USCG HISTORY: On this day, January 19, 1977 -The Coast Guard accepted delivery of CGC Polar Sea from Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, Seattle, Washington. Polar Sea was placed In Commission, Special on 31 January 1977 under the command of CAPT Richard Cueroni. ------------------------------------------- POLAR SEA History POLAR SEA was commissioned in 1977, and has operated in the Arctic Ocean since 1979. The ship was first involved in a series of pioneering polar marine transportation studies off Alaska, and then conducted interdisciplinary science off the northeast coast of Greenland. During a science expedition, POLAR SEA and the Canadian Coast Guard Ship LOUIS S. ST-LAURENT made the first Pacific to Atlantic crossing of the Arctic Ocean; navigating through 2300 miles of Arctic ice. The expedition greatly contributed to knowledge of previously unexplored areas of the Arctic Ocean and the role the polar ocean plays in global environmental change. uscg.mil/pacarea/cgcpolarsea/default.asp uscg.mil/pacarea/cgcpolarsea/updates.asp ----------------------------------------------------- USCGC Polar Sea (WAGB-11) – Commissioned in 1977, the ship was built by Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle along with her sister ship, Polar Star. Polar Sea uses four different methods of electronic navigation to overcome the difficulties of high-latitude operations. Operations in the remote, hazardous and unforgiving polar regions make it necessary for the crew of Polar Sea to be highly self-sufficient. 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. There is a crew of 24 officers, 20 chief petty officers and 102 enlisted. Polar Sea also serves as a scientific research platform with five laboratories, additional space for seven portable laboratories on deck and accommodations for up to 35 scientists. She also carries two HH-65 Dolphin helicopters during major deployments. They support scientific parties, do ice reconnaissance, cargo transfer, and search and rescue as required. In nautical history, Polar Sea holds several notable records. It is one of only three ships that has ever completely transited the Arctic Ocean and circumnavigated North America. Polar Sea has been out of service since 2010 due to engine failure. + One of 2 classed a Heavy Arctic Icebreaker and is the largest icebreaker and flagship of the Canadian Coast Guard. Built in 1969 by Canadian Vickers Limited in Montreal, Quebec. Based at CCG Base St. John’s in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The vessel’s current operation tempo consists of summer voyages to Canada’s Arctic where she supports the annual Arctic sealift to various coastal communities and carries out multi-disciplinary scientific expeditions. During the winter months, Louis S. St-Laurent sometimes operates in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to aid ships in transiting to Montreal, Quebec, although she usually only serves this assignment during particularly heavy ice years. + On 22 August 1994 Louis S. St-Laurent and USCGC Polar Sea became the first North American surface vessels to reach the North Pole. + gcaptain/maritime-monday-hard-water-sailing-enc…/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10); full size USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10) -Commissioned in 1976, homeported in Seattle and operate under the control of the USCG Pacific Area. Polar Star is able to ram her way through ice up to 21 feet (6 m) thick and steam continuously through 6 feet (1.8 m) of ice at 3 knots (6 km/h). Since Polar Star and Polar Sea were designated primarily as research vessels, the National Science Foundation pays for and runs the United States’ ice breaking vessels, using Coast Guard crews; 15 officers and 126 enlisted. In 2009, the NSF announced that they would end funding for maintaining the Polar Star. Nicknames: Building 10. Polar Spare. Brand X. Wide Ass Government Building. Red Tubs of Fun + The Polar Star was back in operation in late 2013, and assigned to Antarctic operations as part of Operation Deep Freeze in early 2014.She was dispatched on January 4 to attempt a rescue of the Russian research ship Akademik Shokalskiy and Chinese icebreaker MV Xue Long (MV Snow Dragon) trapped at that time in Antarctic ice, the former since December 24, 2013. gcaptain/maritime-monday-hard-water-sailing-enc…/
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 07:29:30 +0000