Marine Ironworks and Shipbuilding Corporation. 9,371 were here. She served in San Pedro for several years before being brought into the gulf coast region to serve in Mobile, Alabama then transferred to Galveston, Texas for the final years of her service until the accident. A Coast Guardsman salutes in front of the Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn memorial during the ceremony Jan. 27, 2023, in St. Petersburg for the 43rd anniversary of the ship's sinking. It tragically sank at 8:20PM on January 28, 1980, at the entrance to Tampa Bay in Florida, near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Then as the two ships backed away from each other, the chain became taut. So how does Richard Flores feel about seeing his son follow in William Flores footsteps? The U.S. Coast Guard held a service Friday to honor the lives lost at the Blackthorn Memorial site in St. Petersburg. Blackthorn was one of 39 original 180-foot (55m) seagoing buoy tenders built between 1942 and 1944. Just seconds after the slack in the anchor chain became taut, Blackthorn capsized. 223K views 2 years ago #Disaster #History On the 28th of January 1980 the USCGC Blackthorn collided with the SS Capricorn and would go down with nearly half her crew. Blackthorn's preliminary design was completed by the United States Lighthouse Service and the final design was . ST. PETERSBURG, Fla Exactly 42 years ago, 23 crew members aboard the U.S Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn lost their lives after colliding with a tanker in Tampa Bay. Meanwhile the tanker Capricorn was standing into the bay. - I/ For more detailed information read, "Marine Accident Report--Collision of USCGC BLACKTHORN and U.S. Tankship CAPRICORN, Tampa, Florida, Januarv 28, 1980 (N TSR . 2 mousetrap launchers (1944). Blackthorn was initially assigned to the Great Lakes for ice-breaking duties, but after only a few months, she was reassigned to San Pedro, California. In 2000 he was posthumously awarded the Coast Guard Medal, the service's highest award for heroism in peacetime. Every year on Jan. 28, different communities and groups come together to remember the lives lost after the collision in Tampa Bay. Blackthorn was initially assigned to the Great Lakes for ice-breaking duties, but after only a few months, she was reassigned to San Pedro, California. Though collision was imminent, initial damage was not extensive however, Capricorns anchor was ready for letting go. Shortly after the collision, Blackthorn capsized, killing 23 of her crew. -Copyright (C) 2003-2011 TogetherWeServed - courtesy of Wikipedia The Blackthorn sank after colliding with the tanker Capricorn near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Jan 28, 1980. An Iris-class vessel, she was built by Marine Ironworks and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth, Minnesota. (LockA locked padlock) The item Marine casualty report : USCGC Blackthorn, SS Capricorn, collision in Tampa Bay on 28 January 1980 with loss of life, U.S. Coast Guard, Marine Board of Investigation report and commandant's action represents a specific, individual, material embodiment of a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Indiana State Library. In October 2010, it was announced that the third new Sentinel-class fast response cutter, a 154-foot patrol boat, would be named for Flores. An Iris-class vessel, she was built by Marine Ironworks and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth, Minnesota. The Alexander Hamilton was initially stationed in Oakland, California and performed patrols to the Bering Sea. Meanwhile the tanker Capricorn, owned by Kingston Shipping Company and operated by Apex Marine Corporation of New York, was standing (traveling with right-of-way) into the bay. Blackthorn's preliminary design was completed by the United States Lighthouse Service and the final design was produced by Marine Iron and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth. Its still in service today. It was a typical day at school. On January 28th, 1980, the USCGC Blackthorn was outbound from Tampa Bay, having just completed a total refit, as the tanker Capricorn was inbound. Blackthorn (WLB-391)black is one of the most popular wreck dives in the Tampa area. (Some contend that the brightly lit passenger vessel obscured the ability of the crews of Blackthorn and Capricorn to see each other.). Complement: 48Armament: The board determined that the cause of the collision was the failure of both vessels to keep well to the side of the channel which lay on each ship's starboard (right) sides. This 180 foot long ship was finished on May 21, 1943 in Duluth, Minnesota and first serviced as a sea going buoy tender maintaining navigational aids. SA Flores paid the ultimate price after locating the life jacket locker, ensuring all survivors in the water received a life jacket, and staying with the sinking ship determined to save the lives of his shipmates trapped in the sinking hull. [1] [2] [3] An Iris -class vessel, she was built by Marine Ironworks and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth, Minnesota. USCGC Blackthorn (WLB-391) was a 180-foot (55m) seagoing buoy tender (WLB) which sank in 1980 in a collision near the Tampa Bay Sunshine Skyway Bridge, resulting in 23 crew member fatalities. Letsgetstarted. Blackthorn was initially assigned to the Great Lakes for ice-breaking duties, but after only a few months, she was reassigned to San Pedro, California. the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Blackthornand the U.S. tankship Capricorncollided in Tampa Bay near the junction of Cut 'A' and Mullet Key Channels. The captain, LCDR George Sepel was on the bridge, but ENS John Ryan had the conn. These matters were referred to the commanders of the Seventh and Eighth Coast Guard Districts for further investigation and appropriate action. Length: 180ft (55m) [1] [2] [3] An Iris -class vessel, she was built by Marine Ironworks and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth, Minnesota. Tampa, Florida (FL), US. There were similar findings on the part of Blackthorn's commanding officer and officer of the deck. Like the smaller Marine Protector class she is equipped with a stern launching ramp. On 21 May 1943 the keel was laid, she was launched on 20 July 1943 and commissioned on 27 March 1944. Additionally, Admiral Hayes pointed out that attempts to establish a passing agreement by using only radiotelephone communications failed to be an adequate substitute for exchanging proper whistle signals. General characteristics Bobby Flores knows how deep service runs in his family. After two land assignments, he was assigned to the USCGC Blackthorn, a buoy tender. Having just completed her overhaul at the Gulf Tampa Drydock Company, which included overhaul of the main propulsion generators, Blackthorn was outward bound from Tampa Bay on the night of 28 January 1980. In 2000, the service heeded Clutters calls, awarding William Flores posthumously with the Coast Guard Medal, the forces highest peacetime service award. The USCGC Blackthorn, a 180-foot buoy tender, sank January 28, 1980 shortly after the collision with the tanker Capricorn near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. U.S. Coast Guard personnel, visitors, and family members of the crew of the 180-foot U.S. Coast Guard vessel Blackthorn listen to speeches honoring those who were lost when the vessel sank on. A freak set of circumstances led to catastrophe on the evening of Jan. 28, 1980. With the officer of the deck confused in regard to the standard operating procedure, Blackthorn's captain issued orders for evasive action. Twenty-seven crew members working on Blackthorn were rescued during the incident, while 23 others died that day. The Blackthorn collision has forever changed the Coast Guard and provided lessons on risk management and training. Seaman Apprentice Flores died aboard Blackthorn. The Blackthorn lost 23 of its 50 crew . USCGC White Sumac (WLM-540) at anchor as Coast Guard and Navy divers assemble on the deck of the buoy tender to prepare to dive on the sunken cutter USCGC Blackthorn. Speed: 13kn(24km/h; 15mph) maximum The 935 ton USCGC Blackthorn was built in 1943 at a cost of $876,403. Copyright Association of Naval Services Officers (ANSO). Secure .gov websites use HTTPS USCGC Mackinaw (WAGB-83) 282' Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC) [ edit] USCGC Alex Haley (WMEC-39) USCGC Alex Haley (WMEC-39) 270' Medium Endurance Cutter (WMEC) [ edit] Main article: Famous-class cutter USCGC Thetis (WMEC-910), a Famous-class cutter USCGC Bear (WMEC-901) USCGC Tampa (WMEC-902) USCGC Harriet Lane (WMEC-903) USCGC Northland (WMEC-904) Thats how old Seaman Apprentice William Flores was when he heroically went down with his ship. Burial Details Unknown . A memorial ceremony honoring the lives lost . But just west of the bridge's twin spans at the mouth of Tampa Bay, the Blackthorn collided with the freighter Capricorn.. After this loss of life, critical improvements were made to Service readiness, training, and safety that still echo across the Service today. Frye, a Blackthorn crew member for just 12 days, was below deck on the evening of Jan. 28, 1980, when the . It was the Capricorns 13,500-pound anchor that sealed the Blackthorns fate. On Monday, it was the number 40. Ensign John Ryan had the conn. USCGC Blackthorn memorial. The Commandant also acted on various safety recommendations made by the marine board concerning training and equipment aboard Coast Guard vessels, and navigation considerations in Tampa Bay. Range: 8,000nmi (15,000km; 9,200mi) at 13kn (24km/h; 15mph) I was 9 years old. The vessels collided nearly head on, and as a result, Capricorn's port anchor became embedded in Blackthorn's port side. George was fresh out of basic training and the USCGC Blackthorn was his first assignment. SA Flores, who had been out of boot camp just one year, opened the life jacket locker as Blackthorn capsized, securing its hatch open with his belt, and made sure that his shipmates were able to access and use the life jackets. Twenty-seven others managed to escape. Concurring with the marine board's determination of the cause, the Commandant emphasized in his "Action" that the failure of the persons in charge of both vessels to ascertain the intentions of the other through the exchange of appropriate whistle signals was the primary contributing cause. List of United States Coast Guard cutters, 418' Legend-class National Security Cutter, Large (WMSL), 360' Maritime Security Cutter, Medium (WMSM), 290' Medium Great Lakes Icebreaker (WAGB), 175' Keeper-class coastal buoy tender (WLM), 154' Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter (WPC), 133' White-class coastal buoy tender (WAGL/WLM), 87' Marine Protector-class coastal patrol boat (WPB), 75' patrol craft "Six-Bitters" - 203 hulls, not named, Equipment of the United States Coast Guard, "US Coast Guard Selects Austal USA to Continue OPC Production", "The offshore patrol cutter (OPC) is the Coast Guard's highest investment priority and will play a critical role in the service's future", U.S. Coast Guard Cutter HORNBEAM, Cape May, Cape May County, NJ, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter WHITE SAGE, U.S. Coast Guard 1st District Base, 1 Thames Street, Bristol, Bristol County, RI, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter WHITE HEATH, USGS Integrated Support Command Boston, 427 Commercial Street, Boston, Suffolk County, MA, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter WHITE LUPINE, U.S. Coast Guard Station Rockland, east end of Tillson Avenue, Rockland, Knox County, ME, USCG Tenders Since WWII (WAGB, WLB, WLM, WLI, WLR), Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, United States Coast Guard Ceremonial Honor Guard, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_United_States_Coast_Guard_cutters&oldid=1144714065, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with hatnote templates targeting a nonexistent page, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 March 2023, at 05:09. 7 and the Propeller Club - Port of Detroit at a memorial service held on the 30th Anniversary of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn disaster. 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