Cutter Gallatin News

U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Peter Neffenger relieved Vice Adm. John Currier as Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard during a change of watch ceremony at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, D.C., Tuesday. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp presided over the ceremony and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson attended. “It has been my honor to serve our nation as the vice commandant,” said Currier. The change-of-watch ceremony is a time-honored event preserved by rich heritage of naval tradition.

American Cruise Lines (www.americancruiselines.com) has announced  that Captain Andrew White has joined the company as Director of Marine Operations. Captain White joins American Cruise Lines after his recent retirement from twenty-seven years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard. Thirteen of those years were spent on Coast Guard cutters on both the East and West Coasts of the United States, as well as the Caribbean Sea. His last Coast Guard shipboard command was the 378-foot cutter GALLATIN out of Charleston, SC.

The Coast Guard suspended its search Thursday for the missing captain of the HMS Bounty 200 miles southeast of Hatteras, N.C. Missing is Robin Walbridge, 63. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Walbridge and Christian families," said Capt. Doug Cameron, the chief of incident response for the Coast Guard 5th District. HC-130 Hercules aircrews from Elizabeth City, N.C. and Clearwater, Fla. Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry crews from Miami, Fla. Crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Elm, a 225-foot buoy tender homeported in Atlantic Beach, N.C. Crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Gallatin, a 378-foot high-endurance cutter homeported in Charleston, S.C.

1813-A tremendous explosion aboard the cutter Gallatin, commanded by Master John H. Silliman (who was not aboard at the time) blew off her quarterdeck while the cutter was tied up in Charleston, South Carolina. The cutter was quickly engulfed in flames and then sank at anchor. The crew had been cleaning and storing the cutter's small arms when the explosion occurred, probably in the magazine. At least three of the crew were killed instantly and five others were seriously wounded. The cause of the explosion was never determined although rumors of sabotage were circulated at the time. 1909- Pamet River, MA- The sloop Stranger was anchored 3/4 mile SE of station. The Life-Saving crew boarded her from a surfboat.

1813-A tremendous explosion aboard the cutter Gallatin, commanded by Master John H. Silliman (who was not aboard at the time) blew off her quarterdeck while the cutter was tied up in Charleston, South Carolina. The cutter was quickly engulfed in flames and then sank at anchor. The crew had been cleaning and storing the cutter's small arms when the explosion occurred, probably in the magazine. At least three of the crew were killed instantly and five others were seriously wounded. The cause of the explosion was never determined although rumors of sabotage were circulated at the time. 1909- Pamet River, MA- The sloop Stranger was anchored 3/4 mile SE of station. The Life-Saving crew boarded her from a surfboat.

The crew of the 378-ft. Coast Guard Cutter Gallatin returned to their homeport of Charleston, S.C. Sunday after a three-month deployment to the Caribbean Sea in support of Operations New Frontier and Frontier Shield. During their patrol, Gallatin crewmembers intercepted two boats involved in human smuggling, conducted counter-narcotics operations with the Coast Guard Cutter Dallas and completed a joint fueling at sea with the British oil tanker Oakleaf. Just a few days into their patrol, Gallatin’s bridge crew located an unlighted 20-foot boat with three people on board four miles off the coast of St. Croix Sept. 15. A Gallatin law enforcement team boarded the vessel.