In One Ear: Alert on the move

According to a June 24 press release from the U.S. Coast Guard, the 210-foot cutter Alert (pictured), commissioned in 1969 — a familiar sight in town, after being homeported in Astoria for 30 years — arrived at its new home port, Cape Canaveral, Florida, on June 10, where it is replacing the cutter Confidence.

The move involved a 30-day, 6,000-mile journey that included crossing the equator, passing through the Panama Canal and even responding to search and rescue cases along the way. The Alert’s other missions include law enforcement, maritime defense and protecting the marine environment.

“This is not the first time Alert has shifted home port,” Cmdr. Lee Crusius, Alert’s commanding officer, said. “Prior to her time in Astoria, Alert was homeported on the East Coast in Cape May, New Jersey.

“In many senses, Alert is returning to her home, where she will continue to perform the vital missions demanded of the Coast Guard cutter fleet by our partner nations and the American people.”