It was slated for demolition in 2012, but the scrapping of the 35-year … On February 15, 2011, the Coast Guard via ALCOAST 059/11 announced that Polar Sea would be decommissioned by September 2011; however no final decision on her fate has been made as of December 2016. In September, USCG Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft likened the Polar Sea to “an old car that's been laid up without an engine in it, an engine that's been stripped of its parts . Polar Star underwent an overhaul in 2013 and has returned to service. [5] The ship has four sizable lounges, a library (recently[when?] Le USCGC Polar Sea est un brise-glace de l'United States Coast Guard des États-Unis. Requires the Commandant to submit to Congress: (1) a strategy to meet the Coast Guard's Arctic ice operations needs through September 30, 2050; and (2) unless the Secretary determines that it is cost-effective to reactivate Polar Sea, a bridging strategy for maintaining the Coast Guard's polar icebreaking services until at least September 30, 2024 (currently, a bridging strategy for maintaining operations until at least September 30, 2022, is required only if the Secretary determines that it is not cost-effective to reactivate Polar Sea). USCGC Polar Sea (WAGB-11) is a United States Coast Guard heavy icebreaker. On March 25, 2008 the Navy Times described options for the refit or replacement of the older Polar-class vessels. US Coast Guard/Chief Petty Officer Nick Ameen. Commissioned in 1976, she was built by Lockheed Shipbuilding along with her now decommissioned sister ship, POLAR SEA (WAGB 11). All rights reserved.For reprint rights. For years, having only one working heavy icebreaker hindered the Coast Guard’s ability to satisfy mission requests from government agencies effectively. Mis en service en 1977, il a été construit par Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company à Harbor Island avec son sister-ship USCGC Polar Star. The U.S. never recognized Canada's claim over the Northwest passage but nevertheless, the two countries reached an agreement two years later which stipulated that in the future, the U.S. would ask permission before navigating the disputed waters. WAGB-11 USCGC Polar Sea, Polar class Icebreakers, US Coast Guard history and characteristics USCGC Polar Sea (WAGB-11): US Coast Guard Photo - The question of whether the Polar Sea should be reactivated has been kicking around for a while. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. USCGC Polar Sea (WAGB-11) is a United States Coast Guard heavy icebreaker. The Polar Star, which was commissioned in 1976, is the Coast Guard's only operational heavy icebreaker, and it can break ice up to 21 feet thick. The vessel Ocean Giant lines up with the US Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star for escort to McMurdo Station, January 25, 2017. The Coast Guard also operates the medium polar icebreaker USCGC Healy, commissioned in 1999, which serves in the Arctic primarily on research … Curt Dawson, a deck engineer for Foss was on the assist tug and offer this description of the trip. Her home port is Seattle, Washington. Polar Sea has been out of service since 2010 due to failure of five of her six Alco main diesel engines. The Polar Star's crew traced the problem to a programming error between the engine and the ship's electrical system — which, like much of the ship, … On 22 August 1994, Polar Sea was one of the first two North American surface vessels to reach the North Pole; she sailed together with CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent. The report was submitted in November 2013 and indicated that it is feasible to retrofit and reactivate Polar Sea. For all three shafts, the diesel-electric plants can produce a total of 18,000 shaft horsepower (13,425 kilowatts) and the gas turbine plants a total of 75,000 demand shaft horsepower (56 MW) or 60,000 continuous horsepower (44.8 MW).[5]. Her home port is Seattle, Washington. Barrow, Alaska between January 29 and February 11, 1981. [10] As of February 25, 2015[update] the laid up ship was still in limbo alongside a pier at the Coast Guard Station on Elliott Bay, Seattle. The first one is expected by 2023. Christopher Woody/Google MapsMcMurdo Station, opened in December 1955, is the largest Antarctic station, located on the solid ground farthest south that is accessible by ship. Publication of the plans enraged the Canadian public opinion as it was regarded as a breach and disregard of sovereignty and prompted the government to take preventive measures in defending Canada's arctic territories. The extensive use of automation and low maintenance materials have greatly reduced staffing requirements. The ship is in good shape this year … February 15, 2015 Total Views: 2 The crew of the USCGC Polar Star freed an Australian fishing vessel from thick pack ice Friday night approximately 900 miles northwest of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Polar Sea uses four different methods[further explanation needed][example needed] of electronic navigation to overcome the difficulties of high-latitude operations, and a computerized propulsion control system to effectively manage six diesel-powered propulsion generators, three diesel-powered ship's service generators, three propulsion gas turbines, and other equipment vital to the operation of the ship. This is the USCG Polar Sea Ice Breaker just after it turned the corner towards the ice dock. It also has its own U.S. Post Office, satellite pay telephones, amateur radio equipment, photo lab, and movie library. [2] A congressional authorization required the Coast Guard to make a report to Congress on the feasibility of retrofitting Polar Sea. US Coast Guard/Chief Petty Officer David Mosley. The shell plating and associated internal support structure are fabricated from steel with superior low-temperature strength. The Polar Star's sister ship, the Polar Sea, was commissioned the same year but left service in 2010 because of repeated failures in its main engines. Would make the vessel good for another 25 years. [7] She is also just one of only three ships[clarification needed] that has ever completely transited the Arctic Ocean and circumnavigated North America. Polar Star underwent an overhaul in 2013 and has returned to service. Icebreaker POLAR SEA sidelined by engine troubles. The US Coast Guard's only operational heavy icebreaker, the Polar Star, recently completed a mission to cut a resupply channel through Antarctic ice in the Ross Sea, but the ship's 150-strong crew grappled with engine failure and flooding during the trip. The Polar Star has not been exempt from its own problems. . The extensive use of automation and low maintenance materials have greatly reduced staffing requirements. Polar Sea has been out of service since 2010 due to failure of five of her six Alco main diesel engines. It is breaking ice that is apx. Polar Sea has a variety of missions while operating in polar regions. The Coast Guard also operates the medium polar icebreaker USCGC Healy, commissioned in 1999, which serves in the Arctic primarily on research projects, although capable of performing a wide variety of other Coast Guard missions. 4005; 113th Congress), http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Cutternicknames.pdf, Reprieve for Seattle-based icebreaker Polar Sea, "CG steps up bid to rescue icebreaker funding", "Todd Shipyards Corporation Announces U.S. Coast Guard Exercise of Option on Overhaul of USCGC Polar Sea (WAGB-11)", Coast Guard: Icebreaker Polar Sea Now a ‘Parts Donor;’ Refurbishment Deemed Too Expensive, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Polar Class Icebreaker vessel vital statistics, List of cutters of the United States Coast Guard, Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, United States Coast Guard Ceremonial Honor Guard, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USCGC_Polar_Sea_(WAGB-11)&oldid=1002272023, Ships built by Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from May 2020, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from February 2020, All articles with vague or ambiguous time, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from July 2013, Articles containing potentially dated statements from February 2015, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the United States Coast Guard, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The hull strength is produced almost entirely from a sophisticated internal support structure that features canted ribs for approximately the forward two-thirds of the ship's frame. USCGC POLAR STAR (WAGB 10) Seattle, WA. USCGC Polar Sea (WAGB-11) is a United States Coast Guard heavy icebreaker. It has not been determined if a new class will be funded, commercial icebreaker leasing options will be explored, and/or if the ship should be scrapped.[11]. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft has said the Polar Star is "literally on life support," and the service plans to build at least three heavy and three medium icebreakers to fill out the fleet. En … The crew consists of personnel trained in navigation, engineering, welding, machinery repair, electronics, boat handling, firefighting, damage control, diving, medicine, and nearly every other kind of special skill that could possibly be needed. The cost of repairing Polar Sea would be astronomical to consider, Raj said. Examination of her engines indicated excessive engine wear, with engine pistons welded to their sleeves. The curved bow and heavy weight allows Polar Sea to force ice edges to break off downward as cusps. Polar Sea has been out of service since 2010 due to complete failure of five of her six … On January 11, there was a failure in one of the ship's three main gas turbines, which produce the power needed for the ship's propellers to break up thick, multiyear accumulations of ice. . [8] In 2011 the Coast Guard slated Polar Sea for demolition in 2012,[9] but the scrapping of the 35-year-old icebreaker was postponed by Congress for at least six months in June. Times Syndication Service. United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. 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