Coast Guard Cutter Edisto decommissioned after 30 years of service (photos available)

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 11th District PA Detachment San Diego Contact: Coast Guard PA Detachment San Diego Office: (619) 278-7025 After Hours: (619) 252-1304 PA Detachment San Diego online newsroom

Coast Guard Cutter Edisto decommissioned after 30 years of service (photos available)

Editor's note: click on photos to view and download in high resolution

SAN DIEGO — The Coast Guard Cutter Edisto (WPB 1313) was decommissioned Friday after more than 30 years of service during a ceremony at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego.

The Edisto is one of the Coast Guard’s 38 remaining 110-foot Island Class patrol boats being replaced by the Sentinel Class Fast Response Cutter, which serve as the Coast Guard’s primary nearshore patrol asset.

“I would like to thank my crew and all previous 'Lucky Eddie' sailors for bolstering her highly successful service life as the 'Pacific Guardian’,” said Lt. Geddy Miller, the Edisto’s commanding officer. “They certainly made Edisto an unforgettable cutter in which to serve for the past 31 years. Equally important are our partners at the Eleventh Coast Guard District, Coast Guard Sector San Diego and Naval Base Point Loma. I would like to extend tremendous thanks as Edisto's success throughout the years would not have been possible without their support.”

Edisto was built in 1968 by Bollinger Machine Shop and Shipyard, Inc. in Lockport, Louisiana and placed in commission on Jan. 7, 1987 in New Orleans. Edisto transited the Panama Canal and reached its new homeport of Crescent City. In the summer of 1997, Edisto permanently changed its homeport to San Diego.

During Edisto’s time in service, the crew completed more than 1,200 recreational, fisheries, law enforcement and search and rescue operations resulting in 11 major drug busts, more than 200 suspected illegal migrants detained and 350 lives saved.

“The Coast Guard Cutter Edisto and her crew have been vital to our mission of safeguarding the waters of Southern California,” said Capt. Joseph Buzzella, the commander of Coast Guard Sector San Diego. “No matter what was asked of them, they answered the call and I am extremely grateful for their hard work and dedication. Edisto will be missed along our coast; however, we always stand ready to ensure the safety and security of our waterways. We look forward to the commissioning of our new fast response cutters that will prove even more capable in our mission to safeguard our nation.”

Edisto’s crew is scheduled to sail to Baltimore where it will be turned in to the Foreign Military Sales program.

Edisto, the third Coast Guard vessel to carry the name, is named after Edisto Island located south of Charleston, South Carolina. Edisto is nicknamed “Lucky Eddie” and its fantail bears artwork created by past crewmembers.

Named after United States islands, Island Class Patrol Boats are primarily used for maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, drug and migrant interdiction operations and coastal defense. 

-USCG-