U.S. Coast Guard Deploys 33-Foot Autonomous Sailboats Powered by Wind, Sun, and Batteries in the Great Lakes for Search & Rescue Missions, Illegal Fishing Intelligence, and Border Control: They Can Run Continuously for Months Without a Crew

      Autonomous sailboats are now patrolling the Great Lakes looking for illegal fishing, providing border control, and at the ready for search and Rescue missions. These are 33-foot boats with 19-foot masts. Coast Guard vessels normally are required to refuel every three days, but these autonomous baits can operate for months without maintenance requiring humans. Two are operating in Lake Erie, two in Lake Superior, with plans to deploy one each in Lake Huron and Lake Ontario. Lake Michigan won’t get one since it doesn’t share a border with Canada.

     Primary propulsion for the boats is provided by wind and solar power. The battery-powered onboard electric motor is secondary and used for specific maneuvering when it is needed. These boats provide a much lower-cost alternative to traditional manned marine diesel-fueled boats.

     The company Saildrone is providing the boats. They are also working with the U.S. Navy to develop an armed version of the boats. They currently have 70 of these boats deployed around the world, including deployments in the Middle East, the Pacific, and the Arabian Gulf.

     The uncrewed sailboats are equipped with radar, cameras, and collision-avoidance technology.

     Saildrone has other offerings that detect submarines and can effectively conduct anti-submarine warfare. These are equipped with sonar and other submarine surveillance methods. They have stealthier boats as well that can reach higher speeds and are less detectable. Other versions of these sea-drones can map the ocean depths, perform coastal mapping ops, and perform environmental sensing. Some can be used for anti-narcotics trafficking ops, undersea cable surveying, hurricane monitoring, and maritime migration management as well. They are shown below.

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Forget aerial drones — the Coast Guard’s new Lake Erie vessels are 33-foot autonomous sailboats. Today in Ohio, cleveland.com. Cleveland Plain Dealer. May 11, 2026. Forget aerial drones — the Coast Guard’s new Lake Erie vessels are 33-foot autonomous sailboats

U.S. Coast Guard now using drones to safeguard Lake Erie. Cleveland.com. May 8, 2026. U.S. Coast Guard now using drones to safeguard Lake Erie - cleveland.com

Introducing Saildrone Spectre. Saildrone. (Website) Saildrone: Detect. Deter. Dominate.