World Photo by Jolene Guzman A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew buzzes by USCG ORCAS Tuesday afternoon as the ship's crew pulls the ship up to its dock in Coos Bay. ORCAS and its crew spent two and a half months in Ketchikan, Alaska, for repairs on the 110-foot cutter.

COOS BAY - The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter ORCAS crew had a bumpy ride home from Ketchikan, Alaska.

"It's a big trip for us," said Lt. Jimmy Terrell, the boat's captain. "We really didn't catch a break in the weather."

The ORCAS and crew members sailed for home Thursday after a two-and-half-month dry dock overhaul of the 110-foot cutter. They arrived in Coos Bay on Tuesday to a hero's welcome.

But to get here, they fought rough seas.

"With the distance and time away from home, these guys were itching to get home," Terrell said.

The crew couldn't rush too much in the face of two storms, stirring up big seas as they made their way back.

"You can only go so fast in 20-foot seas - without breaking the ship," Terrell said.

The cutter returned gleaming in the sunshine, despite the battering it took on the way down. Family members and representatives of Point Man Ministries were at the ORCAS dock with flowers, balloons and flags to greet the returning coasties.

ORCAS and its crew left Coos Bay on Dec. 27 for Alaska to complete work that required the boat be out of water, including replacing the propellers, engines and painting the superstructure. The overhaul cost $500,000. ORCAS has been stationed in Coos Bay since 1989. It is a multiple-mission vessel, focusing on monitoring fisheries, search and rescue and homeland security.

Crew members spent their time in Alaska working on the ship and painting.

"It was a regular work day for us," Terrell said.

Crew members with families were allowed to come back home once on leave during the ship's overhaul. Trista Dinjian said her husband, Seaman Jesse Dinjian, came home in February to see her and their two daughters. Other than that week, this was the longest the young family had been apart.

"It was two long months before I got to see him," she said. "We are just very happy and very proud of him."

This trip isn't the last the ship will see this year. In August, the cutter is scheduled go to Baltimore for more retrofitting and replacing other equipment, such as generators.

"They will basically ice-cream scoop the whole thing out," Terrell said.