Ron J
Active member
Back in the early sixties,the U.S.Coast Guard was looking for a more modern,updated vessel to replace the aging wooden 36ft lifeboats. The 36's were proven to be practical,but aging.The old timers couldn't see getting rid of them,but....progress changes things. The C.G. wanted a larger,stronger vessel for rescues,so the result was the 44ftrs were designed and built. The original Prototype 44300 was delivered to Chatham Mass. for a brief term,while they went into production. The hull numbers mean, 44 is the length, 300 was the prototype,and numbered sequential from there. So "44300". In 1963, 44301,the first production 44,was delivered to Chatham,to replace the Prototype. This vessel is designed so that if it rolled over in the surf,she would up right herself. After many yrs of service,and rescues,in 1971,the 44301,was transferred to the Cape Cod Canal base,for a brief period. When her duty was completed there,she was shipped to C.G.Shipyard in Maryland for a complete overhaul. Once completed,she was shipped by TRUCK,across the states,to Ilwaco Washington! There she was assigned to the C.G. Motor Lifeboat School. There her duties were to provide training in the Columbia River Bar,know to mariners to be one of the worst stretches of water in the world! During the tour,the good thing is,she received topnotch maintenance,and was kept in excellent shape. In the meantime the new Aluminum 47 footers were replacing the 44's. Well that presented Chatham Station with an issue.The new 47's had too deep of a draft,to pass over the Chatham Bar safely. This was becoming a problem,the C.G. hard some issues with the inflatables,which was currently being used in Chatham, and most of the existing 44's were being sold off,mostly to foreign countries to start new careers. So the C.G. started searching there inventory for the best 44 to transfer to Chatham. The 44301 still Washington,was located,and known to be in excellent shape. SO?In early 2002,the 44301 was TRUCKED back to Chatham after all these years!! The 44301 was also one of the oldest commissioned boats in the C.G,so she has the distinction of bearing GOLD Numbers,instead of the std black. I was fortunate enough to find her sitting at the Chatham pier,along with a modern day hard inflatable,while on my trip to the Cape a few weeks ago. She must have a proud crew. Starting a fresh career over again from her original duty's in 1963! RJ [attachment 55858 lighthousesCapeCod109.jpg][attachment 55859 lighthousesCapeCod116.jpg][attachment 55860 lighthousesCapeCod115.jpg][attachment 55861 lighthousesCapeCod106.jpg][attachment 55862 lighthousesCapeCod117.jpg][attachment 55863 lighthousesCapeCod097.jpg]
She's on the hard in Michigan undergoing an overhaul at the moment but she'll be back on the water next year. Nothing rides the waves like a wooden boat.