36-foot motor lifeboat

For the 36-foot USCG picket boat in 1925, see 36-foot picket boat (USCG).

The United States Coast Guard's series of motor lifeboats included a class of 36 foot motor lifeboats. The Coast Guard built the first of version these vessels in 1929 (Type "T"), and retired the last active version (Type "TRS" 1937–1956), in 1987 (CG-36535 Station Depoe Bay OR) as they were replaced by the 44 foot Steel Hull Motor Lifeboat. CG 36500 was retired from active service in 1968, and has since been restored and preserved as a floating museum. These vessels are remembered for the daring rescues Coast Guard seamen performed, using them.

MLB CG-36503, off the South Jetty of the Siuslaw River Bar, Florence Oregon (circa 1973-1974).
Class overview
Name	36 foot MLB
Operators	United States Coast Guard
Succeeded by	44-foot motor lifeboat
In service	1929–1970's
Planned	218
Completed	218
Active	0
General characteristics
Length	36 ft (11 m)

Unlike the Coast Guard's more recent motor lifeboat, the 47 foot motor lifeboat, the 36 foot class was piloted entirely from an open cockpit, where crew-members were exposed to the elements. This was a hardship for the crew, as many rescues were of mariners at risk precisely because their vessels were at risk due to bad weather.

The most memorable rescue performed using a 36-foot lifeboat was that of crew members of the stricken SS Pendleton by CG 36500 under the command of Boatswain's Mate Bernard C. Webber.^[1][2][3][4] The 2016 feature film The Finest Hours is based on the 1952 Pendleton rescue.

36 foot motor lifeboats on display

Station Grand Marais motor life boat is now at the Munising Coast Guard Station Museum, at Sand Point in Munising, Michigan

Hull No.	City	State	Name of Location
CG-36460	South Haven	Michigan	Michigan Maritime Museum
CG-36495	Ilwaco	Washington	USCG Station Cape Disappointment
CG-36498	Port Orford	Oregon	Port Orford Life Boat Station Museum
CG-36500	Orleans	Massachusetts	Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat 36500 Exhibit
CG-36503	Newport	Oregon	Coast Guard Station Newport[5]
CG-36504	South Haven	Michigan	Michigan Maritime Museum
CG-36515	Samoa	California	Coast Guard Station Humboldt Bay
CG-36527	Duluth	Minnesota	Coast Guard Station Duluth
CG-36528	Munising	Michigan	Munising Coast Guard Station Museum
CG-36513 (currently mis-numbered as 36531)	Garibaldi	Oregon	Coast Guard Memorial[6]
Unknown	Glen Haven	Michigan	Glen Haven Cannery Boathouse
Unknown	Winchester Bay	Oregon	Umpqua River Lighthouse Museum

References

1. Dan Lamothe (13 July 2015). "The real-life story behind Disney's forthcoming Coast Guard rescue movie, 'The Finest Hours'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 9 August 2015.
2. "Bernard C. Webber, USCG 1928–2009". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
3. Stephanie Young (27 October 2010). "Coast Guard Heroes". United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
4. Russell Webster, Captain W. (December 2001). "The Pendleton Rescue". wrussellwebster.com.
5. Mariner, Cosmos (2 February 2018). "United States Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat CG 36503". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
6. "Blessing of the Fleet". Visit Garibaldi. 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.

External links

• Port Orford Life Boat Station Museum
• Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat 36500 Exhibit
• Michigan Maritime Museum
• Munising Coast Guard Station Museum
• Glen Haven Cannery Boathouse
• Umpqua River Lighthouse Museum