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Ice Floe News

14 Aug 2023

US Coast Guard Cutter Healy, Scientists Deploy Ice Stations

Researchers set up instruments to begin data collection on an ice floe next to USCGC Healy in the Beaufort Sea, Aug. 6, 2023. (Photo: Zane Miagany / U.S. Coast Guard)

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) crew and embarked researchers ventured onto a floe of multi-year ice for the first of three multi-instrument ice stations in the Arctic Ocean Basin late July and early August.As the Healy carefully approached and maintained position alongside an ice floe above 77 degrees north, the crew and a team of scientists, working in cooperation with the Office of Naval Research, (ONR) offloaded a diverse collection of equipment on to the floe carefully…

13 Jan 2023

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders Hires Roney as Sales, Marketing Director

Peter Roney (Photo: Shared Ice Services, LLC)

Peter Roney has been hired to join the executive management team supporting U.S. West Coast shipyards Nichols Brothers Boat Builders and Everett Ship Repair.The news was announced by Shared Ice Services (SIS) is a subsidiary of Ice Cap Holding, the parent company of Ice Floe, dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) and Everett Ship Repair (ESR). SIS was recently established to support the operations of the two shipyards.NBBB is a newbuild and repair yard in Freeland, Wash., and ESR is a service and repair facility in Everett…

22 Aug 2022

US DARPA to Build, Test, Demonstrate Uncrewed Ship

Concept design for NOMARS Defiant unmanned ship. (Image: Serco Inc.)

The U.S. Department of Defense's research and development agency is moving into the second phase of a project to to build and demonstrate a new seagoing unmanned surface vessel.The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on Monday announced  it is moving into Phase 2 of the No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) program, which seeks to build and demonstrate a revolutionary new medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV) that can go to sea and perform missions with unprecedented reliability and availability, while carrying a significant payload.

12 Jan 2021

SMM's Offshore Dialogue: The Value Of Wind And Water

Alfred-Wegener-Institut_Michael Gutsche (CC-BY 4.0)_Polarstern MOSAiC Expedition

At the SMM Hamburg's Offshore Dialogue online conference on February 2, international experts will discuss current trends in the offshore wind farms segment, technical challenges facing tidal and wave energy conversion, and innovative ocean monitoring technologies."About 70% of our planet is covered by water. The Earth's oceans play a key role in shaping the global climate. The more important it is to gather and evaluate as much information as possible about the composition of this ecosystem and how it changes.

10 Feb 2020

Tanker Crew Rescues Seven from Sinking Fishing Vessel

An tanker picked up seven crew embers from a sinking fishing vessel in the Gulf of Finland.While en-route from the Port of Ust-Luga to Copenhagen on February 6, the tanker SСF Angara received a distress signal from the Russian fishing trawler Pongoma, which was sinking on the traverse of Tallinn, 26 nautical miles offshore, SCF Group said on Monday.The tanker and her crew, under the leadership of master Alexey Maksimovsky, responded to the request for help, and following the instructions received from the rescue center in Tallinn, diverted to assist the ship in distress.During a rescue operation, all seven members of Pongoma’s crew were brought aboard the tanker. Two fishermen in need of urgent medical care were then evacuated by helicopter to Helsinki.

25 Oct 2019

ESR Offers Pacific Northwest Ship Repair Services

Photo: ESR

Ice Cap Holdings, LLC expands its shipyard presence to include a service and repair facility in Everett, Washington. Everett Ship Repair, LLC (ESR) was established earlier this month by Ice Cap Holdings, the parent company of Ice Floe, LLC dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB). The expansion creates a diverse shipbuilding portfolio between the sister companies, offering NBBB’s new build expertise and ESR’s repair and service capabilities. Everett Ship Repair will focus on vessel repair…

10 Mar 2019

USCG, Locals Rescues 46 From Ice Floe

A helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Detroit assists with the mass rescue of 46 people from an ice floe near Catawaba Island, March 9, 2019. 46 people were rescued by Coast Guard and local agencies after an ice floe broke free from land. (U.S. Coast Guard Photo)

CLEVELAND — The U.S. Coast Guard and local agencies rescued 46 ice fishermen from an ice floe that broke free near Catawaba Island, Saturday.An additional estimated 100 people were able to self-rescue themselves from the ice floe either by swimming or walking on ice-bridges that were still connected to the floe initially.At 8:13 a.m., Coast Guard Station Marblehead received notification from an Ohio Department of Natural Resources representative that there were approximately 100 people stranded on an ice floe and that there were an additional 30 to 40 people in the water.

24 Jul 2018

MARAD Awards More Than $20 Mln to Small US Shipyards

Maritime Administrator Mark H. Buzby (Photo: MARAD)

More than $20 million in grant funding has been awarded to support capital improvement projects at 29 small shipyards in 22 states across the U.S.The funding, awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) Small Shipyard Grant Program, supports capital improvements that foster increased efficiency and economic growth.“These grants are an investment in our country’s small shipyards and will help create good jobs for America’s workers,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L.

14 Mar 2018

US Navy Submarines Surface in the Arctic Circle

A pair of U.S. Navy submarines recently surfaced in the Arctic Circle as part of multinational maritime exercise north of Alaska. Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Hartford (SSN 768) and Seawolf-class fast attack submarine, USS Connecticut (SSN 22) surfaced in the Arctic Circle March 10 during the multinational maritime Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2018. Both submarines, as well the UK Royal Navy submarine HMS Trenchant (S91), are participating in the biennial exercise in the Arctic to train and validate the warfighting capabilities of submarines in extreme cold-water conditions. "From a military, geographic and scientific perspective…

07 Mar 2018

US Navy Kicks Off ICEX 2018

Commander, Submarine Forces (COMSUBFOR) officially kicked-off Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2018 in the Arctic Ocean with the construction of temporary Ice Camp Skate and the arrival of two U.S. Navy fast-attack submarines and one U.K. Royal Navy submarine March 7. ICEX 2018 is a five-week biennial exercise that allows the Navy to assess its operational readiness in the Arctic, increase experience in the region, advance understanding of the Arctic environment and continue to develop relationships with other services, allies and partner organizations. The Seawolf-class fast attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN 22) from Bangor, Washington, the Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Hartford (SSN 768) from Groton…

27 Mar 2016

ICEX Camp Operations Conclude Successfully

The Navy announced March 25 that all primary objectives for Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2016 have been met and the breakdown of Ice Camp Sargo is underway. "The objectives of demonstrating presence, gaining additional Arctic operational experience, furthering partnerships and expanding scientific research were all achieved over the four weeks in which the ice camp was operational. The hard work and dedication displayed by the Arctic Submarine Laboratory, the ICEX participants, and the shore support team made this event an overall success," said Vice Adm. Joseph E. Tofalo, commander, Submarine Forces. With the primary objectives met and indications of adverse environmental conditions…

02 Mar 2016

US Navy Sets Course for the Arctic Circle

The view at sunset of Ice Camp Nautilus, located on a sheet of ice adrift on the Arctic Ocean, during Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2014. ICEX 2014 is a U.S. Navy exercise highlighting submarine capabilities in an arctic environment. (U.S. Navy photo by Joshua Davies)

Commander, Submarine Forces (COMSUBFOR) officially kicked off Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2016 in the Arctic Ocean with the construction of U.S. Navy Ice Camp SARGO March 2. ICEX 2016 is a five-week exercise designed to research, test and evaluate operational capabilities in the Arctic region. "ICEX allows us to assess our operational readiness in the Arctic, increase our experience in the region, develop partnerships and collaborative efforts, and advance our understanding of the Arctic environment," said Vice Adm. Joseph E. Tofalo, commander, Submarine Forces.

13 Oct 2015

Billions of Juvenile Fish under Arctic Ice

Using a new net, marine biologists from the Alfred Wegener Institute have, for the first time, been able to catch polar cod directly beneath the Arctic sea ice with a trawl, allowing them to determine their large-scale distribution and origin. This information is of fundamental importance, as polar cod are a major source of food for seals, whales and seabirds in the Arctic. The study, which was recently published in the journal Polar Biology, shows that only juvenile fish are found under the ice, a habitat the researchers fear could disappear as a result of climate change. Beluga whales, narwhals, ringed seals and numerous Arctic seabirds have one thing in common: their preferred food is polar cod, Boreogadus saida.

23 Sep 2015

Kirby Orders 2 More Workboats from NBBB

Ice Floe, LLC dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) informs it has received orders for the construction of two new 120’ x 35’ x 19’-3” Twin Screw Tugboats for Kirby Offshore Marine, LLC. Keels will be laid for both vessels this fall, with delivery of the first vessel scheduled for May 2017 and the second vessel is scheduled for delivery in November 2017. Upon delivery, the new vessels will be used for tow operations. According to the builder, each of the new 120’ x 35’ x 19’-3” tugboats will be powered by two Caterpillar 3516C, 2,447 BHP at 1,600 rpm main engines with Reintjes reduction gears turning two NautiCAN fixed pitched propellers with fixed nozzles. These vessels will also have two C7.1 Caterpillar generators for electrical service.

15 Sep 2015

NBBB Uses New System to Launch Tug for Kirby

(Photo: Nichols Brothers Boat Builders)

A newly built articulated tug barge (ATB) unit tugboat, was launched for Kirby Offshore Marine on Wednesday, September 2. The new vessel, the 136’ x 44’ x 19’ Nancy Peterkin, is the first of two sister vessels built for Kirby by Ice Floe, LLC dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB). The Tina Pyne is also being built at NBBB and is scheduled for launch in December 2015. The builder said it made use of a new track and dolly system to move Nancy Peterkin from the shipyard to the launch ramp.

17 Aug 2015

Programmed Multikopter Flies Autonomously Through Arctic

How do you get an aircraft in the far reaches of the Arctic Ocean to the goal, if the compass does not provide reliable location data? Engineers aboard the research icebreaker Polarstern of the Alfred Wegener Institute programmed a Multikopter so that he can navigate near the North Pole, despite declination of the Earth's magnetic field. A first successful test flight together with autonomous landing celebrated scientists recently on an ice floe. "The autonomous navigation is in high latitudes is a major challenge," says Sascha Lehmenhecker, engineer at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, the Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). "Navigation is by means of magnetic sensors.

07 Aug 2015

Russian Arctic Scientists to be Evacuated

An icebreaker sailed from Murmansk yesterday to pick up 17 scientists after four months on an ice floe near the North Pole. The icebreaker “Kapitan Dranitsyn” left Murmansk on August 4th to pick up equipment and personnel from the floating research station “North Pole-2015”. The planned evacuation will take about two weeks, and the icebreaker is expected to return to Murmansk in mid-August, TASS reports. “The scientists have been able to get really valuable scientific data on biodiversity and signs of climate change in different environments,” Russia’s Minister of Natural Resources Sergey Donskoy said. Climate conditions made possible to prolong the floating research station work. “North Pole-2015” officially stared operations on April 19, barentsobserver.com reports.

20 Mar 2015

Russia's Floating Research Station Unfolds in the Arctic

The Russian Ministry of Natural Resources says that Russia plans to establish a floating research station in Arctic sea. The floating research station “North Pole-41” is already in the making, says the Ministry statement. The Ministry says that the station will be an important instrument in securing Russian presence in the Arctic and will give Russia the opportunity to set new priorities for the scientific research on the drifting ice. "At present the deployment of seasonal scientific drifting station" North Pole-2015 is the only possible scientific research way in the North Pole"- the ministry said. In 2013, the Ministry of Natural Resources decided to evacuate the High North station “North Pole-40” when the ice floe began to break down.

19 Jan 2015

Nichols Brothers to Build Vessel for American Samoa

Image: Nichols Brothers Boat Builders

Ice Floe, LLC dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) has been contracted by the Government of American Samoa to build a multipurpose vessel to operate in the warm waters of the South Pacific primarily between Pago Pago and the Manu’a Islands, however the vessel will also be certified to travel to Tonga, Fiji and U.S. territory Islands to support the economic development of American Samoa. NBBB has contracted Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) to provide the functional design and production engineering for the project.

15 Jan 2015

Nichols Brothers to Build Washington Ferry Superstructure

Ice Floe, LLC dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) has been contracted by Vigor Industrial to construct the superstructure portion of the third Olympic Class 144-Car Washington State Ferry the M/V Chimacum. Nichols Brothers completed the superstructures for the first and second WSF 144-Car Ferry vessels delivered to Vigor for final assembly in March and December 2013. Nichols Brothers is responsible for construction of the grand block section of the vessel including the upper car decks, exhaust stacks and pilothouses. Additional work has been awarded to NBBB including all superstructure piping, windows, stairs, ladders, all exterior hand rails and completely painting the interior and exterior.

16 Dec 2014

Higgins Named CEO of Nichols Brothers Boat Builders

Gavin Higgins (Photo: NBBB)

Gavin Higgins has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Ice Floe LLC dba Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB), the company announced today. Effective immediately, Higgins replaces Matt Nichols, one of the company’s founders who has served as CEO of NBBB since February 2012, also serving as CEO for more than 35 years prior to the company’s sale in 2008. Nichols will remain with the company as its Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, and as a member of the board of directors.

02 Sep 2014

Polar Code Afoot

(Photo: Courtesy DNV)

The IMO is on the verge of adopting the Polar Code, something that is important and long overdue. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, is on the verge of adopting the Polar Code. When implemented, it will establish the first mandatory rules for operation of commercial vessels in polar waters. This important step is long overdue. On 18 January 2010, the IMO adopted voluntary guidelines for ships operating in polar waters (Res. A.1024).

21 Apr 2014

New Conept Under Test: Arctic Drillship

Solange Van Derwerff

When Ulstein Sea of Solutions (USOS) took part in a concept design competition for an arctic drillship, MARIN was asked to investigate the concept variations. USOS was asked to participate in a concept design competition for a drillship  capable of operating in arctic conditions for several months a year. Special requirements are posed for the design of such a vessel due to the cold climate and the probability of encountering sea ice during operations. Instead of making adjustments to a conventional drillship design…

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