Post Date: 5 April 2008
Kodiak, Alaska
Posted By: Michael Cameron

Tying Up Loose Ends and Visting the Polar Sea and Oscar Dyson

The USCG icebreaker Polar Sea and NOAA ship Oscar Dyson

We spent most of the day tying up loose ends, buying those last minute-items (e.g., batteries, super glue, laundry detergent) and enjoying the natural beauty of Kodiak Island. We visited the Polar Sea and the Oscar Dyson and took a guided tour on each ship. The ships are quite different.

The Polar Sea was built (along with its sister-ship the Polar Star) in the 1970s. It is still the most powerful non-nuclear icebreaker in the world, with the ability to break ice over 12 ft thick. It is often called upon to break a channel for re-supply ships to reach McMurdo Station in Antarctica. It is 399 ft long and has the traditional red-hull of all Coast Guard ice breakers.

In contrast, the Oscar Dyson was commissioned in 2005. It is one of the most technologically advanced research ships in the world. It is 240 ft long, white, and while it does not have the ability to break ice, or have a helicopter pad, it does have an almost silent propulsion system, which is very useful for fisheries research. Both ships are well maintained with excellent, friendly, and helpful crew.

More from the Polar Sea survey>>>