Coast Guard Cutter Decisive to visit GulfQuest

It’s a celebration of 100 years of distinguished aviation service in the making – the Coast Guard Aviation Centennial! In conjunction with the Mobile celebration of the 100-year anniversary of U.S. Coast Guard Aviation, three U.S. Coast Guard ships will visit the Port City, one of which will be docked at GulfQuest/National Maritime Museum for public tours. The Decisive, a 210-foot medium endurance cutter, will arrive at GulfQuest on October 27. The vessel will be open for tours on October 28 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on October 29 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., during which time the ship’s crew will showcase many areas onboard, including the pilothouse, the forecastle with its large deck gun, the main living quarters, the dining facility and the fantail. The crew also plans to showcase the ship's on-board helicopter and high-speed boats, which they use to disable drug traffickers on the open water. The Decisive is known for executing the first seizure of a Soviet trawler for violating the newly-established 200-mile marine resource zone, seizing the F/V CONE, a Colombian fishing boat that was smuggling over 100 bales of marijuana with a street value of $31 million, assisting in recovery efforts following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and, most recently, playing a significant role in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, the largest oil spill in American history. “This is a great opportunity for the City of Mobile,” GulfQuest Executive Director Tony Zodrow said. “We have more than 900 active duty Coast Guard personnel, and many retired personnel who call the Port City home. Mobile is a “Coast Guard City”, so sponsoring the Decisive at GulfQuest and offering tours will help bring that title to life for our residents and visitors.” Zodrow added that the Coast Guard Cutter’s visit is a perfect complement to the GulfQuest exhibit titled "Take the Helm," a boat pilot simulator that allows visitors to captain one of six different vessels, including a Coast Guard Contender. “Part of our mission at GulfQuest is to provide experiences that bring visitors closer to the real maritime world. We do that with our interactive exhibits, but having a real vessel here for visitors to explore expands our mission that much more,” Zodrow said. The ship will depart October 30. Visit GulfQuest.org for more information.