Coast Guard Cutter Sycamore departed from the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, Maryland, April 14, following completion of its major maintenance availability (MMA). The MMA is one of several projects that comprise the In-Service Vessel Sustainment (ISVS) program to enhance mission capability, improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs of the service’s legacy cutter fleet.

Sycamore, which started undergoing the MMA work in March 2019, is the seventh of 16 225-foot seagoing buoy tenders to undergo this process through the ISVS Program. The work will keep the tenders in service another 15 years and includes topside preservation and updates to the machinery control system, HVAC systems, propellers, deck equipment and weight handling gear. The 225-foot Juniper-class seagoing buoy tenders were commissioned between 1996 and 2004; Sycamore entered service in 2002. Sycamore will be stationed in Newport, Rhode Island. U.S. Coast Guard photo.