1927 USCG Cutter McLane Sold For Scrap By USS Silversides Submarine Museum

The USS Silversides Submarine Museum has decided to tow away and scrap the 1927 U.S Coast Guard Cutter McLane, which has been a part of its exhibits for over 3 decades, moored at Muskegon Harbour since 1993.

The decision came after the museum announced that the deterioration of the ship made efforts towards its conservation unfeasible.

The 38 m active-class patrol cutter was named after Louis McLane, who was appointed the U.S Secretary of State in 1833.

McLane was tasked with patrolling the waters of Alaska and the Bering Strait during the Second World War.

It was decommissioned in 1968 and was given to the museum in 1993, where it was on display for the public.

Maintenance reasons and deterioration led to its closure for public touring since the spring of this year.

The museum said that it did explore alternative preservation options, but the coming winter, along with the ship’s structural decline, has made timely action necessary to ensure the safety of the vessel and the marine environment.

The vessel has been sold for scrap, and King Towing will tow it from the harbour while Pitsch Companies will handle the dismantling.

All the artefacts and interpretive materials aboard the vessel were removed for preservation. They will become a part of the museum’s collections.

Veronica Campbell, Executive Director of the USS Silversides Submarine Museum, said that the cutter had been a symbol of strength and service for decades. She expressed her gratitude to the community partners who helped the museum in saying goodbye to the vessel with respect and dignity.

After the departure of the McLane, the museum will focus on its main exhibit, the USS Silversides Submarine. A major part of the effort would be to raise sufficient funds to support the restoration of the Silversides.

The submarine was commissioned in 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor and completed 14 war patrols in the Pacific during WWII.

It was decommissioned in 1946 and became a stationary training vessel in Chicago until 1969. After retiring, she became a museum ship and moved to Navy Pier in 1979.

Source: Maritime Shipping News