USCG's 180-foot Seagoing Buoy Tender

[sparky]

Sometimes we used the ACACIA for transporting uhm...well...personal gear..   

Here's a look at the engineroom control panel on the Acacia circa 1966, before slep etc. Doesn't look like this now for sure...

More pics to come at a later time.

[JekelKat]

I know MADRONA was decommed '02. Anyone know what happened to her? I've heard she was sold to Panama - but that may not be accurate.

[BuoyJumper]

Kat,

The MADRONA (WLB-302) serves in the Navy of El Salvador and I have not been able to find anything on her thus far.

[BuoyJumper]

I decided to break this out of my collection just for Kat .... A photo of her beloved MADRONA.



Enjoy the memories Kat!

[JekelKat]

Oooh I LOVE it! Thank you soooo much!

I do believe that is a photo of her in Charleston Harbor?

If it is - that's the flagpole that I always used to have to shoot while I was a bearing taker.

If not I'm an idiot and don't know WTF I'm talking about, but will still enjoy the picture! 

[popeye]

that is the madrona on the Ashly river by the citadel she is being used by el Salvador as a fueling platform for there 82 wpbs that we gave them and to extend there go fast operations for drug ops

[BuoyJumper]

Chief,

Thanks for posting.  I have looked and looked for photos of the Madrona in el Salvador, but I have not been successful to date.  I'm glad to know that she's still active and being used.    

[popeye]

loved the 180"s started as a SA on them and finished as a BMC, I was lucky on my last 180 the gentian we went around the Caribbean working on all the old cg boats given away down there my self and the EO Tom O"Donnell spent a lot of time on a lot of old 180s and 82ft wpb as well as the lipan (Colombia does not sail) a couple of 95"s in the Bahamas (do not sail) 133 in Dom rep 44 mlbs in Guyana(Jim Jones town) even saw the rambler in Trinidad being run by a local company as a rig supply boat.

[sparky]

I'm glad many of the old 180's are being used. I"m especially glad the ACACIA is destined to last a while as a museum...hopefully the funding comes in and it starts being used. Might even pay her a visit again some day if Chicago wasn't so far from Portland, OR.

[vftb]

I'd have to get out the SCUBA gear to visit the Blackhaw 

[Zoomer]

Geeze....did the Madrona every work any bouys?  Beautiful paint job.....nice awning on the fantail.....nice paint all over....we coulda fixed all that nice stuff in Alaska.

I thought the Bittersweet was in sad shape paintwise when I was abord....but when another 180 came down on its way to the yards and stopped in Ketchikan from its home port in ( I think it was) Kodiak...the Bittersweet looked like a well kept yachet!

[popeye]

Here are Some Pics from the Laurels decomisoning Book some of the more seasoned crew will like the Frist group.

I am the one in the white Hat.

Ron If you would like a copy of the decomisoning book for your web site I have a spare.


Popeye sends


[I

[sparky]

Now that submarine is something we never saw off the bow on the Great Lakes...cool picture

[popeye]

Here are a couple of Pics from a CD I had of my time on the Gentian when see was a training ship but like a true deck ape I have ruined the disk I am trying to find a copy from a buddy as it had a lot of pics of old CG units that we gave away.

These pics are as we are passing under the Bridge of Americas in Panama all the work that was done on the PB.s was done at the old US navy Base at the foot of the bridge. The PB.s were now with Columbia Panama El Salvador Venezuela and Trinadad.

Please excuse the Fenders over the side.




(Resized Images to remove slider) Buoy

[BuoyJumper]

Nice photos of the Gentian Paul, thanks for posting.  Love seeing the 82's in the photo too.

Former Coastie Don Boyd has some great photos of Gentian's final decommissioning on June 23rd, 2006 on this LINK.

 
(L) The Gentian's last AtoN crew in May 1998.  (R) In January 1999 refurbishing began for her
new role as the Caribbean Support Tender WIX-290.   


Here's two of your 180s Paul in fact you may have been aboard at the time.  The Gentian left
and the former CGC SWEETGUM WLB-309 serving Panama as Independencia A-401.