Coast Guard Cutter Spar Arrives at its New Home Port in Duluth

The Coast Guard Cutter Spar moored for the first time at its new home in Duluth this morning.  The 225 foot vessel and its 48 member crew arrived from Baltimore where it was receiving maintenance after being stationed in Kodiak Alaska since 2001.  Same as the previous cutter Alder, Spar was built in Marinette, Wisconsin only a few years earlier in 2001.  Not only are the two ships of the same class, but Spars mission here is same as Alder’s.

“The Spar’s mission is exactly what Alder’s was, is that is we, primary mission is ATON and ice breaking here on the Great Lakes. We’ll continue to do law enforcement and support our station here, and we also conduct all the Coast Guard’s primary missions, but really what we do is tend to these buoys here in the water way and break ice,” said Lieutenant Commander Joel Wright.

While the ship does have some new hands on deck, most of the crew is the same that served on the Alder.  It took a lot of work getting Spar ready to call Duluth home after a year of maintenance and most of the crew went to Baltimore in January to help get it ready for its homecoming.

“The engineering equipment does not like to sit still for a year and so it took weeks to get some of our engines up and running. After the yard period, and that’s cleaning, training, and getting the final equipment online, after that it was the transit home,” continued Wright.

Some of the crew hadn’t seen their families and loved ones in nearly 3 months so it was a heartwarming reunion for them. After getting the next two weeks off, the crew will return and get Spar ready for action.   In the meantime, the Coast Guard has two other ships including the Hollyhock that will continue to break ice and keep the shipping lanes open for the Twin Ports.