USCGC Elm (WLB-204) is a Juniper-class seagoing buoy tender operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, homeported in Astoria, Oregon. Launched on January 24, 1998, by Marinette Marine Corporation in Wisconsin, she represents the fourth of fourteen vessels in her class. Originally costing approximately $26 million, Elm features a welded steel hull measuring 225 feet (69 meters) in length with a beam of 46 feet (14 meters). She is designed for both navigation aid maintenance and light icebreaking, capable of sailing through 14-inch (36 cm) thick ice at three knots. Her propulsion system includes two Caterpillar 3608 Diesel engines, each producing 3,100 shp, driving a single variable-pitch propeller that enables her to reach a sustained speed of 15 knots. The vessel's fuel capacity consists of thirteen tanks holding 74,498 gallons, providing an unrefueled range of 6,000 miles at 12 knots. Elm is equipped with electric thrusters at the bow and stern, forming part of a dynamic positioning system that maintains her position within five meters in challenging weather conditions—up to 30 knots of wind and 8-foot seas—facilitating precise buoy maintenance operations. Her deck features a 60-foot (18 meters) crane capable of lifting 40,000 pounds (18,000 kg) onto a buoy deck of 2,875 square feet. The ship's design enables her to handle and service navigational aids efficiently, with the ability to lift and deploy buoys and equipment as required. Throughout her service, Elm has performed a diverse array of missions, including maintenance of 250 buoys along the U.S. East Coast from New Jersey to the Carolinas, search and rescue operations such as extinguishing a fire aboard the scallop vessel Captain O. J. Riggs in 2009, and participating in oil spill response efforts in the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010, where she skimmmed over 500,000 gallons of oil. Elm has also engaged in law enforcement, notably repatriating Cubans attempting to reach the U.S. in 2007, and has served as an icebreaker in the Hudson River and Chesapeake Bay. She participated in Fleet Week at Port Everglades in 2006 and has supported NOAA's efforts in maintaining weather buoys across multiple regions. After a major overhaul starting in January 2018 at Baltimore, Elm was repositioned in July 2019 to her current homeport in Astoria, Oregon, where she now maintains aids to navigation along the coasts of Oregon and Washington, including the Columbia River.

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