USCGC Katherine Walker
USCGS Katherine Walker (WLM-552) is a Keeper-class coastal buoy tender of the United States Coast Guard. Her keel was laid on 8 April 1996 by Fincantieri Marine Group.[1] Her namesake is Katherine Walker, the keeper of the Robbins Reef Light; Walker was responsible for saving the lives of 50 people.[2][3] As well as keeping many ships away from the rocks. USCGC Katherine Walker is responsible for a total of 335 aids to navigation (ATON).[4]
 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Kathrine Walker |
| Namesake | Katherine Walker, the keeper of the Robbins Reef Light |
| Owner | United States |
| Operator | U.S. Coast Guard |
| Builder | Fincantieri Marine Group |
| Laid down | 8 April 1996 |
| Launched | 14 September 1996 |
| Homeport | Bayonne, New Jersey |
| Identification |
|
| Status | Active |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Keeper-class coastal buoy tender |
| Tonnage | 903 GT |
| Length | 53.34 m (175.0 ft) |
| Beam | 11 m (36.1 ft) |
| Height | 2.4 m (7.9 ft) |
| Decks | 1 |
| Ice class | Can break ice of about 35 mm thickness at 3 kn |
| Installed power | 2 x CAT 3508 TA diesels, |
| Propulsion | 2 x Ulstein/Rolls-Royce 360 degree steerable Z-Drives plus 600 HP Electric Bow Thruster |
| Speed | 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Range | 2000 nautical miles at 10 kn |
| Capacity | Buoy deck area: 1/335ft2 |
| Crew | 24 (2 Officers, 22 Enlisted) |
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Aviation facilities | Crane: 1 x 10 ton |
On September 11, 2001, the crew of the USCGS Katherine Walker planned and participated in the maritime evacuation of Lower Manhattan.[5]
On April 4, 2017, the USCGS Katherine Walker responded to a potential environmental disaster on the Hudson River, near Catskill, New York, where a barge had run aground carrying 60,000 barrels of gasoline. A safety zone was established on the river, in the vicinity of the vessel, yet the barge's tanks had not been punctured and there was no leakage as a result of the accident.[6]
References
- "USCGC KATHERINE WALKER (Buoy ship)". FleetMon.com. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
- "USCGC Katherine Walker (WLM 552) - MilitaryNews.com: The ... - FlipHTML5". fliphtml5.com. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
- Kilgannon, Corey (April 6, 2015). "Coast Guard Swaps Buoys on the Hudson, a Sure Sign of Spring". The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- "USCGC Katherine Walker". www.atlanticarea.uscg.mil. Archived from the original on 2018-03-02. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
- Capelotti, P. J. (December 19, 2003). ROGUE WAVE: The U.S. Coast Guard on and after 9/11 (PDF). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. pp. 14, 21, 23. ISBN 9780160698248. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
- "Barge Carrying 60,000 Barrels Of Gasoline Runs Aground On The Hudson River". WLNY-TV / 10/55 CBS New York. Associated Press. April 4, 2017. Archived from the original on April 4, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2021.