The recently renovated and refurbished USCG Cutter Elm arrived in Astoria Monday. She’s replacing a well known hometown ship here, the Fir. Both are buoy tenders, a specialized ship that installs and maintains navigation aides around the PNW. Which means she creates and monitors the markers, buoys and lights that create the water highway vessels rely on. Without cutters like the Elm, ships would not get very far in our waters.