USCGC Cleat (WYTL-65615)

The Acquisitions Directorate (CG-9) reports,

May 1, 2025 —The Coast Guard today released a request for information (RFI) to inform the development of its acquisition strategy to recapitalize its light and medium domestic icebreaking capabilities.  Industry sources are invited to submit information on existing icebreaking-capable vessels or vessel designs that are ready for construction or already in production. The Coast Guard will use these responses to inform future program activities to recapitalize the domestic icebreaking capabilities provided by the 140-foot icebreaking tug and 65-foot small harbor tug.

You can access the RFI here.

There are a couple of things that may be surprising.

• First the description of the two types of interest “DOMICE-M” domestic icebreaker, medium and “DOMICE-L,” domestic icebreaker, light. The 2,500 HP 140s are a long way from medium icebreakers by the Coast Guard’s usual medium icebreaker definition, 20,000 to 45,000 HP.
• Second that that there seems to be an aversion to any increase in size. The “VESSEL PRELIMINARY CAPABILITY PARAMETERS” specifically requests  information only on vessels the same size or smaller than the exiting 140 foot WTGBs and 65 foot WYTLs, and the expected performance is essentially no better than the existing classes and could be worse.

Significantly the 65′ WYTLs are currently being treated more like station boats than commissioned ships. The intention is to continue that might be thought of as a reason to restrict length to 65 feet or less. Still that might be unnecessarily restrictive. It may require fewer people to run a particular 70 foot vessel than a particular 64 foot boat, but manning requirements are not included in the RFI. Reading between the lines it appears they actually want a smaller vessel than the 65 footers.

The constraint on length of the 140 replacement is even harder to understand. The range requirement clearly indicates these vessels will deploy for several days with presumably a mixed gender crew. Like the WTGBs they will probably have davits and a small ship’s boat. In District 9, on the Great Lakes, when not breaking ice, the WTGBs perform some of the functions Webber class WPCs perform in other districts. Speed and icebreaking are almost mutually exclusive, but a bit more waterline length does make a couple of extra knots easier.