USCG Icebreakers
A quick blog and artwork on the United States Coast Guard icebreakers
One of the Coast Guard’s missions includes ice breaking operations. The Coast Guard has specialized icebreakers for the Arctic and the Antarctic to keep waterways open for commercial traffic, as well as aiding in scientific research. The Healy transits through the Arctic, and the Polar Star to the Antarctic.
Due to the differing ways ice forms in the Arctic vs Antarctic, each vessel must perform its mission in its designated area. Arctic ice is thicker due to the geography of the Arctic limiting the free movement of ice. In the Antarctic, the ice can freely flow away from the continent and melt in warmer waters.
Many factors influence ice formation, and its effects on our planet. For example, fresh water freezes and becomes less dense, while salt water becomes more dense and sinks when frozen.
The Polar Star is the Coast Guard’s only icebreaker capable of breaking ice in the Antarctic, sometimes up to 10 feet thick. It’s hull structure and engineering design works by crushing the ice under the weight of the hull. Unfortunately, these vessels are expensive to maintain or replace. The Polar Star was commissioned in 1976, and it’s sister ship, the Polar Sea, was commissioned in 1977. The Polar Sea is no longer operational due to an engine fire, and has been scrapped for parts for the Polar Star.
I can’t imagine going to Antarctica as art of Operation Deep Freeze. I am not fond of the cold at all, and I picture Antarctica as an isolated frozen expanse. However, that has got to be the experience of a lifetime! I had a friend that had served on one of these icebreakers. He said the wildlife is so unfamiliar with people that they have no fear. The penguins walked right up to him!
The Healy is the Coast Guard’s only Arctic icebreaker, named after Captain Michael A. Healy. Commissioned in 1999, the Healy is larger in size and more technologically advanced than the Polar Star. Due to its operation in the Arctic, the ice depth this vessel needs to break only measures 4.5 feet of ice.
In 2006 a dive mishap resulted in the tragic deaths of Lieutenant Jessica Hill and Petty Officer Stephen Duque. Many times we forget that training is dangerous. When we train we are learning, or perfecting a skill. According to the official report, unqualified line handlers were tending their lines. This means that members who weren’t trained how to hold one end of the diver’s rope, literally had their lifeline in their hands. The divers reached a depth of 200 feet, and could not be pulled up before their oxygen ran out.
Some notable missions from their 2016 tour include the discovery of a new jellyfish species, observation of the Arctic shelf, and climate change research. The Healy has space for 50 scientists onboard. I could only imagine what it would be like to serve with such a varied crew.
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