U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kukui arrived at the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, Maryland, on February 21, to begin its midlife maintenance availability (MMA) as part of the In-Service Vessel Sustainment (ISVS) Program.
Kukui is the third of 16 seagoing buoy tenders to undergo the mid life refit.
Work on the first tender, Coast Guard Cutter Oak, was completed on October 26, 2016.
During the MMA, seagoing buoy tenders get an overhaul of the deck equipment and weight handling gear, receive updates to the machinery control system and HVAC systems, and undergo topside preservation and a stability assessment.
Once Kukui leaves the yards, it will have a new crew and will be voyaging to a new homeport in Sitka, Alaska, instead of returning to its old homeport in Honolulu.
The 225-foot Juniper-class seagoing buoy tenders entered service between 1996 and 2004. USCGC Kukui was commissioned on January 9, 1998.