The Cartigan was built by American Brown Boveri; Electric Corp., Camden, N.J. at a cost of $90,000. It was commissioned on March 3, 1927, and was decommissioned on October 12, 1968. It had a displacement of 232 tons, propulsion, and 2x6 cylinder, 300 HP engines. Its length was 125 feet, beam; 23 feet 6 inches, draft; 7 feet, 6 inches, complement, with 3 officers and 17 men. (Armament 1x3 11/27. 1927.)

This class of vessels was one of the most useful and long lasting in Coast Guard service. It was designed for trailing the "mother ship" along the outer line of patrol during prohibition. It gained a reputation for durability that was only enhanced by their reengining in the late 1930s. Their original 6-cylinder diesels were replaced by significantly more powerful 8-cylinder units that used the original engine beds and gave the vessels three additional knots. It was also active in World War II.

In September 1931 she was sent to Harbor Beach, Michigan, and remained there for 10 years. She also served eastern seaboard in World War II. She was in storage in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1946 to 1947 due to lack of personnel, in 1947-50 at New York; 1950-53 Galveston, Texas; and Panama City, Florida, in 1953-68.

In 1968, she was decommissioned a final time, October 12, 1968, and was sold April 9, 1969, to Nicholas Mitchell, of Brooklyn, New York, for $26,129.

No doubt there are many stories that could be told about the Cartigan and the crew while stationed here in Harbor Beach. If my memory is correct, one of the men (at least) married a local girl, and they had a football team that played a Harbor Beach football team.