USCGC Matagorda (WPB-1303)
USCGC Matagorda (WPB-1303). Note the Short Range Prosecutor launch on the rear launching ramp.
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 United States
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| Name: | USCGC Matagorda (WPB-1303) |
| Namesake: | Matagorda Island in Texas |
| Builder: | Bollinger Machine Shop and Shipyard, Lockport, Louisiana |
| Commissioned: | 24 April 1986 |
| Status: | Inactive |
| Notes: | Taken out of service ca. December 2006 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Island-class patrol boat |
| Displacement: | 168 tons |
| Length: | 110 ft (34 m) |
| Beam: | 21 ft (6.4 m) |
| Draught: | 7.3 ft (2.2 m) |
| Installed power: | 5,596 horsepower (4.17 MW) sustained |
| Propulsion: | Two Caterpillar 3516 DITA diesel engines, two shafts |
| Speed: | 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph) |
| Range: | 3,928 nautical miles (7,275 km; 4,520 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement: | 16 (2 officers, 14 enlisted personnel) |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
Hughes/Furuno SPS-73 I-band (navigation) |
| Armament: |
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USCGC Matagorda (WPB-1303) is an Island-class patrol boat of the United States Coast Guard. She was commissioned 24 April 1986. Matagorda was one of eight of the 110-foot cutters to be modified under the Integrated Deepwater System Program aka. "Deepwater" to 123-foot. She was taken out of service about December 2006 due to problems with the Deepwater conversion.
The United States Coast Guard Cutter Matagorda (WPB-1303) was part of the 110-foot Island-class patrol boat cutters. The vessel's design was based off highly accredited patrol boats from Great Britain, the Vosper Thornycroft 33 metres (108 ft) patrol boat. It replaced the older 95-foot Cape-class cutter with these U.S. island-named cutters. Matagorda was built by Bollinger Shipyard on April 24, 1986, in Lockport, Louisiana. In 2004, as part of a program called Deepwater, the Coast Guard wanted to extend the life of the 110 foot Island-class cutters, stationed in Key West, Florida. The eight cutters being modified were the USCGC Matagorda (WPB-1303), USCGC Attu (WPB-1317), USCGC Metompkin (WPB-1325), USCGC Padre (WPB-1328), USCGC Manitou (WPB-1302), USCGC Monhegan (WPB-1305), USCGC Nunivak (WPB-1306) and the USCGC Vashon (WPB-1308). They were scheduled to go through a refit, which included adding 13 feet to the stern to make a high-speed launching ramp for a smaller patrol boat. This renovation was to also replace the original superstructure to accommodate mixed gender crews while also adding new electronics, berthing reconfigurations, galley upgrades, and communication equipment. With these new additions and extension, this vessel was transformed from an Island-class ship to a blue-water vessel.
In September 2004, after all eight ships were introduced to the refurbishment plan and the first four had been delivered, sea trials were begun to determine how effective the 15-year life extension program was. During the sea trials, the lead ship Matagorda was forced to conduct a high speed transit to avoid Hurricane Ivan. At one point, she was running at approximately 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph) in Sea State Five conditions, which involve eight to twelve foot seas. Upon arrival at her home port in Key West, Florida, the crew discovered buckling of the side and main deck on the starboard side near midships. Once spotted, the Coast Guard ordered inspections on the remainder of the fleet. Similar cracking problems subsequently occurred on the next three vessels coming off the water. Upon further assessments on the remaining ships, cracks were found in all eight ships and were getting worse. These cracks got so severe, pinhole breaches were found in the hulls. The shipyard wasted no time trying to repair and strengthen the hulls, but the converted cutters continued to crack at high speed in rough seas. Efforts to repair the Matagorda and the other vessels in the fleet were unsuccessful. The cutters were reported unseaworthy and were taken out of service.
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