USCGC Point Roberts ( WPB - 82332 ) USCGC " Point Roberts " ( WPB - 82332 ) was an Point class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay , Maryland in 1962 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat . Since the Coast Guard policy in 1961 was not to name cutters under in length , it was designated as " WPB - 82332 " when commissioned and acquired the name " Point Roberts " in January 1964 when the Coast Guard started naming all cutters longer than . Design and construction details . " Point Roberts " was built to accommodate an 8 man crew . She was powered by two VT800 Cummins diesel main drive engines and had two five - bladed propellers . Water tank capacity was and fuel tank capacity was at 95 % full . After 1990 she was refit with Caterpillar diesel main drive engines . Engine exhaust was ported through the transom rather than through a conventional stack and this permitted a 360 degree view from the bridge ; a feature that was very useful in search and rescue work as well as a combat environment . The design specifications for " Point Roberts " included a steel hull for durability and an aluminum superstructure and longitudinally framed construction was used to save weight . Ease of operation with a small crew size was possible because of the non - manned main drive engine spaces . Controls and alarms located on the bridge allowed one man operation of the cutter thus eliminating a live engineer watch in the engine room . Because of design , four men could operate the cutter ; however , the need for resting watchstanders brought the crew size to eight men for normal domestic service . The screws were designed for ease of replacement and could be changed without removing the cutter from the water . A clutch - in idle speed of three knots helped to conserve fuel on lengthy patrols and an eighteen knot maximum speed could get the cutter on scene quickly . Air - conditioned interior spaces were a part of the original design for the Point class cutter . Interior access to the deckhouse was through a watertight door on the starboard side aft of the deckhouse . The deckhouse contained the cabin for the officer - in - charge and the executive petty officer . The deckhouse also included a small arms locker , scuttlebutt , a small desk and head . Access to the lower deck and engine room was down a ladder . At the bottom of the ladder was the galley , mess and recreation deck . A watertight door at the front of the mess bulkhead led to the main crew quarters which was ten feet long and included six bunks that could be stowed , three bunks on each side . Forward of the bunks was the crew ' s head complete with a compact sink , shower and commode . History . After delivery in 1961 , " Point Roberts " was assigned a homeport of Mayport , Florida , where she served as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat until decommissioning in 1992 . On 26 February 1965 , she towed the disabled fishing vessel " Cherry Lee " 25 miles southeast of St . Augustine , Florida , to Mayport during rough weather . On 15 May 1966 , she rescued a skin diver off Jacksonville , Florida . On 12 May 1968 , she rescued three from fishing vessel " Kingfisher " 5 miles east of the mouth of the St . Johns River . On 21 July 1968 , she medevac ed injured seamen from the tanker " Transhudson " . On 12 January 1969 , she escorted the distressed fishing vessel " Eagle " 25 miles northwest of Key West , Florida , to that port . On 4 August 1970 , she medevaced a crewman from the Japan Maritime Self - Defense Force training ship " Katori " off Jacksonville . On 28 November 1982 , she helped seize motor vessel " Lago Izabel " and fishing vessel " Gigi " 120 miles east of Georgia carrying of marijuana . In January and February 1986 , she recovered debris from space shuttle " Challenger " off Cape Canaveral , Florida . In August 1988 , she escorted the Honduran motor vessel " Unicorn Express " into Mayport , where over of cocaine were found in a secret compartment . In February 1992 " Point Roberts " was decommissioned and transferred to the Environmental Protection Agency as research vessel " Lake Explorer " stationed at Duluth , Minnesota .