This weeks ship photos are from a joint exercise currently being conducted by the USCG and other environmental response agencies that is aimed at testing new techniques for recovering spilled oil and other hazardous materials from icy waters. While the USCG frequently trains for oil spill recovery, this will be the first time the service has conducted such an exercise in icy waters.
The exercise is being conducted by the USCG in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, oil spill response organizations and Enbridge Energy Partners, among several others, and is being held out of St. Ignace, Michigan, from Monday through Wednesday.
In total, four vessels will be involved in the project. The Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock, a buoy tender with ice-breaking capabilities, will deploy and evaluate a new Coast Guard cold-weather skimming system while an additional three commercial tugboats will deploy commercial responders and equipment.
Rather than oil, the project will use small amounts of environmentally-friendly oil surrogates, peat moss and oranges.
The exercise hopes to evaluate the effectiveness of multiple oil recovery options for use in the unique conditions prevalent during Great Lakes winters as well as future responses in the Arctic.
The Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock, homeported in Port Huron, Mich., and the commercial tugboats Reliance, Nickelena and Erika Kobasic, sit moored at Coast Guard Station St. Ignace, Mich., Jan. 24, 2011. Photo: U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class George Degener
Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock transits through ice near Mackinac Island, Jan. 24, 2012. Photo: U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew SchofieldCrewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock use an oil-skimming device to recover peat moss, acting as a substitute for spilled oil, near Mackinac Island, Jan. 24, 2012. Photo: U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew Schofield
Rauma Marine Constructions in Finland has made rapid progress on the first of two Arctic Security Cutters it is building for the U.S. Coast Guard, with almost half of the vessel's blocks already launched and construction of the second ship approaching, according to the Finnish shipbuilder's chief executive.
The United States is watching China's presence in its Arctic zone "very closely" amid concerns regarding the security of the US homeland, a senior US Arctic military official said.
The U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaker Healy will not carry out its planned high-latitude Arctic mission this summer following a serious engineering casualty in July, a spokesperson said. The statement provides the clearest indication yet of the impact of the incident on the Coast Guard’s key icebreaker.
September 16, 2026
Total Views: 6196
Get The Industry’s Go-To News
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
— just like 107,178 professionals
Secure Your Spot
on the gCaptain Crew
Stay informed with the latest maritime and offshore news, delivered daily straight to your inbox
— trusted by our 107,178 members
Your Gateway to the Maritime World!
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Join The Club
