BOSTON — The Coast Guard Cutter Seneca returned to sea Friday, marking the successful completion of a $2.8 million dry-dock maintenance period at Colonna’s Shipyard Inc., in Norfolk, Virginia.
The cutter will complete sea trials, a period of testing and evaluation of all systems that have undergone repairs. Technical experts from Colonna’s Shipyard sailed with the cutter to verify all systems are operating as designed and complete minor adjustments.
“We’ve all put in a lot of hard work,” said Seneca crewmember Seaman Olivia Wentworth. “I’m excited to get underway.”
Over the course of the three-month dry-dock, the cutter crew closely monitored the completion of 113 work items, ranging from painting of the cutter’s hull to removing and replacing the shafts and propellers.
“Working with Colonna’s Shipyard has been great,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Jeremiah Manbeck, a Seneca crewmember. “They were easy to communicate with and went above and beyond to help us out.”
This dry-dock, the cutter’s first in five years, was critical to maintaining the aging cutter. The Seneca was commissioned in 1987 and will likely remain in the Coast Guard fleet until at least the year 2027.
After completion of sea trials and underway training, the Seneca will return to homeport in Boston. The cutter has a crew of 101 active duty personnel who carry out homeland security, search and rescue, and law enforcement missions throughout the western hemisphere.
