USCGC Woodrush (WLB-407)
Encyclopedia
USCGC Woodrush (WLB-407) was a buoy tender
that performed general aids-to-navigation (ATON), search and rescue
(SAR), and icebreaking
duties for the United States Coast Guard
(USCG) from 1944 to 2001 from home ports of Duluth, Minnesota
and Sitka, Alaska. She responded from Duluth at full speed through a gale and high seas to the scene of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald
sinking in 1975. In 1980, she took part in a rescue rated in the top 10 USCG rescues when she helped to save the passengers and crew of the cruise ship Prinsendam
after it caught fire and sank off Graham Island
, British Columbia. She was one of the first vessels to respond to the Exxon Valdez oil spill
in 1989. She was decommissioned on 2 March 2001 and sold to the Republic of Ghana
to serve in the Ghana Navy
.
as a 180 feet (54.9 m), Iris or C-Class tender. Her keel was laid on 4 February 1944, and she was launched on 28 April 1944. Like the "A" and "B" class tenders in the 180 feet (54.9 m) class, she was constructed of welded steel with a notched forefoot, ice-belt at the waterline, a reinforced bow for icebreaking capabilities. The superstructure was extended to the ship's sides for increased interior volume above the main deck. Her finer lines in the bow and stern and deeper draft were designed to increase seaworthiness. The utilitarian design allowed the vessel to serve as a search and rescue (SAR) or naval platform. Twin diesel generators powered an electric motor that turned a single propeller. As a C-Class tender, Woodrush carried more fuel than the "A" and "B" Class tenders. She was "fitted with power vangs that attached to the bridge wings and manipulated the cargo boom" that were used on "B" and "C" tenders.
practice of naming tenders after foliage, she was named after the Woodrush
plant. She was assigned general aids to navigation (ATON) and icebreaking duties with Duluth, Minnesota
as her home port.
district until 31 July 1978. She was part the icebreaking fleet of buoy tenders that kept the shipping lanes open on the Great Lakes
a month longer in the winter and months earlier in the spring. This was considered key to the economy of the Great Lakes region. A former commanding officer of Woodrush reported that he deliberately grounded her many times during her buoy tending duties because that was the only way some of the buoys could be set.
The Woodrush conducted many rescues during her long U.S. Coast Guard career. She rescued three lightkeepers in the early 1960s who were stranded for three days after an explosion at the remote Stannard Rock Light
in Lake Superior
.
As the only available U.S. Coast Guard cutter available to respond to the Fitzgerald sinking on 10 November 1975, Woodrush was ordered from Duluth at "full speed" through a "gale and high seas" and arrived on scene within 24 hours. She combed the area along with the SS William Clay Ford
and the SS Arthur M. Anderson
until daybreak, when debris and oil were finally located. The following summer, Woodrush served as a support vessel for the United States Navy
ROV
, the CURV
, that was used to survey the Fitzgerald wreck.
A few years later, Woodrush was called out to help break ice for some freighters near the Soo Locks
. Woodrush eventually got trapped in the ice, and was floated by the ice until it managed to get free, passing right over the Fitzgerald wreck site.
From 31 July 1978 to 31 March 1980, Woodrush underwent a major renovation at U.S. Coast Guard Yard Curtis Bay, Maryland. She received new diesel engines, a thorough overhaul of her main electrical motor and its control systems, installation of new electrical wiring and switchboards, new water piping and sewage handling systems, and a bow thruster to improve her maneuverability. The crew's living spaces were upgraded and the furnishings were modernized.
On 3 June 1980, Woodrush replaced USCGC Clover (WLB-292)
in Sitka, Alaska where she home ported for the rest of her U.S. Coast Guard career performing aids to navigation (ATON), icebreaking, and search and rescue (SAR) duties.
In 1980, Woodrush helped rescue the passengers and crew from the cruise ship MS Prinsendam
that caught fire and sank off Graham Island
, British Columbia
. The Prinsendam rescue is rated by the U.S. Coast Guard as one of the ten most successful rescues because the nearest airstrip was 130 miles (209.2 km) from the disaster, operations were coordinated with other vessels in the area and Canadian helicopters, and the crew and 520 passengers were rescued without loss of life or serious injury.
In 1989, Woodrush was one of the first vessels to respond to SS Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound
, Alaska. In 1993, she went to the assistance of the grounded cruise ship, the MV Yorktown.
After serving the U.S.Coast Guard for 57 years, Woodrush was decommissioned on 2 March 2001 and sold to the Republic of Ghana to serve in Ghana Navy
as GNS Anzone P30.
USCG Seagoing Buoy Tender
The Seagoing Buoy Tender is a type of U.S. Coast Guard cutter originally designed to service aids to navigation, throughout the waters of the United States, and wherever U.S. shipping interests require. The Coast Guard has maintained a fleet of seagoing buoy tenders dating back to its origins in...
that performed general aids-to-navigation (ATON), search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
(SAR), and icebreaking
Icebreaker
An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller vessels .For a ship to be considered an icebreaker, it requires three traits most...
duties for the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
(USCG) from 1944 to 2001 from home ports of Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
and Sitka, Alaska. She responded from Duluth at full speed through a gale and high seas to the scene of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald
SS Edmund Fitzgerald
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that made headlines after sinking in a Lake Superior storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29. When launched on June 8, 1958, she was the largest boat on North America's Great Lakes, and she remains...
sinking in 1975. In 1980, she took part in a rescue rated in the top 10 USCG rescues when she helped to save the passengers and crew of the cruise ship Prinsendam
MS Prinsendam (1973)
MS Prinsendam, a Holland-America liner built at Shipyard de Merwede in the Netherlands in 1973, was 427 feet long and typically carried about 350 passengers and 200 crew members. The liner was sailing through the Gulf of Alaska, approximately 120 miles south of Yakutat, Alaska, at midnight on...
after it caught fire and sank off Graham Island
Graham Island
Graham Island is the largest island in the Haida Gwaii archipelago , lying off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is separated only by a narrow channel from the other principal island of the group, Moresby Island Graham Island is the largest island in the Haida Gwaii archipelago (formerly...
, British Columbia. She was one of the first vessels to respond to the Exxon Valdez oil spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill
The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker bound for Long Beach, California, struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled of crude oil. It is considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused...
in 1989. She was decommissioned on 2 March 2001 and sold to the Republic of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
to serve in the Ghana Navy
Ghana Navy
The Ghana Navy is the naval force of the West African nation of Ghana. The navy, along with the Ghana Army and Ghana Air Force, make up the Ghana Armed Forces.-History:...
.
Construction and design
Woodrush was built by the Zenith Dredge Company in Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
as a 180 feet (54.9 m), Iris or C-Class tender. Her keel was laid on 4 February 1944, and she was launched on 28 April 1944. Like the "A" and "B" class tenders in the 180 feet (54.9 m) class, she was constructed of welded steel with a notched forefoot, ice-belt at the waterline, a reinforced bow for icebreaking capabilities. The superstructure was extended to the ship's sides for increased interior volume above the main deck. Her finer lines in the bow and stern and deeper draft were designed to increase seaworthiness. The utilitarian design allowed the vessel to serve as a search and rescue (SAR) or naval platform. Twin diesel generators powered an electric motor that turned a single propeller. As a C-Class tender, Woodrush carried more fuel than the "A" and "B" Class tenders. She was "fitted with power vangs that attached to the bridge wings and manipulated the cargo boom" that were used on "B" and "C" tenders.
Commissioning
Woodrush was commissioned on 22 September 1944 under the command of LCDR F. D. Hagaman, USCG. In keeping with the Lighthouse ServiceUnited States Lighthouse Service
The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 until 1939...
practice of naming tenders after foliage, she was named after the Woodrush
Luzula
Luzula is a genus of about 80 species of flowering plants the family Juncaceae, with a cosmopolitan distribution, the highest species diversity being in temperate Asia and Europe....
plant. She was assigned general aids to navigation (ATON) and icebreaking duties with Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
as her home port.
History
Woodrush performed many duties and missions in the Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
district until 31 July 1978. She was part the icebreaking fleet of buoy tenders that kept the shipping lanes open on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
a month longer in the winter and months earlier in the spring. This was considered key to the economy of the Great Lakes region. A former commanding officer of Woodrush reported that he deliberately grounded her many times during her buoy tending duties because that was the only way some of the buoys could be set.
The Woodrush conducted many rescues during her long U.S. Coast Guard career. She rescued three lightkeepers in the early 1960s who were stranded for three days after an explosion at the remote Stannard Rock Light
Stannard Rock Light
The Stannard Rock Light, completed in 1883, is a lighthouse located on a reef that was the most serious hazard to navigation on Lake Superior. The exposed crib of the Stannard Rock Light is rated as one of the top ten engineering feats in the United States. It is from the nearest land, making it...
in Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
.
As the only available U.S. Coast Guard cutter available to respond to the Fitzgerald sinking on 10 November 1975, Woodrush was ordered from Duluth at "full speed" through a "gale and high seas" and arrived on scene within 24 hours. She combed the area along with the SS William Clay Ford
SS William Clay Ford
The SS William Clay Ford was a bulk freighter built for hauling material on the Great Lakes. It was named for William Clay Ford, Sr., grandson of Henry Ford, Sr. Its keel was laid in 1952 at River Rouge, Michigan by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, and it was launched in 1953...
and the SS Arthur M. Anderson
SS Arthur M. Anderson
The SS Arthur M. Anderson is a cargo ship of the laker type. It is famous for being the last ship to be in contact with the SS Edmund Fitzgerald . The Anderson was also the first rescue ship on the scene in a vain search for Fitzgerald survivors .- History :The SS Arthur M...
until daybreak, when debris and oil were finally located. The following summer, Woodrush served as a support vessel for the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
ROV
Remotely operated vehicle
A remotely operated vehicle is a tethered underwater vehicle. They are common in deepwater industries such as offshore hydrocarbon extraction. An ROV may sometimes be called a remotely operated underwater vehicle to distinguish it from remote control vehicles operating on land or in the air. ROVs...
, the CURV
CURV-III
CURV-III was the fourth generation of the United States Navy Cable-controlled Undersea Recovery Vehicle . CURV was a prototype for remotely operated underwater vehicles and a pioneer for teleoperation. It became famous in 1966 when CURV-I was used to recover a hydrogen bomb from the floor of the...
, that was used to survey the Fitzgerald wreck.
A few years later, Woodrush was called out to help break ice for some freighters near the Soo Locks
Soo Locks
The Soo Locks are a set of parallel locks which enable ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. They are located on the St. Marys River between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, between the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario...
. Woodrush eventually got trapped in the ice, and was floated by the ice until it managed to get free, passing right over the Fitzgerald wreck site.
From 31 July 1978 to 31 March 1980, Woodrush underwent a major renovation at U.S. Coast Guard Yard Curtis Bay, Maryland. She received new diesel engines, a thorough overhaul of her main electrical motor and its control systems, installation of new electrical wiring and switchboards, new water piping and sewage handling systems, and a bow thruster to improve her maneuverability. The crew's living spaces were upgraded and the furnishings were modernized.
On 3 June 1980, Woodrush replaced USCGC Clover (WLB-292)
USCGC Clover (WLB-292)
USCGC Clover WAGL/WLB/WMEC-292, a Cactus Class buoy tender was built by Marine Iron and Shipbuilding, Duluth, Minnesota. Her keel was laid 3 December 1941, and she was launched 25 April 1942. She was commissioned on 8 November 1942 in the United States Coast Guard as the United States Coast Guard...
in Sitka, Alaska where she home ported for the rest of her U.S. Coast Guard career performing aids to navigation (ATON), icebreaking, and search and rescue (SAR) duties.
In 1980, Woodrush helped rescue the passengers and crew from the cruise ship MS Prinsendam
MS Prinsendam (1973)
MS Prinsendam, a Holland-America liner built at Shipyard de Merwede in the Netherlands in 1973, was 427 feet long and typically carried about 350 passengers and 200 crew members. The liner was sailing through the Gulf of Alaska, approximately 120 miles south of Yakutat, Alaska, at midnight on...
that caught fire and sank off Graham Island
Graham Island
Graham Island is the largest island in the Haida Gwaii archipelago , lying off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is separated only by a narrow channel from the other principal island of the group, Moresby Island Graham Island is the largest island in the Haida Gwaii archipelago (formerly...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The Prinsendam rescue is rated by the U.S. Coast Guard as one of the ten most successful rescues because the nearest airstrip was 130 miles (209.2 km) from the disaster, operations were coordinated with other vessels in the area and Canadian helicopters, and the crew and 520 passengers were rescued without loss of life or serious injury.
In 1989, Woodrush was one of the first vessels to respond to SS Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound
Prince William Sound
Prince William Sound is a sound off the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System...
, Alaska. In 1993, she went to the assistance of the grounded cruise ship, the MV Yorktown.
After serving the U.S.Coast Guard for 57 years, Woodrush was decommissioned on 2 March 2001 and sold to the Republic of Ghana to serve in Ghana Navy
Ghana Navy
The Ghana Navy is the naval force of the West African nation of Ghana. The navy, along with the Ghana Army and Ghana Air Force, make up the Ghana Armed Forces.-History:...
as GNS Anzone P30.