BERING SEA – The Coast Guard Cutter Healy approaches the Russian-flagged tanker Renda while breaking ice around the vessel 250 miles south of Nome Jan. 6, 2012. The two vessels departed Dutch Harbor for Nome on Jan. 3, 2012. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis.

- by LT Connie Braesch, USCG

The Coast Guard has a long history of braving harsh Alaskan elements to rescue mariners in distress, protect the U.S. interests in the international waters, conduct Arctic research as well as bring much needed supplies to remote Alaska villages.

The Service’s latest Arctic mission to help bring fuel to the ice-encrusted harbor of Nome is just one of the ways we continue to honor those traditions.

The Coast Guard Cutter Healy, our nation’s only operating polar ice breaker, is on-scene breaking ice and leading the way for the Russian-flagged tanker vessel Renda into Nome. The ice stretches from the harbor about 300 miles. Healy can break a path to within a half mile of the entrance to Nome but is unable to get any closer due to the depth of the water. From this point, there are a number of options being explored to get the fuel the remainder of the way including using a fuel hose from the barge to shore.

“This has been and continues to be a highly orchestrated effort between all stakeholders to ensure mission success,” said Rear Adm. Thomas Ostebo, commander 17th Coast Guard District. “Our daily discussions will continue with our federal, state, local, tribal partners and the marine industry to ensure the highest standards of safety and compliance are in place to mitigate risks to the people of Nome, the crews of the vessels and the environment.”

The city had arranged to have a barge deliver fuel in the fall, but the historic November storm delayed the delivery. By the time the weather cleared, Nome was iced-in.

You can read more about the Healy’s support and the overall operation on the 17th Coast Guard District news site.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis.

BERING SEA – The Coast Guard Cutter Healy breaks ice for the tanker Renda 250 miles south of Nome Jan. 6, 2012. The Renda is carrying over one million gallons of fuel supplies for delivery to the residents of Nome. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis.

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BERING SEA — The Russian-flagged tanker Renda, carrying more than 1.3 million gallons of fuel, sits in the ice while the Coast Guard Cutter Healy crew breaks the ice around the tanker approximately 19 miles northwest of Nunivak Island Jan. 6, 2012. U.S. Coast Guard photo by USCGC Healy.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by USCGC Healy.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by USCGC Healy

BERING SEA — The Russian-flagged tanker Renda sits in the ice of the Bering Sea while the 420-foot Coast Guard Cutter Healy breaks the ice around the tanker Jan. 6, 2012. The cutter Healy and tanker Renda crews are about 250 miles south of Nome, Alaska. U.S. Coast Guard photo by USCGC Healy.

ERING SEA — The 420-foot Coast Guard Cutter Healy crew breaks ice around the tanker Renda during their transit in the Bering Sea to Nome, Alaska, Jan. 6, 2012. The Russian-flagged Renda contains more than 1.3 million gallons of critically needed fuel be delivered to the city of Nome. U.S. Coast Guard photo by USCGC Healy.

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ERING SEA — A Coast Guard Cutter Healy crewmember takes a moment to watch the Russian-flagged tanker Renda steam through the ice in the North Bering Sea while the cutter crew escorts the tanker to Nome Jan. 6, 2012. The 420-foot Seattle-based Healy is the Coast Guard’s newest and most technologically advanced polar icebreaker and is currently the service’s only operational polar icebreaker. U.S. Coast Guard photo by USCGC Healy.

The men – a Russian, a Latvian and an Estonia, and three others – were given sentences ranging from 7 to 12 years in jail.

The disappearance of the M/V Arctic Sea made international headlines after a group of armed pirates boarded the vessel near Sweden, reportedly disguised police officers. The vessel slipped from radar in the Atlantic shortly after passing through the English Channel.  The Russian Navy later found the Arctic Sea near the Cape Verde islands off the west coast of Africa.

Questions regarding the ships cargo – ranging from timber to illicit weapons to surface-to-air missiles – still go unanswered.

With piracy along the horn of Africa creating such a buzz in the media, it is a common misconception that the act is confined to this area where onshore conditions have forced many into a life of hijacking ships for ransom.  In reality, a look back at the International Maritime Bureau’s Live Piracy Maps from previous years, it is obvious that piracy on the high seas is in fact a world wide occurrence and not confined to any one geographical area.

However, the recent disappearance of the russian-crewed Arctic Sea after transiting one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes leaves experts scratching their heads and has forced an international search operation to be put underway.  CNN has the story:

An international search operation was underway Wednesday for a cargo ship which vanished after being involved in what is feared to be an unprecedented incident of piracy in European waters.

The Russian-crewed Arctic Sea, carrying a 6,500-ton cargo of timber from Finland to Algeria, was last heard of nearly two weeks ago when it passed through the English Channel, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

Russia said naval vessels authorised to use force were now hunting the vessel backed by “space-based” detection systems.

The Maltese-flagged Arctic Sea is claimed to have been briefly hijacked off Sweden when raiders posing as drug enforcement officers tied up, gagged and blindfolded the crew, causing several injuries, and searched the vessel.

It then apparently vanished after a last known contact on July 31, failing to make its scheduled arrival in north Africa on August 4. READ FULL ARTICLE

While the London based International Maritime Bureau, which tracks ship piracy worldwide, said it did not believe the Arctic Sea had fallen into the hands of pirates, a number of questions remain surrounding this incident.  Stay tuned as more developments on this story are sure to arise.