JUNIPER - THE NEW UNITED-STATES COAST GUARD BUOY TENDER

In early 1990, the U.S. Coast Guard embarked on a major program to rep lace its fifty-year-old seagoing buoy tender fleet by requesting propo sals for designs that would meet the Circular of Requirements (COR) fo r the replacement cutter. Subsequently, three shipyards were awarded c ontracts to develop contract designs and specifications for the vessel . On 28 january 1993, Marinette Marine Corporation (MMC) was awarded a contract for construction of the Juniper, the lead ship of the new cl ass of Coast Guard seagoing buoy tenders. From even a cursory examinat ion of the COR, while buoy tending remains the Juniper's primary missi on, she will serve as a multi-mission vessel capable of recovering spi lled oil, performing icebreaking, servicing fixed stations and other v essels with fuel, water and cargo, as well as conducting search and re scue and law enforcement operations. This paper lists the requirements and describes the resulting successful design that meets these requir ements and has been designated the Juniper class by the U.S. Coast Gua rd.