Comments on: Icebreaker POLAR SEA sidelined by engine troubles

By: brien

brien — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 09:58:53 +0000

@taximansteve … I didn’t realize the Krasin had been retired. I had the chance to go aboard while it was in McMurdo and see the ship and photograph parts of it. I have a photo ( of the Krasin with the Polar Star, the Palmer and Buck. Not sure if there have ever been more ships together before at one time that close to McMurdo.

By: John T. Pierce

John T. Pierce — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:05:15 +0000

Excellent story on the Polar Sea and the state of the icebreaking ‘fleet of one’ that we are currently operating. As a previous Polar Sea sailor, I can say without reservation that she is a Hell of a Ship, but well past her prime. Her mission has been and continues to be worthy of the country and service which operate her, therefore a replacement ship MUST be allocated for as soon as possible. Any port would be honored to have her.
(Ex-MST2)

By: Acai Berry

Acai Berry — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:17:31 +0000

I just sent this post to a bunch of my friends as I agree with most of what you’re saying here and the way you’ve presented it is awesome.

By: Brinda Strandberg

Brinda Strandberg — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:19:39 +0000

Hello. Great job. I did not expect this on a Wednesday. This is a great story. Thanks!

By: David Soby (HSC retired)

David Soby (HSC retired) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:29:16 +0000

Wow seems like a long time for vessels to be out of commission. Time to modernize the fleet.

By: TaxiManSteve

TaxiManSteve — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 16:08:21 +0000

I’ve sent letters to newspapers advocating the Polar Sea be slated to become an icebreaker museum in Juneau, Ak… Next to the USCGC Storis as a museum ship… Like the Krasin in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Steven Lindsey
State representative
Ches-3
Keene, NH

By: CutterTrash

CutterTrash — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:27:38 +0000

Unfortunately, this is becoming an all to common occurance, much like the previous posters have commented. To say people are number one, where does equipment fall? What happens to those guys, when they get stuck in the ice, or fall from the sky. This is not just a cutter problem, it is a service wide problem. We have old equipment throughout the service. Our “Shipmate” in HQ needs to pound it into Congress’s head,
“We are operating old, falling apart equipment, give us support,
NOW!!! Or Mr. Congress man, you can explain to the fallen
servicemember’s family, why you did not see fit to spend money
to give him/her the most up to date and safe to operate
equipment.”

Please Admiral, do something!!

By: Seabiscuit

Seabiscuit — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:15:26 +0000

Polar Star is currently going through the same rehab that extended Polar Sea’s life expectancy to 2014. Polar Sea is broke down – its not 2014. What’s that called when you do the same thing but expect a different outcome?

By: Seatroll

Seatroll — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:28:28 +0000

As more and more issues with our fleet come up two things keep showing up in our wake:

#1 As use to be stated regularly our people are our greatest asset, as these problems did not develop goes some “Gremlin” got wet. They have been developing for years and our engineers have used everything from the traditional bubble gum and bailing wire to crazy glue to keep it running, and complete the mission. Unfortunately that capability has also made them some of our greatest enemies, in the respect that if they had declared it a show stopper, the leadership short and long would have been forced to notice and appropriately react, now it’s all reactionary.
#2 Cutters and Cutter folks are “boat people,” refugies from our history relegated to really do the job while boats and cubicle ninja’s get the credit for missions well done. Boats do as noted above the media shots, cutters do the missions!

By: Cutterman

Cutterman — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:44:37 +0000

Maintaining old cutters is simply not sexy & wont get votes. Votes = $$$. Cute little orange boats, fast-roping, & other “Look-good, Feel-good” counter-terrorism toys sell votes! This is where your tax dollars have been going. It doesnt seem to matter that our old cutters were already out “Standing the Watch” before, during, & ever-since 9/11/01, with no additional funding. Likewise our icebreakers have been breaking ice for decades with no additional funding. Your car doesnt get cheaper to operate with age, why do we expect our ships to? Show me the money? Perhaps the oil spill with wake some people up to the threat along the North Slope!