USCG Air-Sea-Rescue Cutters
(WAVR)
Most recent update: August 19, 2012.
By arrangement with the Navy, 71 Air-class cutters were delivered directly to the Coast Guard, modified for service as air-sea-rescue boats. These were SC-497-class wooden sub chasers, 111 feet long and 135 tons displacement, mostly built by yacht yards. As it turned out, few actually saw any service, which explains the lack of information on what happened to them.
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Name | Builder | Location | Delivered | Notes | ||
SC-453 | WAVR-411 | Air Avocet | Fisher Boatworks | Detroit MI | 12 Aug 1941 | prototype, to Haiti 1947 as 16 Aout 1946, sold 1957 |
SC-499 | WAVR-412 | Air Brandt | Fisher Boatworks | Detroit MI | 18 Mar 1942 | later Lynn II |
SC-511 | WAVR-413 | Air Cardinal | American Cruiser | Detroit MI | 29 Jun 1942 | fate unknown |
SC-512 | WAVR-414 | Air Condor | American Cruiser | Detroit MI | 10 Jul 1942 | fate unknown |
SC-536 | WAVR-415 | Air Cormorant | Peterson BW | Sturgeon Bay WI | 23 Apr 1942 | sold 1951 as Moonlight Maid, active? |
SC-539 | WAVR-416 | Air Crow | Peterson BW | Sturgeon Bay WI | 30 May 1942 | sold 1948 as Linda, in Canada 1951 |
SC-540 | WAVR-417 | Air Curlew | Robinson Marine Const. | Benton Harbor MI | 22 Apr 1942 | sold 1952 as Barbara Jo, Savitar 1958, in Panama 1966 |
SC-541 | WAVR-418 | Air Drake | Robinson Marine Const. | Benton Harbor MI | 6 May 1942 | fate unknown |
SC-635 | WAVR-419 | Air Eider | Mathis Yacht Building | Camden NJ | 23 Oct 1942 | to USCG 1945 as Air Eider (WAVR-419), sold as Yank, Bronx Queen, sank near Ambrose Light 1989 |
SC-642 | WAVR-420 | Air Egret | Peterson BW | Sturgeon Bay WI | 4 Aug 1942 | fate unknown |
SC-653 | WAVR-421 | Air Falcon | Petersen, Julius | Nyack NY | 8 Jul 1942 | sold 1949 as Falcon, Americana 1959 |
SC-656 | WAVR-422 | Air Finch | Snow Shipyards | Rockland ME | 11 Aug 1942 | sold 1949 as Blue Bird |
SC-659 | WAVR-423 | Air Gannet | American Cruiser | Wilmington DE | 7 Oct 1942 | Air Gannet 1959, burned 1963 |
SC-662 | WAVR-424 | Air Goose | Fisher Boatworks | Detroit MI | 10 Jun 1942 | sold 1949 as Neptune |
SC-665 | WAVR-425 | Air Grayleg | Dachel-Carter SB | Benton Harbor MI | 10 Aug 1942 | transferred cancelled |
SC-670 | WAVR-426 | Air Grebe | Inland Waterways | Duluth MN | 2 Sep 1942 | sold 1949 as Grebe |
SC-672 | WAVR-427 | Air Gull | Knutson SB | Halesite NY | 22 Jun 1942 | sold 1959 as fishing vessel Ensign |
SC-682 | WAVR-428 | Air Hawk | American Cruiser | Wilmington DE | 9 Nov 1942 | Air Hawk 1959 |
SC-684 | WAVR-429 | Air Heron | American Cruiser | Wilmington DE | 21 Nov 1942 | fate unknown |
SC-710 | WAVR-430 | Air Ibis | Dooley's Basin & DD | Fort Lauderdale FL | 7 Nov 1942 | fate unknown |
SC-711 | WAVR-431 | Air Jay | Dooley's Basin & DD | Fort Lauderdale FL | 2 Jan 1943 | North Sea 1959, Cap'n Johnnie, deleted 1983 |
SC-714 | WAVR-432 | Air Kestrel | Fisher Boatworks | Detroit MI | 20 Nov 1942 | fate unknown |
SC-715 | WAVR-433 | Air Killdeer | Fisher Boatworks | Detroit MI | 4 Dec 1942 | sold 1946 as Cape Pine |
SC-717 | WAVR-434 | Air Lapwing | Fisher Boatworks | Detroit MI | 14 May 1943 | sold as Lindsay C. Warren, Victory 1959 |
SC-753 | WAVR-435 | Air Linnet | Robinson Marine Const. | Benton Harbor MI | 14 Apr 1943 | Halcyon II 1959 |
SC-758 | WAVR-436 | Air Loon | Robinson Marine Const. | Benton Harbor MI | 14 Sep 1943 | sold 1949 as Loon |
SC-772 | WAVR-437 | Air Mallard | Peyton Co. | Newport Beach CA | 15 Apr 1943 | sold 1947 as Lady Goodiver, B&B in Scapoose OR |
SC-775 | WAVR-438 | Air Martin | Peyton Co. | Newport Beach CA | 30 Jul 1943 | Milmar 1959 |
SC-985 | WAVR-439 | Air Merlin | John E. Matton | Cohoes NY | 19 Dec 1942 | Miss Morehead 1959, abandoned 1964 |
SC-987 | WAVR-440 | Air Oriole | John E. Matton | Cohoes NY | 7 Jun 1943 | later fishing vessel Empress, Lillian B 1959, CTL-1976 |
SC-988 | WAVR-441 | Air Owl | John E. Matton | Cohoes NY | 14 Jul 1943 | fate unknown |
SC-989 | WAVR-442 | Air Parakeet | John E. Matton | Cohoes NY | 2 Aug 1943 | sold 1949 as Milbon |
SC-996 | WAVR-443 | Air Parrot | Island Dock | Kingston NY | 6 Nov 1942 | fate unknown |
SC-1003 | WAVR-444 | Air Partridge | Fellows & Stewart | Wilmington CA | 24 Dec 1942 | sold 1949 as Mickey Lee |
SC-1004 | WAVR-445 | Air Peacock | Fellows & Stewart | Wilmington CA | 21 Jan 1943 | sold 1949 as San Juanderer |
SC-1009 | WAVR-446 | Air Pelican | Fellows & Stewart | Wilmington CA | 25 Jun 1943 | Pelican 1959 |
SC-1010 | WAVR-447 | Air Penguin | Fellows & Stewart | Wilmington CA | 15 Jul 1943 | fate unknown |
SC-1013 | WAVR-448 | Air Petrel | Luders Marine | Stamford CT | 21 Sep 1942 | sold 1947 as Mount Independence, sank 2005 |
SC-1015 | WAVR-449 | Air Pheasant | Luders Marine | Stamford CT | 20 Oct 1942 | sold 1948 to Morton Salt as a mail boat in the Bahamas, as Air Pheasant until scuttled in 1982 |
SC-1016 | WAVR-450 | Air Phoebe | Luders Marine | Stamford CT | 15 Dec 1942 | fate unknown |
SC-1017 | WAVR-451 | Air Pigeon | Luders Marine | Stamford CT | 29 Dec 1942 | fate unknown |
SC-1022 | WAVR-452 | Air Piper | Luders Marine | Stamford CT | 9 Jun 1943 | sold 1949 as Evelyn L. Willis |
SC-1023 | WAVR-453 | Air Plover | Mathis Yacht Building | Camden NJ | 18 Dec 1942 | fate unknown |
SC-1027 | WAVR-454 | Air Puffin | Mathis Yacht Building | Camden NJ | 2 Feb 1943 | fate unknown |
SC-1028 | WAVR-455 | Air Quail | Mathis Yacht Building | Camden NJ | 27 Mar 1943 | Air Quail 1959, Cajun Queen, deleted 1991 |
SC-1032 | WAVR-456 | Air Raven | Peterson BW | Sturgeon Bay WI | 18 Feb 1943 | sold 1949 as Sheila, wrecked 1963 |
SC-1033 | WAVR-457 | Air Redwing | Peterson BW | Sturgeon Bay WI | 5 Apr 1943 | sold 1950 as Hunter, wrecked 1962 |
SC-1037 | WAVR-458 | Air Robin | Peterson BW | Sturgeon Bay WI | 7 Jul 1943 | sold 1947 as Robin, Emerald Pacific 1977 |
SC-1038 | WAVR-459 | Air Rook | Peterson BW | Sturgeon Bay WI | 16 Jul 1943 | sold 1948 as Rande A |
SC-1054 | WAVR-460 | Air Ruff | Wilmington BW | Wilmington CA | 6 Apr 1943 | sold 1949 as Ida-M |
SC-1055 | WAVR-461 | Air Sheldrake | Wilmington BW | Wilmington CA | 10 May 1943 | DeEtta 1959 |
SC-1062 | WAVR-462 | Air Shrike | Harris & Parsons | East Greenwich RI | 27 Feb 1943 | sold 1949 as Mary Jane |
SC-1063 | WAVR-463 | Air Skimmer | Victory SB | Holland MI | 13 Feb 1943 | Perry L 1959 |
SC-1064 | WAVR-464 | Air Skylark | Victory SB | Holland MI | 4 May 1943 | to Haiti 1947 as Toussaint L'Ouverture (GC-3), sold 1959 |
SC-1068 | WAVR-465 | Air Snipe | Mathis Yacht Building | Camden NJ | 13 Apr 1943 | sold 1948 as Air Snipe |
SC-1069 | WAVR-466 | Air Sparrow | Mathis Yacht Building | Camden NJ | 26 Apr 1943 | Get Along 1959 |
SC-1070 | WAVR-467 | Air Starling | Mathis Yacht Building | Camden NJ | 24 May 1943 | sold 1949 as Reefer Clipper, Coastal Researcher I |
SC-1296 | WAVR-468 | Air Stork | W. A. Robinson | Ipswich MA | 16 Sep 1943 | George R. Wallace 1959 |
SC-1297 | WAVR-469 | Air Swallow | W. A. Robinson | Ipswich MA | 8 Oct 1943 | sold 1948 |
SC-1307 | WAVR-470 | Air swan | Daytona Beach BW | Daytona Beach FL | 2 Oct 1943 | Tejena III 1959 |
SC-1329 | WAVR-471 | Air swift | Simms Bros. | Dorchester MA | 8 May 1943 | sold 1947 as Elmar, samk 1979 |
SC-1347 | WAVR-472 | Air Tanager | Fisher Boatworks | Detroit MI | 3 Sep 1943 | Tanager 1950 |
SC-1348 | WAVR-473 | Air Teal | Fisher Boatworks | Detroit MI | 1 Oct 1943 | to Haiti 1947 as Amiral Killick (GC-4), discarded 1954 |
SC-1355 | WAVR-474 | Air Tern | Luders Marine | Stamford CT | 10 Jul 1943 | sold 1949 as Chief, Mount Independence 1981, deleted 2008 |
SC-1356 | WAVR-475 | Air Thrush | Luders Marine | Stamford CT | 18 Aug 1943 | sold 1949 as Marge |
SC-1357 | WAVR-476 | Air Toucan | Luders Marine | Stamford CT | 31 Aug 1943 | sold 1949 as Claire Ellin, J. D. Harrington 1959 |
SC-1362 | WAVR-477 | Air Warbler | Peyton Co. | Newport Beach CA | 6 Sep 1943 | Warbler 1959 |
SC-1367 | WAVR-478 | Air Waxwing | Wilmington BW | Wilmington CA | 10 Sep 1943 | fate unknown |
SC-1369 | WAVR-479 | Air Willet | Wilmington BW | Wilmington CA | 12 Nov 1943 | Gleaner 1959 |
SC-1373 | WAVR-480 | Air Wren | Fellows & Stewart | Wilmington CA | 1 Nov 1943 | fate unknown |
SC-1339 | WAVR-481 | Air Scaup | Knutson SB | Halesite NY | 8 Nov 1943 | sold 1949 as Houston Pilot No. 3 |
SC-1340 | WAVR-482 | Air Scoter | Knutson SB | Halesite NY | 4 Dec 1943 | sold 1949 as Elmar, sank 1979 |