The CGC Smilax was commissioned in 1944 as the 7th of 8 Inland Buoy Tenders. All but 1 of these cutters have been decommissioned. These ships performed AtoN work, inland construction, and SAR work (if needed). The Smilax was 100' long, had a crew of 14, and a top speed of 10.5 knots. The cutter was decommissioned in September of 1999. The patch shows the cutter and barge with a lighthouse and sun rise(set?) in the background. The mermaid w/ the rose is to commermorate the CGC Primrose, which had been decommissioned prior to the Smilax.