FYI -

The USCGC BRISTOL BAY was designed by U.S. Coast Guard engineers and
was is built by the Tacoma Boatbuilding Co. in 1978. Named after the
body of water formed by the Alaskan peninsula which empties into the
Bering Sea, the USCGC BRISTOL BAY was commissioned in Detroit in 1979.

In August 1991, Bristol Bay became the first Bay-class tug to receive
a barge specially-designed to perform aids-to-navigation work. The
120-foot long barge works with the ship to service more than 160 aids
to navigation each year.

The 140-foot Bay-class Cutters are state of the art icebreakers used
primarily for domestic ice breaking duties. They are named after
American Bays and are stationed mainly in Northeast U.S. and Great
Lakes.

WTGBs use a low-pressure-air hull lubrication or bubbler system that
forces air and water between the hull and ice. This system improves
icebreaking capabilities by reducing resistance against the hull,
reducing horsepower requirements


Characteristics:
Number in Service: 9
Length: 140 ft
Beam: 37.5 ft
Displacement: 662 tons
Power Plant: 2 diesel engines
Commissioned: 1979-1988


140-foot WTGBs in Service:

BISCAYNE BAY (WTGB 104) St. Ignace, MI
BRISTOL BAY* (WTGB 102) Detroit, MI
KATMAI BAY (WTGB 101) Sault Ste. Marie, MI
MOBILE BAY* (WTGB 103) Sturgeon Bay, WI
NEAH BAY (WTGB 105) Cleveland, OH
MORRO BAY (WTGB 106) Cleveland, OH
PENOBSCOT BAY (WTGB 107) Bayonne, NJ
STURGEON BAY (WTGB 109) Bayonne, NJ
THUNDER BAY (WTGB 108) Rockland, ME