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U.S. Coast Guard Air-Sea-Rescue Cutters (WAVR)

Most recent update: August 27, 2011.

By arrangement with the Navy, 71 Air-class cutters were delivered directly to the Coast Guard, modified for service as air-sea-rescue boats.  These were SC 497-class wooden sub chasers, 111 feet long and 135 tons displacement, mostly built by yacht yards.  As it turned out, few actually saw any service, which explains the lack of information on what happened to them.  If anyone can add to the table below, please send your info to timcolton@aol.com

SC # WAVR # Name Shipbuilder Location Delivery Disposition
453 411 Air Avocet Fisher Boatworks Detroit MI 12-Aug-41 Prototype, to Haiti 1947 as 16 Aout 1946, sold 1957
499 412 Air Brandt Fisher Boatworks Detroit MI 18-Mar-42 Fate unknown
511 413 Air Cardinal American Cruiser Detroit MI 29-Jun-42 Fate unknown
512 414 Air Condor American Cruiser Detroit MI 10-Jul-42 Fate unknown
536 415 Air Cormorant Petersen, Julius Nyack NY 23-Apr-42 Sold 1951 as Moonlight Maid, active?
539 416 Air Crow Petersen, Julius Nyack NY 30-May-42 Sold 1948 as Linda, fate unknown
540 417 Air Curlew Robinson Marine Const. Benton Harbor MI 22-Apr-42 Sold 1952 as Barbara Jo, Savitar 1958, fate unknown
541 418 Air Drake Robinson Marine Const. Benton Harbor MI 6-May-42 Fate unknown
635 419 Air Eider Mathis Yacht Building Camden NJ 23-Oct-42 Sold 1945 as Yank, Bronx Queen 1958, sank 1989
642 420 Air Egret Petersen, Julius Nyack NY 4-Aug-42 Fate unknown
653 421 Air Falcon Petersen, Julius Nyack NY 8-Jul-42 Fate unknown
656 422 Air Finch Snow Shipyards Rockland ME 11-Aug-42 Fate unknown
659 423 Air Gannet American Cruiser Wilmington DE 7-Oct-42 Burnt 1963
662 424 Air Goose Fisher Boatworks Detroit MI 10-Jun-42 Fate unknown
670 425 Air Grayleg Inland Waterways Duluth MN 2-Sep-42 Fate unknown
672 426 Air Grebe Knutson SB Halesite NY 22-Jun-42 Fate unknown
682 428 Air Hawk American Cruiser Wilmington DE 9-Nov-42 Fate unknown
684 429 Air Heron American Cruiser Wilmington DE 21-Nov-42 Fate unknown
710 430 Air Ibis Dooley's Basin & DD Fort Lauderdale FL 7-Nov-42 Fate unknown
711 431 Air Jay Dooley's Basin & DD Fort Lauderdale FL 2-Jan-43 Fate unknown
714 432 Air Kestrel Fisher Boatworks Detroit MI 20-Nov-42 Fate unknown
715 433 Air Killdeer Fisher Boatworks Detroit MI 4-Dec-42 Sold 1946 as Cape Pine, active
717 434 Air Lapwing Fisher Boatworks Detroit MI 14-May-43 Fate unknown
753 435 Air Linnet Robinson Marine Const. Benton Harbor MI 14-Apr-43 Fate unknown
758 436 Air Loon Robinson Marine Const. Benton Harbor MI 14-Sep-43 Fate unknown
772 437 Air Mallard Peyton Co. Newport Beach CA 15-Apr-43 Sold 1947 as Lady Goodiver, now B&B in Scapoose OR
775 438 Air Martin Peyton Co. Newport Beach CA 30-Jul-43 Fate unknown
985 439 Air Merlin John E. Matton Cohoes NY 19-Dec-42 Fate unknown
987 440 Air Oriole John E. Matton Cohoes NY 7-Jun-43 Later fishing vessel Empress, Lillian B, CTL 1976
988 441 Air Owl John E. Matton Cohoes NY 14-Jul-43 Fate unknown
989 442 Air Parakeet John E. Matton Cohoes NY 2-Aug-43 Fate unknown
996 443 Air Parrot Island Dock Kingston NY 6-Nov-42 Fate unknown
1003 444 Air Partridge Fellows & Stewart Wilmington CA 24-Dec-42 Fate unknown
1004 445 Air Peacock Fellows & Stewart Wilmington CA 21-Jan-43 Fate unknown
1009 446 Air Pelican Fellows & Stewart Wilmington CA 25-Jun-43 Fate unknown
1010 447 Air Penguin Fellows & Stewart Wilmington CA 15-Jul-43 Fate unknown
1013 448 Air Petrel Luders Marine Stamford CT 21-Sep-42 Sold 1947 as Mount Independence, sanl 2005
1015 449 Air Pheasant Luders Marine Stamford CT 20-Oct-42 Fate unknown
1016 450 Air Phoebe Luders Marine Stamford CT 15-Dec-42 Fate unknown
1017 451 Air Pigeon Luders Marine Stamford CT 29-Dec-42 Fate unknown
1022 452 Air Piper Luders Marine Stamford CT 9-Jun-43 Sold 1947
1023 453 Air Plover Mathis Yacht Building Camden NJ 18-Dec-42 Fate unknown
1027 454 Air Puffin Mathis Yacht Building Camden NJ 2-Feb-43 Fate unknown
1028 455 Air Quail Mathis Yacht Building Camden NJ 27-Mar-43 Fate unknown
1032 456 Air Raven Peterson BW Sturgeon Bay WI 18-Feb-43 Sold 1952 as Sheila, wrecked 1963
1033 457 Air Redwing Peterson BW Sturgeon Bay WI 5-Apr-43 Sold 1950 as Hunter, wrecked 1962
1037 458 Air Robin Peterson BW Sturgeon Bay WI 7-Jul-43 Sold 1947 as Robin
1038 459 Air Rook Peterson BW Sturgeon Bay WI 16-Jul-43 Sold 1948 as Rande A
1054 460 Air Ruff Wilmington BW Wilmington CA 6-Apr-43 Fate unknown
1055 461 Air Sheldrake Wilmington BW Wilmington CA 10-May-43 Fate unknown
1062 462 Air Shrike Harris & Parsons East Greenwich RI 27-Feb-43 Sold 1948
1063 463 Air Skimmer Victory SB Holland MI 13-Feb-43 Fate unknown
1064 464 Air Skylark Victory SB Holland MI 4-May-43 Fate unknown
1068 465 Air Snipe Mathis Yacht Building Camden NJ 13-Apr-43 Sold 1948
1069 466 Air Sparrow Mathis Yacht Building Camden NJ 26-Apr-43 Fate unknown
1070 467 Air Starling Mathis Yacht Building Camden NJ 24-May-43 Fate unknown
1296 468 Air Stork W. A. Robinson Ipswich MA 16-Sep-43 Fate unknown
1297 469 Air Swallow W. A. Robinson Ipswich MA 8-Oct-43 Sold 1948
1307 470 Air swan Daytona Beach BW Daytona Beach FL 2-Oct-43 Fate unknown
1329 471 Air swift Simms Bros. Dorchester MA 8-May-43 Sold 1947 as Elmar, samk 1979
1347 472 Air Tanager Fisher Boatworks Detroit MI 3-Sep-43 Fate unknown
1348 473 Air Teal Fisher Boatworks Detroit MI 1-Oct-43 Fate unknown
1355 474 Air Tern Luders Marine Stamford CT 10-Jul-43 Sold 1949 as Chief, Mount Independence 1981
1356 475 Air Thrush Luders Marine Stamford CT 18-Aug-43 Fate unknown
1357 476 Air Toucan Luders Marine Stamford CT 31-Aug-43 Fate unknown
1362 477 Air Warbler Peyton Co. Newport Beach CA 6-Sep-43 Fate unknown
1367 478 Air Waxwing Wilmington BW Wilmington CA 10-Sep-43 Fate unknown
1369 479 Air Willet Wilmington BW Wilmington CA 12-Nov-43 Fate unknown
1373 480 Air Wren Fellows & Stewart Wilmington CA 1-Nov-43 Fate unknown
1339 481 Air Scaup Knutson SB Halesite NY 8-Nov-43 Fate unknown
1340 482 Air Scoter Knutson SB Halesite NY 4-Dec-43 Fate unknown