Coast Guard Q&A: What Types of Boats Does the Coast Guard Operate in the San Francisco Bay?

Cutters, response boats, buoy tenders — we learned, as you'll see below, that not everything that floats is a "boat" in Coast Guard parlance. Here's what Petty Officer Read told us: "Vessels more than 65 feet are cutters and those below that are described as 'boats' or 'small boats.' Coast Guard cutters and boats are assigned to the Bay Area based on their mission and are tailored to the environment. "The various classes and types of vessels — response boats, aids to navigation boats, patrol cutters, buoy tenders, high endurance cutters and national security cutters — are homeported in Alameda, San Francisco, Rio Vista, Bodega Bay and Monterey. "These cutters and boats fall under several classifications, such as Coast Guard Island's newest security cutter, the Waesche, which is of the Legend Class of cutters. "We're thrilled to announce the newest (67th) addition to the response boat fleet, the response-boat medium, which was delivered to San Francisco Aug. 25." More information is posted here. Fact sheets on specifications and technical data can be downloaded from the Coast Guard Acquisition website.