USCGC Cape Darby was a 95-foot (29 m) type "C" Cape-class cutter constructed at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland in 1958 for use as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat.

[2] The Cape-class cutter was designed originally for use as a shallow-draft anti-submarine warfare (ASW) craft and was needed because of the increased tension brought about by the Cold War.

[7][8] Cape Darby was initially assigned a homeport at Provincetown, Massachusetts where she was used for law enforcement and search and rescue (SAR) missions.

On 5 January 1967 Cape Darby towed a disabled small craft carrying four Cubans to Key West.

[1] Cape Darby and her crew earned the Navy Expeditionary Medal for operations relating to the Cuban refugee exodus from 3 January 1961 until 23 October 1962.