Point class cutter

(CC) Photo: Guenther Hennig
The Lady B, formerly the USCGC Point Brown, in NYC.

The United States Coast Guard Point Class Cutters were a class of 82 foot patrol vessels operated from 1960 to the early 2000s. They were replaced by the 87 foot Marine Protector cutters.

One of the improvements of the Marine Protector class was that they were designed with berthing arrangements that would accommodate a mixed sex crew. The Marine Protector class were equipped with modern communications and sensors. Additionally, they were equipped with a stern launching ramp. Launching boats is an essential task for Coast Guard cutters, for inspecting other vessels, or for rescuing survivors of maritime disasters. The Marine Protector class were designed with a ramp to launch and retrieve their Short Range Prosecutor Rigid Hull Inflatable boats. Point Class cutters had to stop to use a crane to launch and retrieve their boats. Cutters with a launching ramp can launch and retrieve their boats without stopping.

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