The Long Blue Line (Spring 2024)

In 1961, the Raymond Loewy and
William Snaith design team took on the
interior design of the Coast Guard’s first
shipbuilding endeavor since World War II—
the Reliance-class cutter. This ship design
program included general arrangements
of interior spaces, furniture, materials, and
colors. The firm’s work in the area of ship
interior design would lead to fundamental
changes in habitability standards for U.S.
Navy ships.
The Reliance-class cutters were originally
designed with search and rescue as their
primary mission. Requirements published
in 1961 called for a cutter 210-feet in
length with a 34-foot beam and equipped
with a novel combined diesel and gasturbine
propulsion plant (CODAG), giving
the cutter a cruising range of 5,000 miles
at 15 knots. Special features included a
flight deck large enough to land a Coast
Guard Seahorse helicopter, a 360-degree
visibility bridge, and exhaust piped through
the stern. The contract was awarded to
Todd Shipyard in Houston, Texas, which
subcontracted a majority of the detail
design to J.J. Henry, Inc., Naval Architects
in Philadelphia.
At the time, the Reliance-class’s
construction materials and processes were
state-of-the-art and included advanced
epoxy protective coatings and noise
reducing materials. The cutters equipment
and general arrangements were designed
to reduce personnel and maintenance
requirements and best utilize available
space. The cutters were not intended for
wartime use but were equipped with a
3-inch, 50-caliber gun and space allocation
was made for anti-submarine warfare
equipment should the need arise.
Reliance was christened and launched on
May 25, 1963, and Diligence held a similar
ceremony on July 20, 1963. Both ships were
commissioned the following year in June
and August of 1964, respectively, beginning
a new era for the Coast Guard cutter fleet.
Initial plans called for as many as 30
Reliance-class cutters, but only 16 were
built with the last, Alert, entering service in
1969. The ships performed favorably and
were able to reach their target speed of 18
knots, however, the CODAG arrangement
was difficult to operate and took up much
of the engine room space. Only the first five
cutters received the CODAG propulsion
system, and the rest received Alco diesel
engines. In the 1970s, the more reliable
Alco engines became standard for the
entire class.
Reliance proved its value to the fleet
early on by providing a proof of concept
for cutter helicopter operations. Up to
this time, landing helicopters on cutters
had been experimental and not part of
standard operations. The Reliance-class
cutters, along with their forthcoming bigger
siblings, the Hamilton-class cutters, were
designed with a helicopter landing pad.
Because this capability was unproven, the
future of cutter-based aviation hinged on
Coast Guard cutter Diligence shown with the
prototype “racing stripe” painted on the bow
in December 1966. (Coast Guard Historian’s
Archive).
ACTIVE DUTY
U.S. COAST GUARD INFORMATION
THE LONG BLUE LINE SPRING 2024
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