There is no USS Rude. Never has been.
July 20, 1999
Web posted at: 3:31 p.m. EDT (1931 GMT)
The high-tech National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration survey ship Rude, used in the search for John F. Kennedy Jr.'s lost plane, was first commissioned in 1967 and specializes in locating submerged wrecks and other underwater obstructions.
The ship was named for Capt. Gilbert T. Rude of the former Coast and Geodetic Survey. He developed the Rude Star Finder, used for locating celestial bodies.
The Rude, pronounced "Rudy," is one of the smallest hydrographic survey vessels. It operates primarily in the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, using Norfolk, Virginia, as a home port.
Sorry, my mis-recollection...My apologies. It was the NOAA Ship Rude. Been too long. Senior moment.