USCGC Sturgeon Bay
From Warlike
USCGC Sturgeon Bay is the newest of the United States Coast Guard 140-foot (43 m) Bay-class cutters. Homeported in Bayonne, New Jersey, the primary missions of Sturgeon Bay and her crew are Domestic Icebreaking and Ports, Waters, & Coastal Security. During the winter months, Sturgeon Bay is responsible for providing search and rescue capabilities to the ice-covered areas in New York City and the Hudson Valley, as well as throughout coastal New England. The cutter also facilitates the safe navigation of commercial product, including gasoline and heating oil, through the ice-choked Hudson River from New York City to Albany. All Bay-class cutters, including Sturgeon Bay, use a low-pressure-air hull lubrication or bubbler system that forces air and water between the hull and ice. This system improves icebreaking capabilities by reducing resistance against the hull, reducing horsepower requirements.