US Coast Guard Training Center
Public Affairs Officer
United States Coast Guard Training Ctr
Cape May, NJ 08204-5095
(609) 898-6922 Public Affairs
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/capemay/PublicAffairs/Tours.asp

For School/Scout/Veterans Groups Only

Once an island in Cape May Sound, this location is today the nation's only basic training center for Coast Guard enlisted personnel. Here the men and women of the Coast Guard learn their basic skills in saving lives, enforcing the law, and generally keeping our coasts safe.

Groups can arrange a Guided Tour, which may include specific buildings or getting a closer look at some of the ships. The best time to come is during graduation on Friday mornings, or during one of the five Sunset Parades held during the summer.

A tour on a graduation day begins at 10am with a movie, "Welcome to Boot Camp," and the "Year in Review of the Coast Guard." At 11am the 45-minute graduation ceremony can be seen.

The Tour takes visitors through the base, excluding areas where active training is in progress. Unless arrangements are made in advance, the buildings may not be entered, however, visitors get a good idea of what life is like on the base.

The five Coast Guard Cutters moored here are the highlights of the tour. Among them are the Hornbeam, a 180-foot buoy tender; the Maticicus, a 110-foot patrol boat; and the Vigorous, a 210-foot medium-endurance vessel used for search and rescue and law enforcement. One smaller vessel, a 47-foot motor life boat, is built to withstand the most severe weather conditions. Self-bailing, self-righting, and almost unsinkable, this boat has sailed into terrifying waters to save peoples' lives. Note: these vessels cannot be boarded, though arrangements may be possible if made in advance.