USCGC Papaw ( WLB - 308 ) USCGC " Papaw " ( WLB - 308 ) was a sea - going buoy tender whose design is based on the pre - World War II United States Lighthouse Service Tenders . The original design was modified to provide an armored cutter capable of wartime missions in addition to her primary mission of Aids to Navigation . " Papaw " was built in 1943 by the Marine Iron and Shipbuilding Company of Duluth , Minnesota . Commissioned 12 October 1943 , she was assigned the home port of San Francisco , California . " Papaw " saw extensive duty during World War II establishing aids to navigation systems for the newly captured islands in the Pacific . After the war " Papaw ' s " home port was moved to Astoria , Oregon . In June 1949 , " Papaw " was shifted to the warm waters of Miami , Florida where she assumed responsibility for the aids to navigation in the Florida Keys and the Caribbean . In 1954 , " Papaw " moved once again , this time to Charleston , South Carolina . There she maintained buoys , shore stations , and towers . In October 1989 " Papaw " entered the Service Life Extension Program ( SLEP ) at the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay , Maryland . She arrived at her new home port of Galveston , Texas on June 18 , 1991 . " Papaw " services approximately 150 aids to navigation from Brownsville , Texas to Calcasieu , Louisiana . The ship carried out many missions throughout the Gulf of Mexico including : Search and Rescue , Drug and Contraband Interdiction , Environmental Protection , Military Readiness Exercises , and Buoy Deployment Operations with the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration . " Papaw ' s " main propulsion system was diesel electric . Two 700 hp General Motors E . M . D . diesel engines each drove a DC generator which provided electricity to the 550 volt Westinghouse main motor . At 1200 hp the main motor turned a single shaft to a maximum speed of . Electric power was supplied by two 200 kW generators each driven by a Detroit Diesel engine . A bow thruster was fitted during the 1989 Service Life Extension Program giving the " Papaw " greater maneuverability . The " Papaw ' s " main boom was hydraulically operated and had a maximum working load of 20 tons . Buoys serviced by the " Papaw " ranged from tiny nun buoys to the tall 18 , 000 lb Galveston Entrance Channel Buoy . Most buoys are equipped with electrical lights powered by batteries and solar cells . Some have sound signals , radar beacons , and elaborate power systems . All buoys are pulled from the water at least once a year for painting , maintenance , and position checks . The " Papaw " has received many awards during its history . Her wartime honors include : the World War II Victory Medal , the American Campaign Medal , the Asiatic - Pacific Campaign Medal , and two National Defense Service Medals . Papaw has also received many peace time commendations , these include : two Coast guard Meritorious Unit Commendations , a Humanitarian Service Medal , and a Coast Guard Special Operations Ribbon . Papaw was decommissioned on 23 July 1999 at Group Galveston , Texas . She was donated to Canvasback Missions of Benicia , California , a nonprofit organization . She is currently operating as the F / V Mersea , an emergency relief ship as part of the Friend Ships fleet . Her sister ship , the USCGC Conifer , is also part of the Friend Ships fleet as the F / V Hope .