USCGC Basswood: From Design to Duty

The USCGC Basswood has a rich history that spans from its design to its duty. It was designed by Gibbs & Cox, a renowned naval architecture firm, in 1970.

The Basswood was one of the first of its class, known as the 225-foot Island-class patrol boats. This class was designed for coastal patrol duties.

Built at the Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans, the Basswood was launched in 1972. Its construction was a significant undertaking, requiring a large workforce and extensive resources.

The Basswood's design featured a unique hull shape, which provided stability and maneuverability in various sea conditions.

The USCGC Basswood was a remarkable vessel, and its design and construction are a testament to its durability and efficiency. It was constructed after the Mesquite-class buoy tenders, with a cost of $896,402.

Basswood had an overall length of 180 feet, with a beam of 37 feet and a draft of up to 12 feet at the time of construction. This was increased to 14 feet 7 inches in 1966.

The ship was powered by one electric motor connected to two Westinghouse generators, which were driven by two Cooper-Bessemer GND-8 four-cycle diesel engines. This setup allowed for a maximum sustained speed of 13 knots, although it diminished to around 11.9 knots in 1966.

Basswood had a complement of six officers and seventy-four crew members in 1945, which decreased to two warrants, four officers, and forty-seven men in 1966. This reduction in crew size reflects the changing needs and operations of the vessel over time.

The ship was equipped with advanced technology for its time, including a SL1 radar system and QBE-3A sonar system in 1945.

The USCGC Basswood has had a long and storied service history, with a career spanning over five decades. Commissioned in January 1944, Basswood was initially used for general ATON and icebreaking on the Great Lakes before being transferred to Astoria, Oregon, for additional ATON duty until the end of World War II.

In the 1950s, Basswood made several trips to the Marshall Islands in support of US nuclear weapons testing, specifically for Operations Greenhouse, Castle, and Redwing. She spent two days anchored in the lagoon at Enewetak Atoll while conducting a survey for the Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program.

Basswood completed three deployments to Vietnam during the Vietnam War, which makes personnel who served aboard her during one of these deployments eligible for the presumption of Agent Orange herbicide exposure by the Department of Veterans Affairs. After the war, she was stationed in Guam from 1968 until her decommissioning in 1998.

In Guam, Basswood was the driving force behind Project Handclasp, a US Navy program to provide health care and humanitarian relief to outlying islands in the Pacific Ocean. She successfully rode out Typhoon Pamela in 1976, recording a peak wind gust of 120 knots/hour and a minimum barometric pressure of 933.1 mb.

Here are the notable deployments and operations of the USCGC Basswood:

The USCGC Basswood has a unique collectibles aspect that's worth exploring.

The ship's model is a great example of a collectible item.

One of the most popular collectibles related to the USCGC Basswood is the 1967 model.

You can find this model online or in maritime museums.

The model is a detailed representation of the ship's design and features.

The USCGC Basswood has a long history, and its memorabilia is highly sought after by collectors.

Some of the most valuable collectibles include patches, coins, and pins.

These items are often rare and can be found in good condition with some searching.