USS Zephyr

USS Zephyr (PC-8) is a Cyclone-class patrol coastal ship in the United States Navy.

USS Zephyr (PC-8) at Naval Station Mayport in 2020
History
United States
Name	Zephyr
Namesake	Zephyr
Ordered	3 August 1990
Builder	Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana
Laid down	6 March 1993
Launched	3 December 1993
Acquired	16 August 1994
Commissioned	15 October 1994
Decommissioned	1 October 2004
Recommissioned	30 September 2011
Decommissioned	17 February 2021
Stricken	27 February 2021
Identification	MMSI number: 369986000 Callsign: NZPR
Motto	Leading The Charge
Nickname(s)	The Eight Ballers (USN), Rear Pier (USCG)
Status	Awaiting scrapping
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Cyclone-class patrol ship
Displacement	331 tons
Length	179 ft (55 m)
Beam	25 ft (7.6 m)
Draught	7.5 ft (2.3 m)
Speed	35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range	2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	4 officers, 28 men
Armament	2 x Mk38 mod 3 guns with 7.62 mm co-axial guns[1] 2 x Mk19 grenade launchers 2 x .50 (12.7 mm) machine guns

Zephyr is the eighth ship of thirteen in the Cyclone class. All ships in this class are named after weather elements. Zephyr is the first Navy vessel to bear the name. She was laid down 6 March 1993, by Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, Louisiana and launched 3 December 1993. She was commissioned on 14 October 1994 and decommissioned 1 October 2004 and transferred to the United States Coast Guard as USCGC Zephyr (WPC-8).

Zephyr was the first Coast Guard cutter deployed to respond to the Deepwater Horizon oil rig fire.^[2]

Zephyr was transferred back to the Navy on 30 September 2011, and is once again designated PC-8.^[3]

Zephyr was decommissioned on 17 February 2021.^[4][3]