Two journeys began on opposite shores. Separate beginnings, different waters — yet destined to converge. When they finally did, something powerful was created: an unbreakable bond between vessel, crew, and community.
Origins
Built to Chase Rum Runners
In 1931, the U.S. Coast Guard commissioned CG-402 at Southern Shipyards in Newport News, Virginia — one of six sister ships purpose-built to enforce Prohibition on American waterways. Armed with a .50-caliber machine gun and a one-pound deck gun, and powered by twin Sterling Viking II 8-cylinder gasoline engines producing 1,130 shaft horsepower, she was more than a match for any bootlegger on the Upper Long Island Sound or Chesapeake Bay.
Prohibition ended in 1933, but her service continued. In June 1937, all six sisters were transferred to the Pacific Coast. CG-402 was assigned to Tacoma, where she quickly earned a reputation as the fastest ship in the harbor.
CG-402, c. 1931
CG-400 on patrol
CG-400 on patrol
Loaded on freighter for shipment to the West Coast, 1937
The crew on arrival in Tacoma
World War II
Renumbered, Reassigned, and Redeployed
When the United States entered WWII in 1942, CG-402’s peaceful Tacoma assignment abruptly ended. Renumbered CG-78302 and equipped with depth charge racks, she was redeployed as an offshore patrol vessel covering the waters between Port Angeles and the Columbia River. She patrolled Elliott Bay and the Strait of Juan de Fuca throughout the war years.
When the armistice came, the Coast Guard decommissioned her and placed her on the war surplus market. On July 17, 1946, the Mount Rainier Council (now Pacific Harbors Council, Boy Scouts of America) purchased her for the sum of ten dollars.
She was rechristened Charles N. Curtis in honor of the Chief Scout Executive who assisted with the acquisition, and assigned to Sea Scout Ship 110.
CG-78302 on patrol, 1942
On patrol in Elliott Bay, 1944
Charles N. Curtis and Lawrence Berglund
“This is not just the story of a boat. It’s the story of generations. It’s about the youth who stepped aboard uncertain and stepped off transformed.”
From the history of Ship 110
Decades of Service
A Vessel Rebuilt by Belief
From the moment she passed into Scouting hands, the Curtis became a living project — continuously restored, rebuilt, and reimagined by the youth and volunteers of Ship 110. The gasoline engines came out and more efficient BUDA diesels went in (the originals donated to Tacoma’s fireboat, now on display along Ruston Way). Cabins were added, wheelhouses relocated, electronics modernized.
In 1983 she was certified as an inspected commercial vessel — one of the highest operating standards for a Scout craft in the country. Every decade brought new challenges and new crews who rose to meet them.
The Curtis in her original configuration, 1948
The Curtis in the Hylebos Waterway
Post-war years
1946
Purchased for $10 by Mount Rainier Council. Rechristened Charles N. Curtis. Gasoline engines replaced with BUDA diesels; originals donated to Tacoma fireboat.
The new BUDA engines
Engine control panel
The engine room
The bunks
Galley in forward quarters
Electrical transfer panel
1950s
BUDA engines replaced with GMC 6-71 engines. Western Boat replaced a great deal of planking and rum rails on the vessel.
The new GMC 6-71 engines
Cruising through the Narrows
1960
New aft cabin added in preparation for an Alaska voyage. Galley relocated from forward quarters, expanding crew living space.
Leaving for Alaska
The Curtis with new cabin
The flying bridge
The Steamin’ Demon — Ship 110 logo by Mike McLeod
1972
Original wheelhouse replaced — moved forward and raised for improved all-weather visibility. This wheelhouse remained until the vessel’s retirement.
Modern restoration era
1980
The Curtis off Blake Island.
Off Blake Island, 1980
1983
Certified as a Coast Guard inspected (commercial) vessel, requiring licensed operators — the highest operating standard for a Sea Scout unit.
1992
Major bow repair: lower six planks replaced, original fuel and water tanks replaced. A $10,000 grant matched by community fundraising led to the founding of the Youth Marine Foundation.
Repairs to stem and bow
After repairs at Cook’s Marine, 1992
2002
Propellers and rudders replaced. The donated propellers from Norton Clapp installed; original rudders were designed for high speed and lacked sufficient surface area for maneuvering.
Youth at work under the Curtis
2003
A shave and a haircut — hull cleaned and bottom painted.
Coming into dry dock, 2003
2004
Noticeable deterioration discovered on bow planks on both sides — steel screws identified as the cause. Repairs planned for 2005.
The crew at work, dry dock 2004
2005
On both port and starboard sides, the upper 12 planks including the chain plate were replaced at Sunn Fjord. Much of the early 1950s work had used steel fasteners; by rusting and expanding they had become a primary cause of deterioration.
Re-planking of the bow, 2005
2006
A barge broke loose in a winter storm and struck the Curtis. Seven planks replaced, many frames sistered, rub rail restored. Weight was shifted to starboard to maximize port freeboard before repairs could begin.
Barge damage — straightening broken frames
Frame repair work
2007–10
Three-year restoration of the 1960 wardroom and galley deckhouse. New toe rails, sliding doors, and windows added despite a difficult economic climate. Completed 2010.
2008
Continued restoration of the main cabin. Propellers and radar replaced.
Dry dock 2008
2009
A shave and a haircut — limited work due to the economic downturn.
Dry dock 2009
2010
Completed restoration of deck quarters. Commenced restoration of forward bulwarks and handrails.
Dry dock 2010
2011
Steering quadrant in the lazarette found in near-failure. Stern planks removed for access; old timbers removed and new ones added.
The steering quadrant
Both rudders and shafts removed
2012
Propeller shafts (26′ long, 2⅞″ diameter) removed and straightened. Cutlass bearings replaced. Waukesha generator replaced; starboard main engine rebuilt.
Removing shafts and cutlass bearings
The propeller shafts
2013–14
First dry dock in Port Townsend. Stern and lazarette quarters refurbished; watertight bulkhead and six butt blocks replaced. First significant upgrade to this area since the early 1990s.
Looking through the stern quarters into the lazarette
The old metal bulkhead
2014
Starboard rub rail and 10–15 planks replaced, many frames sistered. Cabin roof and wheelhouse roof replaced. Electronics overhauled.
Replacing planking on the starboard side
Replacement of the cabin overhead
The new cabin top
2015
Extensive replacement of planking and frames across the transom, including refurbished knee. Starboard rub rail and planking replaced simultaneously.
Removal and replacement of transom planking
Replacement of the starboard rub rail
2016
Planking replaced on the port side below the waterline, including a plank damaged when the vessel grounded in 1958. Multiple frames in the forward quarters replaced; garboard planks caulked port and starboard.
Replaced planking below the waterline, 2016
2017
Longitudinal and knee replaced in the engine room. Garboard plank and several planks on the starboard side replaced.
Replacing planking, 2017
A very cold and windy dry dock
2018
Extended four-week dry dock: major forward quarters overhaul. Deck hatch removed for access, bunks removed, engine room bulkhead replaced, frames and deck flooring renewed throughout.
Looking from the forward quarters into the engine room
The finished bulkhead
2019
A shave and a haircut — hull and bottom cleaned and painted.
Painting the hull, 2019
2020
Chain locker and forward head addressed for the first time in 30 years. Forward bulkhead removed for access; frames, structural floor beams, and collision bulkhead replaced. Difficult dry dock due to COVID.
Replacement of the forward head, collision bulkhead and chain locker, 2020
2021
Final dry dock — a shave and a haircut. A replacement vessel had been identified. The last Daffodil Parade. The last Opening Day.
The last dry dock
The last Daffodil Parade
The last Opening Day
Why She Had to Retire
The Curtis had been designed for a 10-year lifespan. She served for 92. But by the early 2020s, the economics of her continued operation had become insurmountable.
The 1950s GMC 6-71 engines had been rebuilt so many times they were no longer rebuildable — replacement with Tier 4 modern engines represented a $250,000 investment alone. Coast Guard regulations now prohibited the longstanding practice of sistering damaged frames, requiring full-frame replacement from keel to main deck. The planking, flooring, and frames around the shafts and struts needed comprehensive renewal.
A full restoration, assuming funding could be secured, was estimated at $750,000 or more with at least a year in dry dock — for a vessel that, even fully restored, would remain capacity-limited and unable to offer Scouts the technology of a modern training ship.
By 2025, new Coast Guard requirements made the Curtis obsolete as a licensed commercial vessel. Ship 110 sails forward in her memory.
“Every plank, every repair, every long cold day in dry dock was an act of belief — that she still had more to give. And she did.”
This is a tribute to every hand that held a tool, every leader who gave direction, every young person who found their way aboard.
Because of you, she didn’t just endure — she became a legacy.
Historical references
Rum War at Sea — Malcolm F. Willoughby, 1964 (pp. 90, 95, 133)
Guardians of the Sea — Robert Erwin Johnson, 1987 (p. 92)
U.S. Coast Guard Cutters & Craft of World War II — Robert L. Scheina, 1982 (p. 238)
Tacoma News Tribune