The United States Coast Guard Yard is located in Anne Arundel County near Baltimore, Maryland. The USCG Yard’s shipbuilding and major repair facility are an essential element of the Coast Guard’s industrial base and fleet support. USCG Yard has an annual budget of $88 million dollars. Since the Coast Guard Yard has been operational since 1899 it is listed on the U.S. National Register of the Historical Places.
Quick Facts
| Coordinates | 39° 12' 25.09" N 76° 33' 43.11" W |
|---|---|
| City | Baltimore, MD 21226 |
| Phone | — |
| DSN | — |
History
The USCG Yard was founded in 1899 when Lieutenant John C. Moore established a shipyard on a 36 acre section of farmland in Arundel Cove. This land was originally leased by the United States Revenue Cutter Service. However, in 1905, the U.S. Congress approved the purchase of the land for use as a permanent shipyard for the United States Coast Guard. During the early years of the USCG Yard, it was used to repair lifeboats and construct a variety of smaller boats. During the next couple of decades the shipyard was improved upon, yet by the 1930’s the shipyard needed to be seriously updated.
World War II brought a considerable expansion to the USGC yard’s facilities. This expansion included a 3,000-ton floating drydock and 2 shipways. With these additions the USGC Yard could be considered a medium sized shipyard, and it was, therefore, named the official shipyard of the United States Coast Guard. The activity of the shipyard fell in the post-war years of the 1950s and 1960’s, however activity kicked up again with the emergence of the Vietnam War.
In the 1980’s, the USGC Yard constructed a oil skimmer to aid in the clean up oil spills. In the 1980s through the 1990’s several cutters received renovations, giving the cutters approximately twenty additional years of service. Recently the shipyard replaced the yard’s 60-year-old drydocks and became the first United States governmental organization to receive ISO 9001 certification, in 1995.
Services
The United States Coast Guard Yard has a few services available to the servicemen working in the yard. The USCG Yard offers a Yard Clinic which employs a medical officer, a physician’s assistant and a dental officer. The Clinic can be reached at (410)636-7506. The yard has a small dining center called The Drydock Club. The USCG also has a Safety Office to enforce the yard’s compliance with both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Coast Guard Safety requirements. Some services offered by the Safety Office include shipyard and Industrial Safety inspections, industrial Hygiene Surveys, Hazardous Materials Evaluations, and Respiratory Protection Training. The Yard Safety Office can be contacted at (410)636-3772.
Recreation
The Baltimore area has a lot of recreational activities for tourist and visitors. Notably, the National Aquarium is located in Baltimore. Baltimore also has various museums such as the B&O Railroad Museum, Port Discovery and the American Visionary Art Museum. Baltimore has several shopping opportunities as well. Some of Baltimore’s most popular shopping hubs include The Gallery at Harborplace, Mondawmin Mall, and The Village of Cross Keys.