36-foot motor lifeboat
 MLB CG-36503, off the South Jetty of the Siuslaw River Bar, Florence Oregon (circa 1973-1974). | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | 36 foot MLB |
| Operators | United States Coast Guard |
| Succeeded by | 44-foot motor lifeboat |
| In service | 1929–1970's |
| Planned | 218 |
| Completed | 218 |
| Active | 0 |
| General characteristics | |
| Length | 36 ft (11 m) |
The United States Coast Guard's series of motor lifeboats included a class of 36 foot motor lifeboats. The Coast Guard built the first of version these vessels in 1929 (Type "T"), and retired the last active version (Type "TRS" 1937–1956), in 1987 (CG-36535 Station Depoe Bay OR) as they were replaced by the 44 foot Steel Hull Motor Lifeboat. CG 36500 was retired from active service in 1968, and has since been restored and preserved as a floating museum. These vessels are remembered for the daring rescues Coast Guard seamen performed, using them.
Unlike the Coast Guard's more recent motor lifeboat, the 47 foot motor lifeboat, the 36 foot class was piloted entirely from an open cockpit, where crew-members were exposed to the elements. This was a hardship for the crew, as many rescues were of mariners at risk precisely because their vessels were at risk due to bad weather.
The most memorable rescue performed using a 36-foot lifeboat was that of crew members of the stricken SS Pendleton by CG 36500 under the command of Boatswain's Mate Bernard C. Webber.[1][2][3][4] The 2016 feature film The Finest Hours is based on the 1952 Pendleton rescue.
36 foot motor lifeboats on display
| Hull No. | City | State | Name of Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| CG-36460 | South Haven | Michigan | Michigan Maritime Museum |
| CG-36495 | Ilwaco | Washington | USCG Station Cape Disappointment |
| CG-36498 | Port Orford | Oregon | Port Orford Life Boat Station Museum |
| CG-36500 | Orleans | Massachusetts | Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat 36500 Exhibit |
| CG-36503 | Newport | Oregon | Coast Guard Station Newport[5] |
| CG-36504 | South Haven | Michigan | Michigan Maritime Museum |
| CG-36515 | Samoa | California | Coast Guard Station Humboldt Bay |
| CG-36527 | Duluth | Minnesota | Coast Guard Station Duluth |
| CG-36528 | Munising | Michigan | Munising Coast Guard Station Museum |
| CG-36513 (currently mis-numbered as 36531) | Garibaldi | Oregon | Coast Guard Memorial[6] |
| Unknown | Glen Haven | Michigan | Glen Haven Cannery Boathouse |
| Unknown | Winchester Bay | Oregon | Umpqua River Lighthouse Museum |
References
- ^ Dan Lamothe (13 July 2015). "The real-life story behind Disney's forthcoming Coast Guard rescue movie, 'The Finest Hours'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 9 August 2015.
- ^ "Bernard C. Webber, USCG 1928–2009". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
- ^ Stephanie Young (27 October 2010). "Coast Guard Heroes". United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
- ^ Russell Webster, Captain W. (December 2001). "The Pendleton Rescue". wrussellwebster.com.
- ^ Mariner, Cosmos (2 February 2018). "United States Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat CG 36503". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ "Blessing of the Fleet". Visit Garibaldi. 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
External links
- Port Orford Life Boat Station Museum
- Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat 36500 Exhibit
- Michigan Maritime Museum
- Munising Coast Guard Station Museum
- Glen Haven Cannery Boathouse
- Umpqua River Lighthouse Museum
