Downtown - Waterfront in Duluth in Saint Louis County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

USCGC Sundew (WLB 404)

Seagoing Buoy Tender

— Stationed in Duluth, MN — 1981-2004 —

USCGC Sundew (WLB 404) Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 25, 2024

1. USCGC Sundew (WLB 404) Marker

Inscription.
— Class and Type - Iris (C-Class)
— Displacement - 1025 long tons
— Length - 180 feet
— Beam - 37 feet
— Propulsion - 2 x Diesel Electric Engines
— Speed - 13 knots (15 mph)
— Range - 8000 nautical miles
— Armament - Wartime: 20 mm guns
— Builder - Marine Iron and Shipbuilding, Duluth, MN
— Original Cost - $861,589
— Laid Down - November 29, 1943
— Launched - February 8, 1944
— Commissioned - August 24, 1944
— Decommissioned - May 27, 2004
— Sold to private interests in 2009

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is February 8, 1944.

Location. 46° 46.593′ N, 92° 6.279′ W. Marker is in Duluth, Minnesota, in Saint Louis County. It is in Downtown - Waterfront. It can be reached from South 8th Avenue West (Pier B Drive) just south of West Railroad Street, on the right when traveling south. The USCGC Sundew is docked on the south side of Pier B, across from the Pier B Resort parking lot, and the marker is located along the pier walkway near the front of the vessel. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 800 West Railroad Street, Duluth MN 55802, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region

and in the Iron Range.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Great North Woods,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

Rupert’s Land,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Historic Slip No. 1 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bayfront Festival Park (approx.

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0.2 miles away); Albert Woolson (approx. 0.3 miles away); Duluth Union Depot (approx. 0.3 miles away); Priley Fountain / Duluth Civic Center (approx. half a mile away); Daniel De Gresolon, Sieur Du Lhut (approx. 0.6 miles away); Illumination History of the Aerial Lift Bridge (approx. 0.6 miles away); Fountain of the Wind (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Duluth.

Also see . . . USCGC Sundew (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: An Iris, or C-class tender, it was built by Marine Iron and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth, Minnesota. Sundew's preliminary design was completed by the United States Lighthouse Service and the final design was produced by Marine Iron and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth for the U.S. Coast Guard.
Sundew is one of 39 original 180-foot seagoing buoy tenders built between 1942-1944. All but one of the original tenders, USCGC Ironwood, were built in Duluth. Like all of these tenders, Sundew was named after a plant, in this case the sundew, a carnivorous plant from
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 25, 2024

2. USCGC Sundew (WLB 404) Marker
The marker is located on the pier walkway, near the front end of the docked vessel.
the genus Drosera.
In 1958, Sundew was assigned to Charlevoix, Michigan, and the following November helped in the rescue of two survivors from the Carl D. Bradley when it sank in a storm on Lake Michigan 47 miles west-northwest of Charlevoix. Sundew remained at Charlevoix until 1981, when she was replaced by USCGC Mesquite. Sundew was then moved to Duluth, Minnesota, where it served until it was retired in 2004.
Sundew served 60 years for the Coast Guard and was decommissioned and retired on 27 May 2004. As part of the decommissioning, the vessel was given to the city of Duluth, its last home port, to be used as a museum ship. The services provided by the Sundew were taken up by USCGC Alder.

(Submitted on February 22, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

USCGC Sundew (WLB 404) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 25, 2024

3. USCGC Sundew (WLB 404)

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 25, 2024

4. USCGC Sundew (WLB 404)

The marker is on the right side.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 20, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 336 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.