A cutter or a boat?
A variety of Coast Guard vessels are either stationed at
or frequently visit the Coast Guard base in front of you.
Although many of these vessels work off the Massachusetts
coast or in local harbors and navigable rivers, some of the
larger vessels carry out critical assignments outside the
region. Boston-based vessels routinely sail to the Caribbean
to assist in the interception of both illegal immigrants and
drugs. They have also been sent to the Persian Gulf and were
among the first to arrive in New Orleans after Hurricane
Katrina and in New York City after 9/11.
The panel also explains the difference between a
cutter and a
boat:
Coast Guard vessels 65 feet and longer are called cutters.
Cutters are named and include the medium endurance cutters
Spencer, Escanaba, and Seneca, the 87-foot cutter Flying Fish,
and the 65-foot icebreaking cutter Pendant, all of which call
Base Boston home. Smaller vessels are called boats and are
referred to by their hull numbers, the first two digits
indicating length in feet. Boats are used to support a
variety of missions including port security, buoy maintenance,
and search and rescue.
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