Icebreakers – Professional Mariner

27 Mar

Davie wins design contract for Canada’s new icebreakers

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreakers, shipbuilding

(LEVIS, Quebec) — Chantier Davie Canada announced Monday that it has been awarded its first National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) contract by the government of Canada for the design of the six-ship fleet of the nation’s future program icebreakers. This milestone marks the beginning of Davie’s NSS work package to replenish Canada’s Arctic fleet. Each initiative under the contract will help…

04 Mar

Congress finalizes funds for key Great Lakes interests

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Icebreakers, Ports, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — Five months after the beginning of the fiscal year, Congress unveiled its final spending plan for a handful of government agencies Sunday. These include programs of critical importance to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway maritime industry. How did we get here? As a reminder, the federal fiscal year begins on Oct. 1 and ends on Sept. 30 of…

09 Feb

Seaspan completes ‘prototype block’ for new icebreaker

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreakers, shipbuilding

(NORTH VANCOUVER, British Columbia) — Seaspan Shipyards has successfully completed construction of the "prototype block" for the Canadian Coast Guard’s polar icebreaker program. Construction of the block ensures that Seaspan has the proper processes, procedures, equipment and skills necessary to build the first heavy polar icebreaker in Canada in more than 60 years. Seaspan developed and built the prototype block…

15 Sep

Canadian Coast Guard dedicates third converted icebreaker

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Icebreakers, shipbuilding

(QUEBEC CITY) — Icebreakers are an essential component of the Canadian Coast Guard fleet, ensuring safe navigation, preventing ice jams and flooding, and keeping shipping routes open. On Monday, CCGS Vincent Massey, the third of three medium interim icebreakers, was officially welcomed to the fleet at a dedication ceremony in Quebec City. At the dockside event, the sponsor of the…

15 Dec

Polar Star makes Australian port call before Deep Freeze

Rich MillerMaritime NewsIcebreakers, U.S. Coast Guard

(SYDNEY, Australia) — The United States’ only operational heavy icebreaker, the Coast Guard cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10), made a scheduled port call Thursday in Chowder Bay, Australia. Polar Star’s Chowder Bay port call is part of the crew’s annual journey to Antarctica where they will support Operation Deep Freeze, a joint military service mission to resupply the United States…

14 Jun

Davie, Canada in talks to add more icebreakers

Rich MillerMaritime NewsIcebreakers, shipbuilding

(OTTAWA, Ontario) — The government of Canada has announced that it will begin negotiations with Chantier Davie of Levis, Quebec, toward an umbrella agreement to become the third strategic partner under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). Pending successful negotiations, an agreement is expected to be in place by the end of 2022. The NSS is a long-term, multibillion-dollar program to…

13 Apr

Polar Star back in dry dock after Antarctic duty

Rich MillerMaritime NewsCoast Guard, Icebreakers

(ALAMEDA, Calif.) — The 140-member crew of U.S. Coast Guard cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) returned to the United States and entered dry dock Friday after completing a 147-day deployment in support of the U.S. Antarctic Program and national interests in Antarctica and the Southern Hemisphere. Polar Star’s crew departed their Seattle home port on Nov. 13 for the cutter’s…