HONOLULU (AP) — The Coast Guard’s new 87-foot cutter Kittiwake has arrived in Hawaii to take up service at Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauai. The Kittiwake will replace the 82-foot Vietnam-era patrol boat Point Evans, which was transferred to the Philippine
HONOLULU (AP) — The Coast Guard’s new 87-foot cutter Kittiwake has arrived in
Hawaii to take up service at Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauai.
The Kittiwake will
replace the 82-foot Vietnam-era patrol boat Point Evans, which was transferred
to the Philippine navy in December.
The main tasks of the new cutter will
been enforcement of maritime law and search and rescue missions in and around
the Hawaiian Islands, the Coast Guard said.
The Kittiwake arrived Friday at
Pearl Harbor from San Diego on the flight deck of the USS Essex. The amphibious
assault ship stopped off in Hawaii before heading to Japan.
The cutter will
sail to Kauai for its June 30 commissioning and a change of command
ceremony.
The Kittiwake has a top speed of 26 knots, making it 8 knots
faster than the Point Evans, and its modern hull design can withstand heavier
seas, the Coast Guard said.
The new cutter is equipped with
state-of-the-art technology, and has quarters for a mixed-gender crew of 10
people.
In addition, the Kittiwake is in compliance with all current and
projected environmental protection laws, the Coast Guard said.
