1999 To 2011
As the majority of Acushnet's patrols became Alaska Patrols, in 1998 she moved to Ketchikan, Alaska where she was employed in law enforcement, fisheries, and search and rescue missions in Alaska. This considerably shortened her transit time to the Bering Sea.
On 23 February 2007 Acushnet was designated as the "oldest commissioned cutter" in the fleet following the decommissioning of USCGC Storis. She carries gold hull numbers to show this distinction, and the formal title of "Queen Of The Fleet". She was scheduled for decommissioning in late 2008. In March 2008 letters to the editor appeared in the Boston Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram calling for Boston and Portland to consider the Acushnet as a possible museum ship. The 2008 decommissioning was canceled and Acushnet continued to conduct patrols in Alaska until March 2011 when she was auctioned as surplus property by the GSA.
Read more about this topic: USCGC Acushnet (WMEC-167), Alaska/Bering Sea Patrol Service