From Protecting America’s Ports to Supporting America’s Veterans
Some boats are built for a mission. A select few become part of history. CG 255001 is one of those boats.
In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the United States faced an urgent need to strengthen security across America’s ports and waterways. The U.S. Coast Guard moved quickly to establish a new fleet of high-speed Response Boat–Homeland Security (RB-HS) vessels to help protect the nation’s maritime infrastructure.
A young company at the time, SAFE Boats answered that call. Selected to design and build the first 100 Response Boat–Homeland Security vessels, SAFE Boats helped strengthen security across America’s 361 commercial ports during one of the most significant homeland security mobilizations in modern history.
The RB-HS program marked a defining moment in SAFE Boats’ history, establishing the company as a trusted builder of mission-critical vessels for the U.S. Coast Guard and federal agencies.
CG 255001 was the very first vessel completed under the RB-HS program. More than just the first hull, it represented the beginning of a new chapter for SAFE Boats and laid the foundation for what would later evolve into the U.S. Coast Guard’s highly successful Response Boat–Small (RB-S) fleet.
Now, 25 years later, CG 255001 is embarking on an entirely different mission.
SAFE Boats is proud to sponsor Veterans Against Suicide and support the organization’s Freedom Fighter: The Great American Loop Project—a national awareness mission dedicated to veteran suicide prevention.
Refit and returned to service, CG 255001, now sailing under the name Freedom Fighter, will race the nearly 6,000-mile America’s Great Loop with a three-person crew in pursuit of the world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the route.
But the true mission reaches far beyond the finish line.
Every mile traveled is intended to raise awareness of veteran suicide prevention, honor the lives of those we’ve lost, and help connect veterans and their families with education, advocacy, and access to mental health resources. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, 6,398 veterans died by suicide in 2023—an average of approximately 17.5 veterans each day. Every mile of the journey is a reminder that every one of those lives mattered, and every mile is a call to action to prevent further loss.
The timing is especially meaningful.
As SAFE Boats celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026, the company is reflecting not only on the boats it has built, but on the people who have made that work possible. Twenty percent of SAFE Boats’ employee-owners are military veterans whose leadership, experience, and commitment to service continue to shape the company’s culture every day.
Supporting Veterans Against Suicide is more than a sponsorship—it is an extension of the values that have defined SAFE Boats for three decades. To help advance the organization’s mission, SAFE Boats has pledged to match donations up to $20,000, doubling the impact of every dollar contributed by our customers, partners, employee-owners, and friends.
Freedom Fighter represents something larger than a record attempt. She represents resilience, second chances, and the belief that service does not end when the uniform comes off. For SAFE Boats, it is a privilege to help this historic vessel continue serving our nation in an entirely new way.
CG 255001 once answered America’s call to help protect our ports.
Today, she answers another call. Not to defend our shores, but to stand beside the men and women who once defended us.
Join us in supporting Freedom Fighter as she takes on America’s Great Loop in pursuit of a world record and a mission far greater than miles or speed: raising awareness, inspiring action, and helping save the lives of our nation’s veterans.
SAFE Boats has pledged to match donations up to $20,000 in support of Veterans Against Suicide. Together, we can amplify this mission, honor those we’ve lost, and remind every veteran that they are valued, they are needed, and they are never alone.
The mission has changed. The purpose has not. Service to others remains at the heart of CG 255001—and at the heart of SAFE Boats.
Veterans in crisis, or anyone concerned about a veteran, can contact the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1, or by texting 838255.
