Often a fixture of the downtown Wilmington Riverfront, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Diligence VI celebrated its 50th anniversary last weekend, Nov. 8 – 9. Hundreds of visitors climbed aboard the 210-foot ship moored at Water and Princess streets for a tour of its decks and compartments.
USCG Ensign John DeCastra said many are surprised at the age of the ship and the fact that it is still a fully operational cutter.
“Most people don’t even realize this cutter is 50 years old and 50 years for a cutter is incredible,” DeCastra said.
A Coast Guard ship typically lasts 30-50 years, 50 years being on the longer end of the spectrum, he said.
The Diligence received an overhaul of its internal equipment, a refurbishing of its hull and a fresh coat of paint from June through August, recently returning to home port in Wilmington from a 45-day mission to the Windward Pass between Cuba and Haiti.
DeCastra was assigned to Diligence 10 months ago and said the ship and its 75-member crew covers a wide range of missions, from commercial fishing law enforcement to migrant control.
“We do pretty much everything and operate from as far north as Nova Scotia to as far south as Columbia, [South American]” he said. “We cover domestic fisheries, enforcing fishing regulation and protecting our biomass. Recently one of our boarding officers discovered a new illegal fishing setup that we had never seen before off the coast of North Carolina.”
Diligence visitors peered inside the ship and gained an understanding of what life on board might be like.
The ship’s crew members sleep on bunks stacked three high and each is assigned a locker for a total of 12 cubic feet of space to himself, DeCastra said.
“It is close quarters but you make do and you find all types of nooks and crannies to stick stuff in,” he said, nodding to the boots stuffed in a space in the rafters of a bunkroom.
Descending into the engine room, the air is noticeably stuffier and slightly warmer where two locomotive engines producing 5,000 horsepower turn its two 7-foot props.
USCG Mechanic I Chuck Anderson said the engine room is monitored by three crewmembers 24 hours a day. The ship sustains a speed equivalent to 18 knots or 20 mph without any issues.
Where the Diligence will be sent next is not yet known.
“I have heard some people walk by, especially when we were dry docked, saying they were wondering where the museum went,” DeCastra said, laughing.
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