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USRC Massachusetts was one of the original ten cutters[lower-alpha 1] built and used by the United States Revenue Cutter Service.[lower-alpha 2][3] While not the first USRS cutter to be launched, it was the first to enter active service.[3]

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painting of a Revenue Marine cutter (either the Massachusetts (1791), or its replacement, the Massachusetts II)

History

Massachusetts was built at Newburyport, MA by shipwright William Searle.[4] She was designed as a schooner.[5] She was rigged with fore-and-aft sails on two masts.

On July 15, 1791 Massachusetts was launched.[3] John Foster Williams was its first master.[3] Her crew consisted of four officers, four enlisted men and two cabin boys.[6] She was 60 feet (18 m) long by 17 feet 8 inches (5.38 m) wide and had a shallow draft of only 7 feet 8 inches (2.34 m).[7] Williams ordered an increase in her size without getting approval by the service.[6] This increased her cost over what was originally budgeted. But the government accepted the Massachusetts as changed by Williams.[6]

She had the shortest service life of any of the original ten cutters.[6] The first Massachusetts turned out to be too expensive to operate and was too slow.[8] On 9 October 1792 she was sold.[3] In 1793 she was replaced by a smaller lighter sloop, the Massachusetts II.[6]

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Notes

  1. The term cutter came from the boats used by Great Britain's Royal Customs Service.[1] Modern Coast Guard cutters are any larger ship no matter what the type.[1]
  2. Also called the Revenue Marine. Together with the United States Life-Saving Service, the United States Revenue Cutter Service formed the United States Coast Guard on 28 January 1915.[2]

References

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