USCGC
Tamaroa
Detailed History
These excepts of the history of
the Tamaroa are from the documented history of this vessel and from personal
accounts and stories of her past crew.
The Tamaroa and her sister ships Ute, Lipan, Chilula,
Cherokee, and Avoyel were well known for their rugged construction and
sea-keeping abilities in their Coast Guard duties. The accommodations for the
crew were spartan, their technology was not advanced, but they were dependable
in a heavy sea. These ships were often stationed in areas where the rough
nature of the seas made operation of more modern types too costly or
impractical.
World War II – Served in the Pacific Theater, duties
included towing disabled ships out of the line of fire in naval engagements.
Torpedoed in the stern by a Japanese aircraft and run aground to avoid sinking.
Transferred to the Coast Guard in 1946.
05 January 1952 – Towed FV Gudyontiff
26 July 1956 – Assisted recovery of survivors after the
collision of ocean liners Andrea Doria and Stockholm.
March 1963 – Sank at the pier while moored at
Governor’s Island. Raised and refitted for duty.
02 January 1967 – Towed yacht Petrel to Montauk point.
30 April 1967 – Towed FV Deepwater to New Bedford, MA.
02 July 1967 – Towed FV Foam to New Bedford, MA.
22 July 1976 – Seized Italian FV Amuruso Quarto for
fisheries violations.
28 July 1976 – Seized Japanese FV Ookumi Maru near
Cape May, NJ.
May-June 1979 – Towed garbage during NY strike of 1979.
25 September 1980 – Fired on and seized MV Roondiep. Vessel
had twenty tons of marijuana aboard.
13 January 1982 – Seized vessel Jim Hawkins with seven
tons of marijuana aboard.
24 February 1984 – Seized FV Apollo III near Cape Cod with
sixteen tons of marijuana aboard.
31 August 1987 – Boarded liner Scandinavian Star
following a bomb threat.
October 1991 – Attempted rescue of man stranded on SV
Satori in heavy seas during “No-Name” storm of 1991.
October 1991 – Rescued 7 crashed Air National Guard
helicopter crewman in “No-Name” storm of 1991. Helo crashed while searching for
FV Andrea Gail.
18 July 1992 – Boarded FV Fish Finder and issued
violation for crossing the Hague Line. Vessel is not seized as Tamaroa is the
only Cutter on patrol and can’t escort.
21 July 1992 – Seized FV Barnacle Bill for violating
the Hague Line. Master attempted to scuttle vessel and a prize crew is put
aboard for tow.
22 July 1992 – Seized FV First Light for Hague Line
violation.
02 Aug 1992 – Boarded FV United States after vessel
is observed fishing across the Hague Line in Canadian waters. Violation issued,
catch too small to warrant seizure.
February 1993 – Towed FV Katahdin after extinguishing a fire in the
vessel’s engine room.
March 1993 – Served as SAR standby during the freak
Blizzard of 1993 "Storm of the Century". Rode out the heavy seas near
Provincetown, Mass. Unconfirmed sea state was 50-60 feet with wind speeds
reaching 120+ knots.
June – October 1993 – Moored in Curtis Bay Maryland while
crew manned USNS
Vindicator.
Vindicator was undergoing acceptance trials to be accepted by the USCG as a new
class of cutter, possibly to replace the Tamaroa. The Vindicator later became
the USCGC Vindicator, manned by many of the Tam’s crew, during Operation Able
Manner near Haiti. This followed the Tam’s decommissioning.
February 1994 – USCGC Tamaroa decommissioned at New
Castle, New Hampshire.
1995? – Placed on display at the USS Independence Museum in New
York Harbor.
