U.S. Coast Guard officials said the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter William Hart has returned to Honolulu after its 48-day patrol in the Pacific Ocean.
The William Hart left Coast Guard Base Honolulu in January and traveled more than 7,000 nautical miles, making ports of call in Apia, Samoa, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Pago Pago, American Samoa, Nuku’alofa, Tonga, and Kiritimati, Kiribati. The cutter was patrolling Pacific waters as part of Coast Guard Oceania District’s Operation Blue Pacific in Oceania to bolster maritime security and sovereignty, while countering illicit maritime activities and transnational criminal organizations.
“This historic patrol advanced critical partnerships with Pacific Island nations, protecting valuable marine resources and strengthening U.S. Coast Guard presence throughout Oceania,” Lt. Cmdr. Jason Helsabeck, commanding officer of the William Hart. “Our crew’s dedication to these partnerships ensures a more secure and prosperous future for the region. I am deeply proud of the crew’s unsurpassed professionalism, relentless commitment to securing our maritime borders, and the positive impact we’ve made alongside our trusted partners. We look forward to future deployments in Oceania.”
The William Hart crew exercised partnerships with Samoa and Cook Islands, and with the Pacific Island enforcement officers conducted eight boardings of fishing vessels. The crew also conducted one additional boarding of a foreign fishing vessel on the high seas to support the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission to crack down on illegal fishing practices throughout Oceania. The crew worked with Coast Guard Sector Honolulu board team personnel and conducted a total of six boardings, including one cargo vessel, recreational boats and three passenger vessels in the vicinity of Pago Pago.
William Hart is the third 154-foot Sentinel-class fast response cutter in Honolulu. The cutter’s primary missions are maritime law enforcement, search and rescue and national defense.