The USCG 40-foot Utility Boat

[BuoyJumper]

The USCG 40-foot Steel Utility Boat

If you served at a Coast Guard Station in the 1950's through the mid 1970's you probably served on one of these rugged twin screw diesel powered boats.  The 40 foot utility boat took the place of the wooden picket boat. The 40 foot utility boat was a graceful, rugged and fast search and rescue boat. She could operate in calm to moderate sea conditions. The 40-footer was a direct ancestor to the 41 foot utility boat of today and to many Coasties thinking a superior boat. The Mark IV Steel 40-footer could carry twenty men or 5,000 lbs. of cargo. On a SAR mission this boat could attain 23 knots powered by twin six cylinder, 190 horsepower Detroit diesels. At maximum speed the 40-footer could range up to 383 miles. The 40-footers were numbered 40369 through 40699  and were built between 8 September 1950 - 16 May 1966.

Please share your experience of serving on a USCG's 40-footer with us.

The 40-footers of Manhattan, New York in the 1950's and 1960's

40462 at CG Base Alameda and 40408 at Cape May, New Jersey

40534 Group Woods Hole, Massachusetts

40430 stationed in San Francisco and 40557 from Brandt Point, Nantucket, Massachusetts

40493 Honolulu, Hawaii

40548 Curis Bay, Maryland   (Thanks Rusty)

40548 Curtis Bay, Maryland and 40552 Marquette, Michigan

A rare sight, 40552 and 40586, 2 preserved black hull 40's in the Greats Lakes

40478 Stillpond, MD and 40506 Base New Orleans, LA

A sad day, New York 40's stripped and waiting to be scrapped in the late 1970's

[BuoyJumper]

The Restoration of 40450 by fellow shipmate and member Frank "Bugsey" Moran

More photos taken in the spring of 2008 on this link.

Thanks Square Knot for emailing me a link to Bugsey's website

[BuoyJumper]

Frank,

No question about it, this has to be a labor of love to take on a project like this.  Wish I was close by and not in Texas as I would love to come help you with the project.  Hopefully some of the men who live in the New York metropolitan area will see this and want to pitch in and help you with the project.  I understand you are taking the 450 via water later this year for a reunion or something?  Tell us all about it won't you?

[rustybayonet]

the 40548 was at Curtis Bay in the early 60's [62-63] once in awhile rode her - mostly to Baltimore

[rustybayonet]

Love this thread of the old forty footers Buoy -- think it was the 40545 that was at Toledo/ Maumee Bay - think I read somewhere that about 2 or 3 years after I left there she sunk and they did raise her and repaired so she was still usable for awile, would have to try and find the article again.

[sparky]

I always thought the 40'ers were the most attractive coast guard boat ever. I only got to ride one once when I was a SN up in the Soo in 64 or so. Anyway, great pics and great restoration project.

[vftb]

I always thought the 40'ers were the most attractive coast guard boat ever.

I'll second that although I think the 82's are a close second.  Was never attached to a 40', but got to hitch a ride on one out of Alameda every now and then 

[Bugsey]

  Ron first of all i thank you it is verryverry kool i hope when i am all done i can have some of the coxins that ran the 40ty,s get to the area an run the50 boats just one more time,i hope to have a lot of fun with it. i am beginning to think the only one,s who no what part the forty,s played are the crews that ran them i hope when i am all done that they get more of thier due. Thanks again

                                                                                            BUGSEY

[EX-CG-GM]

I always thought the 40'ers were the most attractive coast guard boat ever.

I'll second that although I think the 82's are a close second.  Was never attached to a 40', but got to hitch a ride on one out of Alameda every now and then 

I think the 95's were a better looking boat then the 82's.  So did a lot of folks when the 82's firet came out.  I seem to recall people saying they looked like bathtubs.

The old 83's were good looking boats too....if you were into wooden hulls and gasoline engines.

Got a match?     

[JerryM]

It's been a while since I have been on a 40 boat, but I still have lots of good memories from '61 - '62 when I often went as boat crew &/or boarding officer while I was ET3 at COTP Houston.
Seems like we had Two steel 40s, a fiberglass one and a wooden one. Scheina says only three fiberglass ones were made, but I sure seem to remember one. Maybe Fred Hardy will drop in & let me know if I'm wrong.

The inland waterways around Houston provided lots of entertainment most of the time, and some serious pucker power on the less common occasions when something went awry.

[rustybayonet]

Jerry - we had the 40 at Toledo and also a glass 30- for speed the 30 of course, but the ride and endurance that 40 would run forever.  We chased a guy all over Erie on day, before he finally run out of fuel and the 40 was still chugin.  Hadn't gotten sar call yet, so the BM left him and headed back in until we got the call.  The guy was pissed , he got writin up for alot of things.  Never did find out the outcome, because I left for school a few days later.

[Bugsey]

 well ron i will tell you one thing if the first patrol goe,s the way i hope it doe,s it will be a great start New York Harbor all the way down along the coast to Shark River Life boat Sation just for a pit stop, then all the way down to cape may, hoping to get permission to stay over night, at the base if not get a slip down thiere,motel,then 0500 an up the delaware river to philia CGStation we are staying there for the whole ceromony20,year aniversery, for the station CG Drill team,CGband some virginia old cannon group, then us GLOUSTER CITY N.J. 40/45 year reuion what a way to start the 40450,s career BOB YOUNGBLOOD, JIMMY MOFFAT, an MYSELF. My crew an everybody else exspect to have one of the best 2 days of our life,s since,the 60,s.i am so glad that the 40450 served so long in GLOUSTER an really glad they are allowing us to join. They are also celerbrating some COAST GUARD MEDAL RECIPIENTS, an my coxin is a recipient of that medal so it should be one hellava day.

                                                                                                                    BUGSEY

[EX-CG-GM]

Hey Bugsey!  Did ya' have to use quite a bit of bondo to get that old hull smooth again after so many years of guys banging her into the docks?
 

 

[Zoomer]

Was stationed on the Point Heyer (82369) and then four years later on the Cape Romain (95319) both at YBI, San Francisco.  The 82 was a hell of alot easier to run than the 95.  That damned pnumatic system used to engage the engines was a pain in the patootie!  Slow to react and just not as much fun to manouver than the 82.  On the other hand, the 95 held a course better in following seas...the 82 had undersized rudders and could be a challange in following seas.  Besided as a BM1 I was the XPO on the 82 and only the 1st LT on the 95 and it was strange working for an XPO that was a QMC 

Zoomer

[Zoomer]

Had the pleasure of running 40 boats at YBI, San Francisco Bay.  The steel fortys were pretty good and very easy to manouver, you could walk 'em sideways!  With such a low freeboard while transiting on the bay, especially during the evening, during spawning season it was nothing to come back to the base with at least a dozen herring on deck.  I was really fortunate to get assigned to the 40593, which was a single screw 40 (One of only six if I remember correctly) which had a 671 like the other steel 40's, but it had a four valve head and I could take it up to a higher rpm and keep up easily with the steel 40's with their two engines.  I also won a bet that I couldn't walk the single screw boat sideways.....yup, you could!

I thought it was cool that I had to go out and tow in one of the Air Cushion Vehilces that the CG had for a while at Fort Point....it was fun until they told me their hull speed on the water, uninflated was three knots....it took FOREVER to get that damn thing back to Fort Point!

Fooey to the 41 footers.....the whimps!  Enclosed coxswain platform....there was something to be said for that salt spray in your face on the 40's