USN Patrol Boat

USN Patrol Boat. PB MK3. The vessel in front of you is a United States Navy Mark III Patrol Boat. Developed in the mid-1970's, it was designed to be a special operations boat for U.S. Navy Seals. It was also designed as a high speed weapons platform for the Naval Inshore Warfare forces. The MK3's flexible payload allowed this boat to adapt to a variety of missions in harbors, deep rivers, coastal or open sea environments. Typical missions included patrol, interdiction, surveillance and fire support against afloat and onshore targets. This boat's first service was patrolling the Panama Canal, owned by the United States from 1904-1999. Later, it saw action in the Granada conflict (1983) and served in immigration intervention between Haiti and the Florida Coast, Puerto Rico, and drug intervention on the east coast working with the U.S. Coast Guard. , Commissioned in 1977, the boat exhibited here carries the U.S. Navy Designation No. 65 PB 759. This stands for Patrol Boat 65 feet in length funded in 1975 and ninth boat built during that funding. The vessel's main deck contains five compartments located bow to stern: 1. forepeak void compartment 2. crew quarters (4 bunks/ lockers) 3. crew's mess (eating area) 4. officers quarters (2 bunks/lockers) 5. galley (kitchen) and WC (shower). The superstructure features: Pilot House (helm/Nav. Equip.) with mast and radar located atop. After restoration, this boat was brought to Mobile for its shakedown cruise. , Patrol Boat (65 PB 759) is on loan from Salamander Industries of Mobile, AL (L2014.003) , General PB MK3 Statistics , Manufacturer: Peterson Boat Works-Sturgeon Bay, WI. , Displacement: 82,000 lbs. (light and full load) , Length: 64'-10 3/4" , Height: 18'-6 1/2" (exclusive of masts, antenna, etc.) , Draft: 5.5' , Propulsion: (3) GM 8V71T1 diesel engines @ 650 HP , Speed: 26 knots , Range: 450n. miles (full speed)/2000n. miles (slow speed) , Crew: (5)-1 Officer and 4 Enlisted , Total Fuel Capacity: 1,800 gal. , Construction: aluminum hull V-bottom , Years in operation: 1969-mid 1990s., Weapons (Guns) , Model - Cal - Eff. Range , Revolver - .38 SP - 55 yards , M14 - 7.62 - 500 yards , M16 - 5.56 - 500 yards , Shotgun - 12 Ga. - 45 yards , MG, M2HB - .50 - 2250 yards , MG, M60 - 7.62 - 1203 yards , MG, MK16 - 20MM - 3222 yards , M79/203 - 20MM - 382 yards , MG,MK19 - 40MM - 1850 meters , MK3-9 - 40MM - 5126 yards , MK4-0 - 60MM - 1950 yards , MK2--1 - 81MM - 2800 yards, Did You Know? , Mark III patrol boats belong to a class of USN small craft called swift boats. Introduced late in the Vietnam conflict (1969), they were designed to patrol the intricate, internal and inter-coastal waterways of Vietnam. The PB MK3 is a modified and larger version of the PB MK2., Captions , Upper Left: Port bow view of a PB Mark III patrol boat testing its MK3-9 40MM gun while underway, April 10, 1989. , (National Archives photo #DNSN9001845 Records Group 330: Office of Secretary of Defense)