Lifeboats
Lifeboats were the companions to the surfboats
They were self bailable and self rightable and much heavier
They were generally kept in the water so they were faster to launch
But they were not easily used on large sandy beaches where piers could not be built
The original boat was a borrowed British boat
Soon US designs evolved and the LSS quickly standardized them
Lifeboats are still in use today
| Class | Number | Year | Comments | Picture | Model |
| 44′ Motor Lifeboat | 110 | 1963 | Probably one of the most legendary boats to serve coastal SAR in the US Built at the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, MD Capable of 14 knots with a 164 nautical mile range Coast Guard crews speak if the 44 with reverence in their voice Adopted by at least 10 other nations as their primary SAR boat CG 44301 was the last 44 in service – Retired from Chatham in 2010 |
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| 47′ Motor Lifeboat | 100 | 1991 | Designed to replace the venerable but aging 44 Current near shore SAR boat Capable of 23 knots Can operate in 20 foot seas and 20 foot surf |
Utility Boats
The Coast Guard has used a variety of small boats for a variety of missions
Originally called launches, they are now referred to as utility boats
One was an air cushion vehicle that was evaluated but not accepted for service
This is NOT a complete list of every UTB used by the Coast Guard
Considering all of the one-of-a-kind acquisitions, that list would be huge
| Class | Number | Year | Comments | Pictures | Model |
| 25′ Transportable Port Security Boat | 1997 | Capable of 40 knots | |||
| 25′ Defender Class | 457 | 2002 | Developed in response to the need for Homeland Security assets after 9/11 Capable of 45 knots and highly maneuverable Can survive in 10 foot seas |
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| 45′ Response Boat Medium | 180 | 2008 | Replaced the 41s |
Cutter Boats
The Coast Guard has always carried small boats on cutters for rescues and boardings
Note that there are no “lifeboats” on Coast Guard Cutters
The Monomoy surfboat filled the role until the 60s
The 26′ Motor Surf Boat replaced it and stayed around until 2000
| Class | Number | Year | Comments | Pictures | Model |
| 21′ Over-the-Horizon Boat | 2008 | Cutter boats | |||
| 36′ Long Range Interceptor | 2008 | Cutter boats | |||
| 25′ Short Range Prosecutor | 2008 | Cutter boats |