A U.S. Navy friend of mine had this to say about the United States Coast Guard, "Ya gotta love the Coasties. Those guys are nuts. When a hurricane approaches, the Navy sets sail and gets out of the way. The Coasties sail right into the storm for SAR (search and rescue)." Here are two Coast Guard Cutters based on Galveston Island, Texas. The white beauty in the foreground is the USCGC "Dauntless" (WMEC-624)a 210 foot "Reliance" Class medium endurance cutter. Her motto is "Sin Miedo" - Spanish for "Without Fear." She was commissioned in 1967 and has been refitted twice. Dauntless is scheduled to stay in service until 2024. Her primary duty is law enforcement. This includes drug and illegal immigrant interdiction as well as protection of marine resources. Of course SAR missions are also important in the congested waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Galveston Bay. The vessel in the background is USCGC "Harry C. Claiborne" (WLM-561)a 175 foot "Keeper" Class coastal buoy tender. The Harry C. Claiborne does the vital job of keeping the navigation markers in good shape. Bolivar Roads is the entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel, so the Claiborne does vital, if less glamorous work than the Dauntless. The Harry C. Claiborne is named after the heroic Point Boliver lighthouse keeper who sheltered 125 people during the devastating 1900 Galveston Hurricane. He repeated his efforts during the 1915 hurricane and saved 61 people. The lighthouse is also in my gallery. http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=2386121&user_id=390888&member&np