USCG's Newest Cutter Arrives in Ketchikan

The newest USCG cutter to join the fleet in Alaska arrived in Ketchikan. Cutter Anthony Petit sailed toward its new southeast Alaska homeport after beginning its travels in Maryland, following construction by Marinette Marine. The ship's crew, consisting of one officer and 23 enlisted men, hosted a welcoming reception sponsored by 17th USCG District Commander Rear Adm. Thomas J. Barrett in Ketchikan following the ship's arrival. Anthony Petit is one of several new Keeper Class buoy tenders, and is named for the late Chief Boatswain's Mate Anthony Petit. The ship is 175-ft. long and boasts a 10-ton, 42-ft. hydraulic boom crane. The new 175-ft. Keeper Class Coastal buoy tender, represents the new wave in buoy tending. One of 14 in the class, it's one of the first USCG cutters equipped with Z-drive propulsion units instead of the standard propeller and rudder configuration. Anthony Petit is designed to independently rotate 360 degrees. Combined with a thruster in the bow, it has unmatched maneuverability. With state-of-the-art electronics and navigation systems including Dynamic Positioning System (DPS) which uses a Differential Global Positioning System, and electronic chart displays, Anthony Petit can maneuver and position aids more accurately and efficiently with fewer crew, than the 180-ft. seagoing buoy tender its replacing, cutter Planetree.