[5][7] Engine exhaust was ported through the transom rather than through a conventional stack and this permitted a 360 degree view from the bridge; a feature that was very useful in search and rescue work as well as a combat environment.

[8] The design specifications for Point Grey included a steel hull for durability and an aluminum superstructure and longitudinally framed construction was used to save weight.

[5][6][10][11] After delivery in 1961, Point Grey was assigned a homeport of Norfolk, Virginia, where she served as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat.

[5] At the request of the United States Navy, in April 1965, she was alerted for service in South Vietnam and assigned to Coast Guard Squadron One in support of Operation Market Time along with 16 other Point class cutters.

[12][13] While the crew completed overseas training and weapons qualifications at Coast Guard Island and Camp Parks, California, Point Grey was loaded onto a merchant ship, and transported to Subic Bay, Philippines in May 1965 where she was refitted for combat service.

After sea trials, the Division left Subic Bay for An Thoi on 17 July 1965 in the company of USS Floyd County, their temporary support ship.

After almost two weeks at sea, they arrived at their new duty station on 1 August and began patrolling the waters in the Gulf of Thailand near the Cà Mau Peninsula.

[20] On 9 May 1966 while on patrol, Point Grey interdicted a 120-foot steel hull trawler that beached itself under covering fire from Viet Cong (VC) hiding in the tree line.

Point Grey was hit with machine gun fire from the shore; part of the crew were injured and substantial damage was done to the bridge of the cutter.