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2018-02-10 Home Front: Politix

Only U.S. Heavy Icebreaker Is Falling Apart On Antarctic Mission

[War Zone] The U.S. Coast Guard’s only operational heavy icebreaker, the USCGC Polar Star, is still providing critical services to various U.S. government agencies in Antarctica despite suffering an engine failure and flooding. The incident is a worrying reminder of both how vital these types of ships are and the stark limitations of America’s capabilities in this regard, all as the service is struggling to move ahead with plans to buy all-new vessels.

According to a press release the Coast Guard published on Feb. 6, 2018, Polar Star departed her homeport in Seattle on Nov. 30, 2017 for a cruise that is still scheduled to wrap up in March 2018. The ship’s main mission during the trip has been to cut a path from the open ocean through the ice, which can be 10 feet thick or more, to an improvised ice pier that serves the U.S. Antarctic Program’s McMurdo Station. She has subsequently kept this channel clear of potentially dangerous ice so that other ships, including those under contract to the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, can safely bring supplies to and from the frigid base.

"We had less ice this year than last year," U.S. Coast Guard Captain Michael Davanzo, said in the press release. But "we had several engineering challenges to overcome to get to the point where we could position ourselves to moor in McMurdo."

"Engineering challenges" is a euphemism that doesn’t do justice to the problems Polar Star had to deal with just getting to McMurdo and the work that the ship’s crew did to make sure the ship could continue its mission. The first issue cropped up on Jan. 11, 2018 when one of the icebreakers three main gas turbines failed.
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Posted by Anomalous Sources 2018-02-10 00:26|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ] Top

#1 as the service is struggling to move ahead with plans to buy all-new vessels.

Oh, that's where the graft in that is.

Posted by AlanC 2018-02-10 07:35|| 2018-02-10 07:35|| Front Page Top

#2 Lots of moving parts, excellent safety record, no gov't money used. Cliff Stern "10,000 riders last year, everyone gets off smiling or crying."

Yep, they're all just "falling apart."

Posted by Besoeker 2018-02-10 07:50|| 2018-02-10 07:50|| Front Page Top

#3 as the service is struggling to move ahead with plans to buy all-new vessels.

Ah, the A-10 approach. Starve it of upkeep while hoping something will be there to replace it later.

Posted by Procopius2k 2018-02-10 08:18|| 2018-02-10 08:18|| Front Page Top

#4 The ship is over 40 years old and has crunched through a lot of ice in less than optimal conditions for its infrastructure. In addition to that, as P2k said, 'starved for upkeep'.

Posted by Mullah Richard 2018-02-10 08:39|| 2018-02-10 08:39|| Front Page Top

#5 "Hey, with all the global warming, who needs icebreakers, amirite?"

-- Obama's Defense Dept.

Posted by charger 2018-02-10 13:43|| 2018-02-10 13:43|| Front Page Top

#6 I suppose we'll have to negotiate with Swedes or Russians again. The Coast Guard asked for replacements last year...

Posted by james 2018-02-10 21:09|| http://idontknowbut.blogspot.com 2018-02-10 21:09|| Front Page Top

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