Over with the Navy topics a very interesting bit on Revenue Cutter Service, Early Coast Guard, and US Navy history is about ready to go to the scrap/junk yard.

It concerns the Revenue Cutter CALUMET, later the CGC TIOGA. A Revenue Service tug from the Spanish American War and looking like the same type/class as the USRC HUDSON.


Compare the photos. they sure are similar enough to be the same class of cutter.

Presently she is a dockside derelict in Homer, Alaska. If anyone is in that "quaint Alaska drinking village, with a fishing problem", perhaps they can get around the harbor and check this out. Present name is the "Spanky Paine"

The Coast Guard missed the BEAR 40+ years ago, but perhaps another Revenue Cutter for possible restoration might be an appropriate project.

From the folks over on the US NAVY topics

"You can find the story with a picture of the boat on the "Homernews.com" web page (you have to look under local stories since it was originally posted about a week or two ago."

"Hey Doc... Thanks, interesting too... There are a few other pictures of the USRC Calumet AKA USCGC Tioga, AKA etc,etc over at Navsource dot org. here is the direct link...

"http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/179911.htm"

http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Calumet1894.asp

Would the CG show maybe just a bit if interest before the smoke wrench touches off ??? How many other Revenue Cutter Service cutters are still out there. It is a 95'+/- tugboat, not some battleship.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mastersmate,

FWIW, the bell off the 2nd Calumet was mounted near the flagpole at Group/Base (now Sector) San Francisco on Yerba Buena Island. I'm not sure it's still there.

Had a chance to dig around a bit today, and sure enough, there were a number of harbor cutters of this class in the Revenue Cutter Service. If anuone from the cutters in Homer checks in here, maybr you could go over to the town floats in Homer, get some detailed photos and see if she might be a restoration candidate.

The CG Cutter ties up in the Homer Port which is on the Homer Spit. Should be easy to find. If you can't get anyone from the Cutter to check it out I'll see if my friends who live there can check it out and take some pics if that would be helpful. From what I read on the Nav archive page it does not have the original superstructure . It caught fire and was replaced with a steel superstructure.

Kind of a follow up, with more late if anything develops.

Wrote a letter to the editor of the Homer, Alaska paper with what information has been found so far about this Revenue Cutter. Got a phone tag to straighten out, but it would appear that it has struck someones interest up there. When we make contact, will pass along any pertinent info concerning the Calumet.

Follow up,
Talked with the guy in Alaska, seems the letter to the editor got his curiosity up, gave him the information about the cutter, where some plans were archived. He mentioned that he was considering giving a bid on the hull when the city puts it up for auction. He is looking to making it a live aboard.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mastersmate,

quote:

Originally posted by Mastersmate:
Kind of a follow up, with more late if anything develops.

Wrote a letter to the editor of the Homer, Alaska paper with what information has been found so far about this Revenue Cutter. Got a phone tag to straighten out, but it would appear that it has struck someones interest up there. When we make contact, will pass along any pertinent info concerning the Calumet.

Follow up,
Talked with the guy in Alaska, seems the letter to the editor got his curiosity up, gave him the information about the cutter, where some plans were archived. He mentioned that he was considering giving a bid on the hull when the city puts it up for auction. He is looking to making it a live aboard.

Here is the picture from the Homer News

Over at usmilnet dot com in the CG history section there's more information on the builder and the article from Homer, Alaska.