USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC-1141) is the United States Coast Guard's 41st Sentinel-class cutter, and the first of six to be homeported in Manama, Bahrain.[4]
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Charles Moulthrope |
| Namesake | Charles Moulthrope |
| Operator | United States Coast Guard |
| Builder | Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana |
| Launched | October 22, 2020 |
| Acquired | October 22, 2020[1] |
| Commissioned | January 21, 2021[2] |
| Homeport | Manama, Bahrain |
| Identification | Hull number: WPC-1141 |
| Motto | Before the Mast |
| Status | in active service |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Sentinel-class cutter |
| Displacement | 353 long tons (359 t) |
| Length | 46.8 m (154 ft) |
| Beam | 8.11 m (26.6 ft) |
| Depth | 2.9 m (9.5 ft) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) |
| Range | 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) |
| Endurance | 5 days |
| Boats & landing craft carried | 1 × Cutter Boat - Over the Horizon Interceptor |
| Complement | 4 officers, 20 crew |
| Sensors and processing systems | L-3 C4ISR suite |
| Armament |
|
| Notes | First Commanding Officer Lt. Cmdr. Steven Hulse[3] |
Like her sister ships she was built in the Bollinger Shipyards, in Lockport, Louisiana.[4]
Design
editLike her sister ships, Charles Moulthrope is designed to perform search and rescue missions, port security, and the interception of smugglers.[5] She is armed with a remotely-controlled, gyro-stabilized 25 mm autocannon, four crew served M2 Browning machine guns, and light arms. She is equipped with a stern launching ramp, that allows her to launch or retrieve a water-jet propelled high-speed auxiliary boat, without first coming to a stop. Her high-speed boat has over-the-horizon capability, and is useful for inspecting other vessels, and deploying boarding parties.
The crew's drinking water needs are met through a desalination unit.[6] The crew mess is equipped with a television with satellite reception.
Operational career
editThe vessel was delivered to the Coast Guard base in Key West for her acceptance trials on October 22, 2020.[1][4] She was commissioned in Portsmouth, Virginia on January 21, 2021.[2]
Charles Moulthrope began her trip from Puerto Rico to Manama, Bahrain on April 1, 2021 accompanied by the cutters Robert Goldman and Hamilton.[7] The ships arrived at Naval Station Rota in Spain on April 14, 2021 after their Atlantic crossing.[8] Charles Moulthrope and her sister ship Robert Goldman reached their homeport of Manama, Bahrain on May 25, 2021.[9]
Namesake
editIn 2010, Charles "Skip" W. Bowen, who was then the United States Coast Guard's most senior non-commissioned officer, proposed that all 58 cutters in the Sentinel class should be named after enlisted sailors in the Coast Guard, or one of its precursor services, who were recognized for their heroism.[10][11] The Coast Guard chose Charles Moulthrope as the namesake of the 41st cutter.[4] Moulthorpe was serving on the Revenue Service cutter USRC Commodore Perry, exploring Alaska, in 1896, when he died after a fall to its deck. Not long before, he had saved four of his shipmates after their small boat capsized while unsuccessfully trying to rescue a fifth shipmate.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b "Coast Guard accepts 41st fast response cutter" (Press release). United States Coast Guard. 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
- ^ a b "Coast Guard commissions first PATFORSWA Sentinel-class cutter". Coast Guard News. 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
- ^ "Commanding Officer comments USCGC Moulthrope (WPC 1141)". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
- ^ a b c d
Keith Magill (2020-10-22). "Lockport shipyard's latest Coast Guard cutter to serve overseas". Houma Today. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
The Charles Moulthrope will be based in Manama, Bahrain, replacing a 110-foot Island Class Patrol Boat built by Bollinger 30 years ago. The new ship will support U.S. defense missions in southwest Asia, the Coast Guard's largest overseas presence.
- ^
"FRC Plan B: The Sentinel Class". Defense Industry Daily. May 2, 2014. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. Retrieved 2014-04-03.
All of these boats will be named after enlisted Coast Guard heroes, who distinguished themselves in USCG or military service. The first 25 have been named, but only 8 have been commissioned...
- ^
Jacqueline L. Urgo (November 19, 2016). "Coast Guard to get 'game changer' cutter to save lives and catch criminals". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 20, 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
Although the cutter is far from luxurious, its crew quarters provide slightly more room and comfort than earlier models, with larger staterooms, more toilets and sinks, greater storage space, and DirecTV access in the mess areas.
- ^ "Coast Guard ships depart Puerto Rico on mission to strengthen Trans-Atlantic ties". Coast Guard News. 2021-04-05. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ "U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Conduct First Stop in U.S. Sixth Fleet". U.S. Sixth Fleet Public Affairs. 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ "PATFORSWA Receives Two New Sentinel-Class U.S. Coast Guard Fast Response Cutters". U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet. 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
- ^
Susan Schept (March 22, 2010). "Enlisted heroes honored". United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on December 3, 2011. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
After the passing of several well-known Coast Guard heroes last year, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Charles "Skip" Bowen mentioned in his blog that the Coast Guard does not do enough to honor its fallen heroes.
- ^
"U.S. Coast Guard announces name for first Sentinel-class cutter". March 22, 2010. Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
Previously designated to be named the Coast Guard Cutter Sentinel, the cutter Bernard C. Webber will be the first of the service's new 153-foot patrol cutters. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen approved the change of the cutter's name to allow this class of vessels to be named after outstanding enlisted members who demonstrated exceptional heroism in the line of duty. This will be the first class of cutters to be named exclusively for enlisted members of the Coast Guard and its predecessor services.
- ^ Dennis L. Noble. "The Long Blue Line: Unalaska's lost cutterman Charles Moulthrope and the Commodore Perry". United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2019-10-13.