The ACVs in Coast Guard service were used primarily for search-and-rescue missions because of their speed and range. In over 185 search-and-rescue missions, they towed boats up to long and recovered survivors from the water and then rushed them to the shore. However, they were also used to service buoys, resupply and repair remote lighthouses and lightships, enforce laws, clean up oil spills, and ferry personnel and supplies. For minor repairs to buoys, the ACV shortened what was normally a full day mission by a fully crewed ship to a 2-3 hour one by an ACV with three crew members. The ACV was fast enough that it was able to respond to search-and-rescue calls while servicing buoys, something that was not possible for regular Coast Guard cutters. However, servicing structures in choppy weather on the open sea was found to be dangerous. The ACV proved particularly effective in the Arctic because it could traverse water and ice equally well at high speeds, although crews did encounter some issues relating to windshield icing.