Wapakoneta (YTB-766)

Wapakoneta (YTB-766)
History
United States
Namesake	Wapakoneta, Ohio
Awarded	7 December 1961
Builder	Southern Shipbuilding Company, Slidell, Louisiana
Laid down	1 August 1962
Launched	11 June 1963
Acquired	25 July 1963
Stricken	16 April 2001
Identification	IMO number: 8980804
Fate	Sold 16 July 2001
General characteristics
Class and type	Natick-class large harbor tug
Displacement	283 long tons (288 t) (light) 356 long tons (362 t) (full)
Length	109 ft 0 in (33.22 m)
Beam	31 ft 0 in (9.45 m)
Draft	14 ft 0 in (4.27 m)
Installed power	2000 horsepower (1.5 MW)
Propulsion	one diesel engine, one screw
Speed	12 knots (14 mph; 22 km/h)
Complement	12

Wapakoneta (YTB-766) was a United States Navy Natick-class large harbor tug named for the city of Wapakoneta, Ohio.^[1]

Construction

The contract for Wapakoneta was awarded 7 December 1961. She was laid down on 1 August 1962 at Slidell, Louisiana, by Southern Shipbuilding Corporation and launched 11 June 1963.

Operational history

In October 1963, Wapakoneta was placed in service in the 5th Naval District at Norfolk, Virginia. She performed unglamorous, but vital, duties in those waters, providing tug and tow services, pilot assistance, and stand-by waterfront fire protection.

After more than 37 years of service at Norfolk Naval Base, Wapakoneta was stricken from the Navy Directory on 16 April 2001 and was sold on 16 July 2001.