The Mecosta (YTB-818) was a United States Navy Natick-class large harbor tug, named after Mecosta, Michigan. Constructed by Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wisconsin, her construction contract was awarded on August 9, 1971. She was laid down on August 16, 1972, and launched on March 26, 1973, with a construction cost of approximately $800,000. Designed as a substantial harbor tug, Mecosta was built to assist naval vessels within port and harbor environments. Throughout her service, Mecosta's last known assignment was at Naval Station Adak. A notable incident occurred in March 1975 when she was operating in the Bering Sea near Atka with 28 crew members aboard. During a storm, she lost power and was at risk of drifting ashore. The USS Campbell, a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, responded to her distress call, steaming 400 miles in 20 hours to provide assistance. Campbell found Mecosta attended by another Navy tug, which had failed to tow her. Using heavier towing lines, Campbell successfully towed Mecosta to safety at Adak, arriving on March 27, 1975. Mecosta was officially stricken from the Navy List on March 28, 2003, and in 2004, she was transferred to the Local Redevelopment Authority of Adak. For years thereafter, she remained moored at the former Naval Station. In December 2015, Mecosta, along with her sister ship Redwing, broke free from moorings during a storm. Redwing sank in the harbor, while Mecosta ran aground on tidelands. Due to financial constraints faced by her owner, no salvage or recovery efforts were undertaken, and by early 2017, Mecosta had capsized and was lying on her port side in the mud. Overall, Mecosta served as a functional harbor tug with a notable rescue operation in her history, and her later years reflect the challenges faced by aging maritime assets.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.