We noticed something odd about the superstructure of a Coast Guard cutter nearby here for the past couple days, but she arrived in the rain and we didn't get a good look before most of her hull was obscured. We're pretty used to our two resident High Endurance Cutters, the Midgett and Mellon, both Hamilton-class vessels based in Seattle, and this didn't look like them.
Today she is pulling out and it turns out there is certainly something different: she's the USCGC Bertholf, the first of the new Legend class "National Security Cutters." According to the Wikipedia article, she's homeported in Almeida, so I don't know if they are moving her up here or if it's just an extended cruise. I haven't decided yet if I like the looks or not. Kinda boxy superstructure, but the hull itself is more classic. As implied by the name, these are more oriented toward drug-runner interception and terrorist intimidation than search and rescue, so there is less to like on that front. But, if we ever have a dust-up with the Canadians, I trust now we'll come off fairly well with the new weapons systems.
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