USCGC Drummond (WPB-1323)

"'USCGC "Drummond" (WPB-1323) receives her namesake from the Drummond Island, known as the “Gem of Lake Huron,” off the shores of Michigan. "Drummond" was placed in commission on October 19, 1988 at Bolinger Shipyard in Lockport, Louisiana. "Drummond" and the other 48 Island Class cutters’ construction are based on the internationally known Vosper-Thornycraft design. Her hull is a semi-displacement type monohull made of high strength steel, while the main deck and superstructure are aluminum. "Drummond" employs an active fin stabilization system to improve her sea keeping abilities. With a top speed in excess of 30 knots and a cruising speed of 26 knots, the ship is capable of enduring unsupported operations for six days and accommodates two officers and sixteen enlisted personnel.

Island Class Patrol Boat Overview

The 110' Island-class Patrol Boats are a U.S. Coast Guard modification of a highly successful British-designed patrol boat. With excellent range and seakeeping capabilities, the Island Class, all named after U.S. islands, replaced the older 95-foot Cape-class patrol boats. These cutters are equipped with advanced electronics and navigation equipment and are used on the front lines of the Coast Guard's Maritime Homeland Security, Migrant Interdiction, Fisheries Enforcement, and Search-and-Rescue missions.

History

units that combined for the safe interdiction of over 20,502 Haitian migrants at sea.

Originally homeported in Port Canaveral, Florida, "Drummond"’s home port was changed to Key West, Florida in the summer of 2002. Typical patrols in Key West, Florida’s area of operations involved search and rescue, alien migrant interdiction operations, fisheries law enforcement, counter narcotics operations, and homeland security. More recently, USCGC "Drummond" shifted homeports to Miami, FL in support of the Coast Guard's new effort to maximize the operational hours of the patrol boats in the Coast Guard's Seventh District by utilizing a dual-crew manning concept.

Current

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Since 2004, "Drummond" is credited with interdicting over 550 illegal Cuban migrants in the Florida Straits, on eight go-fast vessels and 26 homebuilt chug-chugs and rafts. "Drummond" has also recovered nearly 120 illegal migrants from various Bahamian islands, working closely with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force. In the past two years, "Drummond" has cared for 1600 illegal migrants on her decks while conducting 32 politically sensitive repatriations to Cabanas, Cuba.