USS High Point (PCH-1)
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USS ''High Point'' (PCH-1) was a ''High Point''-class patrol craft of the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
in commission from 1963 to 1975. She subsequently was in commission in the
United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...
briefly in 1975.


Construction and commissioning

''High Point'' was the first of a series of
hydrofoil A hydrofoil is a lifting surface, or foil, that operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to aerofoils used by aeroplanes. Boats that use hydrofoil technology are also simply termed hydrofoils. As a hydrofoil craft gains sp ...
craft designed to evaluate the performance of hydrofoils for the U.S. Navy. The design of ''High Point'' began in April 1958 under project SCB 202. She had three submerged foils containing propulsion nacelles and propellers, and was also capable of riding on her hull like a more conventional ship. ''High Point'' was launched on 17 August 1962 by J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation in Tacoma, Washington as a sub-contractor to
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in
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, Washington, at a cost of $2.08 million, together with Vickers, Inc. Marine and Ordnance Department in
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,
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, which provided hydraulic components and controls. Electronic equipment aboard, including automatic stabilization equipment and a dead reckoning navigation system, was developed and manufactured by the United Aircraft Corporation
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Division. She was commissioned on 15 August 1963 with
Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
H. G. Billerbeck in charge. She was named after High Point,
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.


Service history


U.S. Navy

''Hugh Point'' carried out tests in
Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ; ) is a complex estuary, estuarine system of interconnected Marine habitat, marine waterways and basins located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As a part of the Salish Sea, the sound ...
from 1963 to 1967. On her foils, she obtained very high speeds, and the U.S. Navy evaluated her for mobility and flexibility as an antisubmarine warfare vessel. The U.S. Navy decommissioned her in March 1975.


U.S. Coast Guard

On 4 April 1975, the U.S. Navy transferred ''High Point'' to the
United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...
, which acquired her to evaluate hydrofoil characteristics for use in
law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of the government or other social institutions who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by investigating, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms gove ...
,
search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
, and marine
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missions. After a first round of tests in Puget Sound, the Coast Guard transferred her to
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,
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. While she was attempting to moor at Naval Station Treasure Island in
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, her
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exploded. The $300,000 cost of repair was not in the Coast Guard budget, so the Coast Guard decommissioned her on 5 May 1975 and transferred her back to the U.S. Navy.


Later disposition

''High Point'' was stricken from the
Naval Vessel Register The ''Naval Vessel Register'' (NVR) is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from t ...
sometime in 1980. A private owner intent on restoring her purchased her in 2002, but the effort did not succeed. In 2005 Terence Orme purchased her to save her from being scrapped. By 2009, she was moored at Tongue Point near Astoria,
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, where volunteers were restoring the vessel for use as a museum. These efforts were abandoned. In 2021, a private individual purchased ''High Point'' and began to restore her at Astoria with the goal of making her seaworthy once again. When corrosion was found below her waterline, USS High Point was scrapped in August of 2023.


References


Notes


Sources

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External links

* * * (2002 website of past owner) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:High Point (PCH-1) Cold War patrol vessels of the United States Boeing hydrofoils Ships built in Tacoma, Washington Ships of the United States Coast Guard 1962 ships Hydrofoils of the United States