (WLB-62):

Balsam's initial service was in the South Pacific during WWII, and after the war, she returned to the west coast of the United States.

Balsam's initial service was in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. The aircraft she rescued, a Martin PBM-3-D Mariner flying boat, experienced an engine fire and made a forced landing off Howland Island on July 10, 1944.

She was based on the United States West Coast with her home port at Astoria, Oregon, and Eureka, California after the war. Balsam also served out of Honolulu, Hawaii, before being transferred to Alaska.

On November 8, 1966, Balsam rescued the crew of the landing craft Bettles, which had run aground and broken up in a gale off Semisopochnoi Island in the Aleutian Islands. The winds were a strong 65-mile-per-hour (105 km/h) at the time.

The U.S. Coast Guard decommissioned Balsam on March 6, 1975, and sold her to a private company for $53,687.