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Merchant Marine Training Cutters

From 1939 – 1943 the Coast Guard trained US merchant seamen
To do so the Service acquired several ships of various design
Most were cargo or passenger ships
Delta Queen: Mississippi riverboat and National Historic landmark
Joseph Conrad: Luxury yacht that is currently at Mystic Seaport
Vema: E. F. Hutton’s yacht and world famous research ship
Tusitalia: Last US sailing vessel in commercial service

Model: Yes

Designation Name Class Service Comments Picture
USCGC American Seaman
(ex Edgemoor)
1919 Freighter 380 1939 – 1942 Used for merchant marine training
USCGC El Cano 1927 Yacht 145 1939 – 1942 Used for merchant marine training
USCGC Joseph Conrad
(ex Danish Georg Stage)
1882 Square Rigger 111 1939 – 1942 Used for merchant marine training
Built in 1882 as a Danish Navy training ship
Bought by Allen Villers in 1934 and sailed round the world
Bought by George Hartford, founder or Great A&P Tea Co
Used as a private yacht
Donated to Coast Guard in 1939 as training ship
Transferred to Mystic Seaport as exhibit in 1946
Mystic
USCGC Tusitala
(ex Sophie)
(ex Sierra Lucena)
(ex Inverglas)
1883 Square rigger 261 1940 – 1942 Built in 1883
Last ship built by the R. Steel yard in Greenock, Scotland
Originally used in the wool trade
1923: Personal yacht of James Farrell, President of US Steel
Last US flagged sailing ship in commercial service
Acquired by the Coast Guard and used for merchant marine training
CGAA
Link
USCGC American Sailor
(ex Edgemont)
1919 Freighter 409 1941 – 1942 Used for merchant marine training
USCGC American Mariner
(ex George Calvert)
Z3-EC2-SC1 441
Liberty Ship
1941 – 1942 Acquired by the Navy as a transport
Turned over to the CG and used for merchant marine training
Laid up in reserve from 1945 to 1950 and 1953 to 1958
1958: to the Army as a missile tracking vessel
1964: to the Air Force as a missile tracking ship
1966: scuttled upright in 20′ of water in the Chesapeake
Used as a target ship at NAS Pax River until 1971
The hulk is still visible
Only vessel to serve with the USN, USCG, USA, and USAF
Wiki
USCGC Annapolis Unk 1941 – Unk Used for merchant marine training
USCGC Boston 1924 Coastal
Passenger/Freighter 385
1941 – 1942 Used for merchant marine training
USCGC Delta Queen 1926 Riverboat 250 1941 – 1942 Yes, THAT Delta Queen
Began life in 1926 as an excursion boat on the Sacramento River
Used by the Coast Guard for merchant marine training from 1941 to 1943
Used by the Navy from 1943 to 1945
Moved to the Mississippi River in 1946
Listed on National Registry of Historic Places in 1970
Declared National Historic Landmark in 1989
Ceased operation in 2008 when SOLAS waiver expired
Currently a hotel/restraint in Chattanooga
Wiki
USCGC Empire State
(ex Shaume)
(ex Procyon)
WWI Merchantman 390
“Hog Islander”
1941 – 1942 Used for merchant marine training
USCGC New York 1924 Coastal
Passenger/Freight 385
1941 – 1942 Used for merchant marine training
USCGC Vema 1923 Yacht 182 1941 – 1942 Built in 1923 as E. F. Hutton’s luxury yacht Hussar
Sold to Norwegian shipping magnate Unger Vetlesen who renamed her Vema
Donated to the American war effort by Vetlesen’s wife
Originally used in coastal patrol, then in merchant marine training
After the war became a research vessel of Lamont Geological Observatory
(Lamont-Doherty)
Vema Seamount and Vema Channel are named for her
1982 – operated by Windjammer Barefoot Cruises as Mandalay
Laid up in 2008 when Windjammer went out of business
LD
USCGC American Seafarer
(ex Allegheny)
1919 Coastal
Passenger/Freighter 350
1942 – 1942 Used for merchant marine training NHC
USCGC Berkshire 1923 Coastal
Passenger/Freighter 350
1942 – 1942 Used for merchant marine training
USCGC City of Chattanooga 1923 Coastal
Passenger/Freighter 382
1942 – 1942 Used for merchant marine training
USCGC MacNichol Unk 1942 – Unk Used for merchant marine training
USCGC Mayfair
(former USLHT Pansy)
1877 LHT 152 1942 – 1945 The LHT Pansy was commissioned in 1877
Decommissioned and sold commercially in 1933
Chartered by the Navy in 1941 and turned over to the Coast Guard
Used for merchant marine training
CGH
USCGC Nenemoosha Unk 1942 – 1942 Used for merchant marine training
USCGC Queen of Peace Unk 1942 – Unk Used for merchant marine training
USCGC Alexander Graham Bell EC2-S-C1 427
Liberty Ship
1944 – 1944 Used for merchant marine training Link
USCGC Bibbeville Unk Unk Used for merchant marine training
USCGC Bison Misc Unk Used for merchant marine training
USCGC Bay State
(ex Nantucket)
1876 Freighter 274 Unk – 1942 Used for merchant marine training
USCGC Felix Reisenberg Unk Unk Used for merchant marine training
USCGC Keystone State Unk Unk Used for merchant marine training