Louisiana's Military Heritage:

     Vessels named USCGC OUACHITA

USCGC OUACHITA

Only one ship in the Coast Guard fleet has thus far had the honor to bear the name of OUACHITA, a tributary of the Red River in the northeastern part of the State of Louisiana.

OUACHITA (1960 ~ Present ):

USCGC OUACHITA (WLR-65501) is a 65-foot "A" class river buoy tender.  With her 130-foot barge, OUACHITA has the capacity to carry up to 80 buoys and 100 sinkers.  She is responsible for maintaining 354 lighted aids to navigation and dayboards and a total of 1,723 buoys along a 619-mile stretch of waterways.  Her areas of responsibility include the Tennessee River, the Clinch River, the Emory River, the Little River, the Hiwassee River, the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Sulpher Creek, Sod Creek, the Piney River, the Little Tennessee River, Bents Lake, and the Elk River.

USCGC OUACHITA (WLR-65501) moves down an inland

waterway maintaining aids to navigation.

Photo courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard.

As of this time, OUACHITA remains on active duty with the fleet and is homeported in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Ship's Statistics

Barge Statistics

Back To U.S. Coast Guard Vessels Page

All information on USCGC OUACHITA (WLR-65501) courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard.
Photos courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard unless otherwise noted.

**Copyright 1997-2006 by Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission**