ROCKLAND, Maine — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle (WIX 327), Coast Guard’s First District command, Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, and Coast Guard Station Rockland celebrated Rockland recertifying as a Coast Guard City, in Rockland, Maine, on August 2, 2024.
Eagle’s command, crew and Coast Guard Academy cadets hosted a reception while the ship was anchored in Rockland Harbor.
Eagle crewmembers and U.S. Coast Guard Academy cadets also marched in the Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland, on August 3, alongside Coast Guardsmen and a 29-foot response boat from Coast Guard Station Rockland, as well as command and crewmembers from the USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119).
The Coast Guard City program recognizes communities that support local Coast Guard members. A city, municipality, or county earns the designation “Coast Guard City” or “Coast Guard Community” by making special efforts to acknowledge the professional work of the Coast Guardsmen working in their area.
At 295 feet in length, Eagle is the largest tall ship flying the stars and stripes and the only active square-rigger in United States government service. Eagle has served as a classroom at sea to future Coast Guard officers since 1946, offering an at-sea leadership and professional development experience as part of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy curriculum.
Eagle is a three-masted barque with more than 22,300 square feet of sail and six miles of rigging. The cutter was constructed in 1936 by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany. Originally commissioned as the Horst Wessel by the German navy, Eagle was a war reparation for the United States following World War II.
Additional information about the Eagle can be found here. The Eagle's design dimensions can be found here.
For more information about Eagle, including port cities, tour schedules, and current events, follow the "United States Coast Guard Barque EAGLE" Facebook page or on Instagram @barqueeagle. All U.S. Coast Guard imagery is in the public domain and is encouraged to be shared widely.
-USCG-