{{Short description|Commissioned vessel of the U.S. Coast Guard}} {{Distinguish|text=United States Coast Guard Cutters hockey team}} [[File:WMEC Harriet Lane.jpg|thumb|250px|USCGC ''Harriet Lane'', a Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC)]]
'''United States Coast Guard Cutter''' is the term used by the U.S. Coast Guard for its commissioned vessels. They are {{convert|65|ft|m|1}} or greater in length and have a permanently assigned crew with accommodations aboard.<ref name=USCGHO1>{{cite web |title=Frequently Asked Questions |url=https://www.history.uscg.mil/Frequently-Asked-Questions/ |website=U.S. Coast Guard Historic Topics |publisher=U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office |access-date=3 March 2023}}</ref><ref name=Cutler65>{{cite book|last=Cutler|first=Deborah W. and Thomas J. Cutler|title=Dictionary of Naval Terms|year=2005|publisher=Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=978-1-59114-150-1|page=65}}</ref> They carry the ship prefix '''USCGC'''.
== History of the USCG cutters == The Revenue Marine and the Revenue Cutter Service, as it was known variously throughout the late 18th and the 19th centuries, referred to its ships as cutters. The term is English in origin and refers to a specific type of vessel, namely, "a small, decked ship with one mast and bowsprit, with a gaff mainsail on a boom, a square yard and topsail, and two jibs or a jib and a staysail."<ref name=Kemp221>Peter Kemp, ed. (1976). ''The Oxford Companion to Ships & the Sea''. London: Oxford University Press. pp. 221–222.</ref> With general usage, that term came to define any vessel of the United Kingdom's HM Customs and Excise and the term was adopted by the U.S. Treasury Department at the creation of what would become the Revenue Marine. Since that time, no matter what the vessel type, the service has referred to its vessels with permanently assigned crews as cutters.
===First ten cutters=== [[File:USRC Massachusetts (1791).jpg|thumb|250px|Painting of a Revenue Marine cutter (possibly USRC ''Massachusetts''), not contemporary]]
In 1790, Congress authorized the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, to create a maritime service to enforce customs laws (1 Stat. L. 145, 175; 4 August 1790). Alternatively known as the system of cutters, Revenue Service, and Revenue-Marine this service was officially named the Revenue Cutter Service (12 Stat. L., 639) in 1863. This service was placed under the control of the Treasury Department. The first ten cutters were:<ref name=USCGHO1 /><ref name=Willoughby3>{{cite book |last=Willoughby |first=Malcolm F. |title =The U.S. Coast Guard in World War II |url=https://archive.org/details/uscoastguardinw00will |url-access=registration |publisher =United States Naval Institute |date =1957 |location =Annapolis, Maryland |page =[https://archive.org/details/uscoastguardinw00will/page/3 3] }}</ref>
* USRC ''Vigilant'' * USRC ''Active'' * USRC ''General Green'' * USRC ''Massachusetts'' * USRC ''Scammel'' * USRC ''Argus'' * USRC ''Virginia'' * USRC ''Diligence'' * USRC ''South Carolina'' * USRC ''Eagle''
==Current USCG cutter classes and types== thumb|250px|USCG icebreaker {{USCGC|Polar Sea|WAGB-11|2}} [[File:WLIC Saginaw.jpg|thumb|250px|USCG Inland Construction Tender ''Saginaw'']]
* 420' Icebreaker ''Healy'' (WAGB) * 418' National Security Cutter (WMSL) * 399' Polar-class icebreaker (WAGB) * 360' Offshore Patrol Cutter (WMSM) * 295' {{USCGC|Eagle|WIX-327|6}} (WIX) * 282' Edenton-class salvage and rescue ship, converted to Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC) * 270' and 210' Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC) * 240' {{USCGC|Mackinaw|WLBB-30|6}} (WLBB) * 225' Seagoing Buoy Tender (WLB) * 175' Coastal Buoy Tender (WLM) * 160' Inland Construction Tender (WLIC) * 154' Sentinel-class cutter (WPC) * 140' Bay-class icebreaking tug (WTGB) * 100' Inland Buoy Tender (WLI) * 100' Inland Construction Tender (WLIC) * 87' Marine Protector-class coastal patrol boat (WPB) * 75' River Buoy Tender (WLR) * 75' Inland Construction Tender (WLIC) * 65' River Buoy Tender (WLR) * 65' Inland Buoy Tender (WLI) * 65' Small Harbor Tug (WYTL)
==Historic USCG cutter classes and types== [[File:WLB Firebush.jpg|thumb|250px|USCG {{Sclass|Iris|buoy tender}} ''Firebush'']] [[File:WDE Durant.jpg|thumb|250px|USCG {{Sclass|Edsall|cutter|1}} ''Durant'']]
* 378' High endurance cutter (WHEC) * 327' {{Sclass2|Treasury|cutter|1}} (WPG) * 311' {{Sclass|Casco|cutter|1}} (WAVP) * 306' {{Sclass|Edsall|cutter|1}} (WDE) * 269' {{Sclass2|Wind|icebreaker|1}} (WAGB) * 255' {{Sclass|Owasco|cutter|1}} * 250' {{Sclass2|Lake|cutter|1}} * 240' {{Sclass|Tampa|cutter|1}} * 230' Light Icebreaker, redesignated Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC) * 213' {{Sclass|Diver|rescue and salvage ship|1}} * 213' Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC) * 205' {{Sclass|Cherokee|fleet tug|1}}, converted to (WAT) cutter, redesignated (WMEC) * 180' Seagoing buoy tender (WLB) * 180' Oceanographic vessel (WAGO) * 165' {{Sclass|Thetis|patrol boat}} * 165' {{Sclass|Algonquin|patrol boat|1}} * 165' {{Sclass|Tallapoosa|boat|1}} * 157' {{Sclass2|Red|coastal buoy tender}} (WLM) * 133' {{Sclass2|White|coastal buoy tender}} (WLM) * 125' {{Sclass|Active|patrol boat|1}} (WSC) * 123' Patrol boat (Deepwater Modified) (WPB) * 110' Island-class patrol boat (WPB) * 110' {{Sclass|Calumet|harbor tug}} (WYTM) * 110' {{Sclass|Apalachee|harbor tug|1}} (WYTM) * 110' {{Sclass|Manitou|harbor tug|1}} (WYTM) * 95' {{sclass2|Cape|cutter|1}} (WPB) * 82' {{sclass2|Point|cutter|1}} (WPB)
==See also== * List of equipment of the United States Coast Guard * United States Ship
== Notes == {{reflist}}
{{US Coast Guard navbox}} {{Warship types of the 19th & 20th centuries}}
Category:Ships of the United States Coast Guard Category:Ship prefixes Category:Ship types