Congratulations to Admiral Linda Fagan, who today assumed command as the 27th commandant of the US Coast Guard. Breaking a major glass ceiling, (or perhaps a glass overhead), she also becomes the first woman to lead the service, as well … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Polar Star
US Coast Guard Cutter Healy, a medium icebreaker, is limping back to its homeport in Seattle after suffering a machinery space fire on Aug. 18, the Coast Guard announced on Tuesday. When the fire broke out, Healy was underway on a … Continue reading
The good news is that after years of not-so-benign neglect the US Coast Guard is finally getting an appropriation to build three new heavy polar icebreakers, followed by the construction of three new medium polar icebreakers. The Coast Guard currently … Continue reading
Great news! Congress has restored $675 million in funding for new Coast Guard icebreakers that Homeland Security had diverted last year to build a border wall with Mexico. The funding is not coming a moment too soon. The US has … Continue reading
There is a serious crisis at our border. No, not the Southern border, where crossings are at close to a 50 year low. I am referring to our Northern border, the Arctic Sea, where the US has only one heavy icebreaker, … Continue reading
What is more powerful than an icebreaker? The answer is: the wind. Following a wind shift, the expedition cruise ship, MV Akademik Shokalskiy, and Chinese icebreaker Xue Long or Snow Dragon have broken free from the pack ice off Antarctica. … Continue reading
On Monday, the Polar Star struck a rock while at anchor near Detaille Island, a small island off the Northern end of Arrowsmith Peninsula in Antarctica. The grounding damaged the outer hull of the double hulled ship. The ship sailed for the Arctowski Station, … Continue reading