'' to sink it after shelling it. Holes from the
Mk 38 25 mm chain gun are clearly visible on the bow of the derelict.
Petersburg The
Anacapa was homeported in Petersburg, Alaska for most of her career. She was commissioned there on January 13, 1990. She replaced
USCGC Cape Hatteras at that station.
Anacapas primary missions were law enforcement, including safety and fisheries laws, search and rescue, and maritime defense operations. The troller
Barbarella was seized 800 yards north of the border claimed by the U.S. on July 14, 1991. A 1990 agreement between the two countries reduced fishing conflicts when it became effective in 1992. Nonetheless, patrols of the disputed waters continued and on June 22, 1995
Anacapa seized the Canadian fishing vessel
Chi Dona 300 yards north of the border.
Anacapa also enforced fishing, safety, and other regulations on U.S.-flagged vessels. On August 11, 1993 a boarding party from
Anacapa removed 15 illegal immigrants working aboard the fish processing ship
Ocean Pride. She conducted routine safety inspections of vessels in her patrol area. In the summer of 2018, for instance, ''Anacapa's'' boardings found three vessels in violation of various regulations. ''Anacapa's
search and rescue missions frequently involved the sizable local fishing fleet. For example, on May 8, 1992 Anacapa
towed the fishing vessel Justy
back to Petersburg with a malfunctioning propeller shaft. The next day she towed the disabled fishing vessel Sirius
to Petersburg with a bad oil pump. In July 1996 Anacapa
rescued the four-man crew of the capsized fishing vessel Baranof Queen
. While assisting the local fishing fleet may have been the norm, Anacapa
participated in a wide range of search and rescue missions. For example, on January 20, 1990, a week after her commissioning, Anacapa
responded when the Canadian tanker Frank H. Brown
went aground in Wrangell Narrows and spilled 57,600 gallons of gasoline into the waterway. In December 2008 Anacapa'' sailed to the
Coast Guard Yard in
Curtis Bay, Maryland for a major renovation under the Mission Effectiveness Program. The renovation was intended to extend the service life of the cutter. Significant portions of corroded hull plating, air-conditioning, water makers, and fire systems were replaced, and a number of major systems, including main engine control, were upgraded. The cost of the upgrade was between $7 and $9 million. On May 31, 2011, Lieutenant Matthias Wholley was relieved of command of the
Anacapa six weeks ahead of schedule. On June 30, 2011, the Coast Guard announced that an investigation had confirmed Wholley had been intoxicated while on duty. Wholley received a letter of reprimand, 60-day restriction, and forfeiture of half months pay for two months. On April 5, 2012, the
Anacapa intercepted the derelict
Japanese squid
fishing boat Ryou-Un Maru in the Gulf of Alaska 180 miles (290 km) off the coast of Southeast Alaska. It had been washed away from its mooring in
Aomori Prefecture,
Japan by the March
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and had drifted, unmanned for more than a year across the
Pacific Ocean. The Coast Guard concluded that it was safer to sink it deep water rather than let it continue to drift and possibly become a hazard to navigation or the environment. The
Anacapa fired on the
ghost ship with her Mk 38 25mm autocannon, holing it and eventually sinking it with fire hoses in approximately 1,800-metre (6,000 ft) of water.
Port Angeles Anacapa left Petersburg for the last time on May 5, 2022. After a shipyard repair period in
Ketchikan, she sailed to Port Angeles, Washington to replace her sister ship
USCGC Cuttyhunk, which had suffered irreparable hull damage.
Anacapa was re-engined with
Cuttyhunks recently overhauled motors at that time. In August 2022,
Anacapa rescued three people from a disabled sailboat and towed the vessel overnight.
Anacapa was the Coast Guard cutter sent to the scene.
Anacapa cordoned off the area around the grounded ferry and helped evacuate some 600 passengers. ==Decommissioning==