Mississippi-based shipbuilder VT Halter Marine has provided new details on the $745 million contract for the design and construction of the United States’ first new heavy icebreaker in more than 40 years. As we reported last month, the U.S. Department of Navy selected VT Halter as the prime contractor for the $745,940,860 fixed-price incentive-firm contract for the U.S. … [Read more...]
VT Halter Marine Wins $745 Million Icebreaker Contract
Yesterday, the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy awarded VT Halter Marine Inc., Pascagoula, Mississippi, a contract for the Detail Design and Construction of the Coast Guard’s lead Polar Security Cutter (PSC). The initial award is valued at $745.9 million and supports non-recurring engineering and detail design of the PSC class as well as procurement of long lead-time … [Read more...]
FIRE IN ANTARCTIC OCEAN Aboard USCG’s Last Heavy Icebreaker
The 150-member crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star fought a fire at approximately 9 p.m. PST Feb. 10 that broke out in the ship's incinerator room about 650 miles north of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. After initial response efforts using four fire extinguishers failed, fire crews spent almost two hours extinguishing the fire. Fire damage was contained inside the … [Read more...]
Damen Floats Australian Icebreaker ‘Nuyina’
Dutch shipbuilding group Damen has announced the successful float-out of the Antarctic Supply Research Vessel (ASRV) RSV Nuyina currently under construction at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania. The float-out took place over the weekend as the water levels in the yard’s dry dock holding the newbuild were raised by six meters; a process taking two days to complete. Once … [Read more...]
You Know About Harbor Pilots But WTF Is An Ice Pilot?
By Nick Ameen (USCG) Each year when the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star visits Antarctica, its crew faces a unique challenge. Creating a navigable channel through a frozen sea to the National Science’s Foundation’s (NSF) McMurdo Station, where the ice is up to 10 feet thick, requires a particular set of skills. This is why the Polar Star is one of only two Coast Guard cutters … [Read more...]