Fast Facts: USCGAUX- USCG Narwhal Visits Dana Point

DANA POINT— On May 13, the U.S. Coast Guard’s cutter Narwhal which patrols the Orange County coast, paid a visit to the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, where USCG officers and crew held public tours filled with education about the boat and the USCGAUX informed guests about safe boating practices. The vessel is typically docked at the Coast Guard’s facility on Bayside Drive in the Newport Harbor and is the only active Coast Guard unit in Orange County. It is one of seven cutters that operate in the Coast Guard’s Southern California fleet.   Narwhal is an 87-foot Marine Protector Class coastal patrol cutter and is one of the smallest multi-mission patrol vessels employed by the Coast Guard. Home-ported in Corona del Mar since 2001, Narwhal has participated in a wide range of at-sea missions, received numerous commendations, and while ashore, its crew has been closely involved in supporting a host of Orange County community projects. The term “cutter” identifies a Coast Guard Vessel 65 feet in length or greater, with accommodations for a crew to liveaboard. The cutter Narwhal has a liveaboard crew of 12.    The Narwhal’s duty is to secure the country’s maritime borders, but its crew also conducts search and...