USCG PSC Equals meaningful Polar Presence
The Coast Guard needs a ship that can do more than just break ice; it needs a multi-mission ship to provide for the nation’s security, asserting its sovereign rights, and protecting its long-term economic interests. That ship is the Polar Security Cutter.Since Russia cashed the check in 1867 for the purchase of Alaska the U.S. has been an Arctic nation. Today, it is one of eight countries that have territorial land or seas above the Arctic Circle or in the polar region (six of those countries have Arctic Ocean coastline or an exclusive economic zone above the Arctic Circle). The U.S.
US Icebreaker Suffers Flooding, Engine Failure in Antarctic
America’s aging, sole remaining heavy icebreaker suffered several engineering challenges, including flooding and engine failure, on its way to completing a recent mission in the Antarctic, highlighting the U.S.’ need for new polar icebreakers. The 1970s-era U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star is called upon each year to aid the delivery of fuel and supplies for National Science Foundation research stations in Antarctica, carving a navigable path through the Ross Sea where seasonal and multi-year ice is sometimes as much as 10 feet thick.
Polar Star Arrives at McMurdo Station, Antarctica
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star arrived at the National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station Tuesday after cutting a resupply channel through more than 60 miles of Antarctic ice in the Ross Sea. By carving a navigable path through seasonal and multi-year ice, the Polar Star assists in the annual delivery of operating supplies and fuel for two of NSF's three U.S. research stations in Antarctica. The Polar Star is America’s only operational heavy icebreaker that is capable of conducting the Antarctic resupply mission.
Yo Ho Ho! Christmas Trees Loaded Aboard Cutter 'Mackinaw'
Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw has taken on board more than 1,300 Christmas trees in preparation for the annual transit to Chicago where the trees will be given to nonprofit organizations, pre-determined by the Chicago maritime community, and then to needy families. The Mackinaw, which has served as the Christmas Ship since 2000, reenacting a tradition dating back to the late 1890s, makes the annual trip in conjunction with annual fall buoy retrieval operations. The journey and ceremony honors the traditions of the Rouse Simmons…
