The first was the 180 ft-class cutters, which were long. Thirty-nine of these vessels were built from 1942–1944. All but one were constructed in the shipyards of Duluth, Minnesota. The 180 fleet, many of which served for more than 50 years, all went through different mid-life modifications that essentially resulted in three different classes of ship. All of the 180s are now retired and have been replaced with the Juniper-class cutters. The last 180-foot cutter, , was decommissioned on 7 June 2006. Class A (Cactus) Class B (Mesquite) Class C (Iris) 225' – Juniper-class ships The Juniper class ships, launched in the late 1990s, are the second class of purpose-built Coast Guard seagoing buoy tenders. They are designed and operated as multi-mission platforms. While the 180s also performed other Coast Guard missions, they lacked the speed, communications, navigation and maneuverability of the new Junipers. Today, the Junipers conduct almost as much law enforcement as aid to navigation work; they are also outfitted to handle oil spill recovery, search and rescue, homeland security, and some ice breaking operations. The Juniper class uses Dynamic Positioning which allows maintenance of the vessel's position within a circle in winds of up to and waves of up to . See also USCG coastal buoy tender USCG inland buoy tender USCG inland construction tender USCGC Mackinaw (WLBB-30) - A single vessel outfitted similar to a Juniper but with an icebreaking hull. References Bibliography Ships of the United States Coast Guard Buoy Tender Auxiliary tender classes