USCGC ''Polar Sea'' (WAGB-11) is a
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...
heavy
icebreaker
An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller ...
. Commissioned on 23 February 1977, the ship was built by
Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle along with her sister ship,
''Polar Star'' (WAGB-10). Her
home port is
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
.
''Polar Sea'' has been out of service due to failure of five of her six Alco main diesel engines.
Machinery
''Polar Sea'' has a computerized
propulsion
Propulsion is the generation of force by any combination of pushing or pulling to modify the translational motion of an object, which is typically a rigid body (or an articulated rigid body) but may also concern a fluid. The term is derived f ...
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. Its three shafts are each turned by either one
gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of continuous flow internal combustion engine. The main parts common to all gas turbine engines form the power-producing part (known as the gas generator or core) and are, in the directio ...
or two
diesel-electric power plant
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an el ...
s. Each shaft is connected to a 16-foot (4.9-m) diameter, four-bladed, controllable-pitch
propeller. For all three shafts, the diesel-electric plants can produce a total of 18,000 shaft
horsepower
Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are t ...
(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).
Hull design and strength
''Polar Sea'' has sufficient hull strength to absorb the high-powered icebreaking common to her operations. The shell plating and associated internal support structure are fabricated from steel with superior low-temperature strength. The portion of the hull designed to ram ice is 1 inches thick (44 mm) in the
bow and
stern sections, and 1 inches thick (32 mm) amidships. 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. ''Polar Seas hull shape is designed to maximize icebreaking by efficiently combining the forces of the ship's forward motion, the downward pull of
gravity
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...
on the bow, and the upward push of the inherent
buoyancy
Buoyancy (), or upthrust, is an upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of a partially or fully immersed object. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus the ...
of the stern. The curved bow and heavy weight allows ''Polar Sea'' to force ice edges to break off downward as cusps. This design does not use sharp edges or hammer-like blows to cut or break the ice, as the round bow and massive weight are sufficient. With high power to back it up, the 13,000-ton (13,200-metric ton) ''Polar Sea'' is able to continuously progress through 6 feet (1.8 m) of new hard ice at 3 knots (6 km/h) and break up to 21 feet when using back-and-ram methods. An extreme exception to this occurred during a rapid transit to Pt. Barrow, Alaska between January 29 and February 11, 1981. While traversing 1000 miles of sea ice, ''Polar Sea'' was able to break through ice up to 40 ft thick.
Crew
There is a crew of 24
officers
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
, 20
chief petty officer
A chief petty officer (CPO) is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.
Canada
"Chief petty officer" refers to two ranks in the Royal Canadian Navy. A chief petty officer 2nd class (CPO2) (''premier maître de deuxi ...
s and 102
enlisted
Enlisted may refer to:
* Enlisted rank
An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or ...
.
The ship has four sizable lounges, a
library
A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
,
gym
A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational i ...
(in an engineering space), and a small ship's store. It also has its own
U.S. Post Office
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the Federal government of the Uni ...
,
satellite pay telephones,
amateur radio equipment, photo lab, and movie library.
Missions
''Polar Sea'' has a variety of missions while operating in polar regions. During
Antarctic deployments, the primary missions include breaking a channel through the sea ice to resupply the
McMurdo Station in the
Ross Sea
The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica, between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land and within the Ross Embayment, and is the southernmost sea on Earth. It derives its name from the British explorer James Clark Ross who ...
. Resupply ships use the channel to bring food, fuel, and other goods to make it through another winter. In addition to these duties, ''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. The "J"-shaped cranes and work areas near the stern and port side of ship give scientists the capability to do at-sea studies in the fields of
geology
Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...
,
vulcanology
Volcanology (also spelled vulcanology) is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma and related geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena (volcanism). The term ''volcanology'' is derived from the Latin word '' vulcan''. Vulcan was the anci ...
,
oceanography,
sea-ice physics and other disciplines.
Aircraft carried
''Polar Sea'' carried two
HH-65 Dolphin
The Eurocopter MH-65 Dolphin is a twin-engined helicopter operated by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for medevac-capable search and rescue (SAR) and armed Airborne Use of Force missions. It is a variant of the French-built Eurocopter AS ...
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
s during major deployments. They support scientific parties, do ice
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
,
cargo
Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including trans ...
transfer, and
search and rescue as required. The Aviation Detachment comes from the Polar Operations Division at Coast Guard Aviation Training Center,
Mobile, Alabama.
Notable operations
On 11 February 1981, ''Polar Sea'' made history when she became the first ship ever to reach Point Barrow, Alaska in the middle of winter. She is also just one of only three ships that has ever completely transited the Arctic Ocean and circumnavigated North America. On 22 August 1994, ''Polar Sea'' was one of the first two North American surface vessels to reach the
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...
; she sailed together with .
1985 controversy
In 1985, ''Polar Sea'' triggered a diplomatic event by navigating the
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arc ...
from
Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland i ...
to
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
without authorization from the
Canadian government
The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown-in ...
. It was the United States' position that the Northwest Passage was an international strait open to shipping and it sought only to notify Canada rather than ask for permission. 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 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.
Service Status
''Polar Sea'' has been out of service since 2010 due to failure of five of her six Alco main diesel engines. Examination of her engines indicated excessive engine wear, with engine pistons welded to their sleeves. In 2011 the Coast Guard slated ''Polar Sea'' for demolition in 2012, but the scrapping of the 35-year-old icebreaker was postponed by Congress for at least six months in June.
A congressional authorization required the Coast Guard to make a report to Congress on the feasibility of retrofitting ''Polar Sea''. The report was submitted in November 2013 and indicated that it is feasible to retrofit and reactivate ''Polar Sea''. the laid up ship was still in limbo alongside a pier at the Coast Guard Station on Elliott Bay, Seattle. 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. In February 2017, it was stated that ''Polar Sea'' would not be refurbished due to high cost; instead, the icebreaker would be used as a "parts donor" for ''Polar Star''.
Coast Guard: Icebreaker Polar Sea Now a 'Parts Donor;' Refurbishment Deemed Too Expensive
. USNI News, 17 February 2017.
References
*
*
*U.S. Department of Homeland Security. United States Coast Guard Historian's Office.http://www.uscg.mil/history/default.asp
Bibliography
*
*
External links
USCGC Polar Sea home page
Polar Class Icebreaker vessel vital statistics
Business case analysis for reactivation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polar Sea (WAGB-11)
Polar-class icebreakers
1977 ships
Ships built by Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company