It's a tough ship named for a tough guy and exactly what you need to bring Santa his provisions before the ice gets too thick.
That's the medium icebreaker Healy in the background the last time they made this humanitarian run. —from Canada Makes A Move In The Arctic, Claims The North Pole: "Santa is Canadian eh", June 2, 2019.
And from Coast Guard News, datelined NORTH POLE, October 4:
Coast Guard Cutter Healy reaches the North Pole
NORTH POLE — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) reached the North Pole Friday after traversing the frozen Arctic Ocean, marking only the second time a U.S. ship has reached the location unaccompanied, the first being Healy in 2015.
Healy, a medium icebreaker, and crew departed Dutch Harbor, Alaska, Sept. 4, beginning their journey to reach latitude 90 degrees north. The cutter and crew supported oceanographic research in collaboration with National Science Foundation-funded scientists throughout their transit to the North Pole.
This is the third time Healy’s traveled to the North Pole since its commissioning in 1999.
“The crew of Healy is proud to reach the North Pole,” said Capt. Kenneth Boda, commanding officer of the Healy. “This rare opportunity is a highlight of our Coast Guard careers. We are honored to demonstrate Arctic operational capability and facilitate the study of this strategically important and rapidly changing region.”
Healy is currently on a months-long, multi-mission deployment to conduct oceanographic research at the furthest reaches of the northern latitudes. The 420-foot icebreaker is the largest ship in the Coast Guard and is capable of breaking through four-and-half feet of ice at a continuous speed of three knots.
Healy, which departed its Seattle homeport on July 11, currently has thirty-four scientists and technicians from multiple universities and institutions aboard, and nearly 100 active duty crew members.
During the cutter’s first Arctic leg of the patrol throughout July and August, Healy traveled into the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, going as far north as 78 degrees. As a part of the Office of Naval Research’s Arctic Mobile Observing System program, Healy deployed underwater sensors, sea gliders and acoustic buoys to study Arctic hydrodynamics in the marginal and pack ice zones.
In addition to enabling Arctic science, Healy also supported U.S. national security objectives for the Arctic region by projecting a persistent ice-capable U.S. presence in U.S. Arctic waters, and patrolling our maritime border with Russia.....
....MUCH MORE
As recently as 2020 America did not have a "persistent ice-capable U.S. presence in U.S. Arctic waters": "The U.S. Has NO Icebreakers It Can Deploy To The Arctic This Year".
The only heavy icebreaker in the U.S. fleet had suffered such a Godawful trip to the Antarctic that it wasn't good for anything:
March 13, 2019
An Account of The Voyage Of The Icebreaker USCG Polar Star (It's bad)
March 4, 2019
FIRE IN ANTARCTIC OCEAN Aboard U.S.Coast Guard’s Last Heavy Icebreaker
The introductions to our two most recent posts on the Polar Star began with "This is just sad".
It is now beyond sad and is stupidly dangerous to use this ship any longer.
January 24, 2019
The Only U.S. Heavy Icebreaker Suffers MULTIPLE Mechanical Problems On Voyage To Antarctica
Dec. 14, 2018
"US Coast Guard Turns Down Arctic Exercise Because 40-year-old Icebreaker Might Break Down And Would Require Russian Help"
And the Healy suffered an engine room fire that pretty much disabled it.
The other U.S. heavy, the USCG Polar Sea is being cannibalized for parts to keep the Polar Star running as long as it can.
And Captain Healy? Originally posted for Christmas 2017:
The introduction of reindeer from Russia to Alaska was quite a big deal at the time and a project of one of the most amazing sailors in the history of the northern seas, Captain Michael Healy of the predecessor to the U.S. Coast Guard, the Revenue Cutter Service.
For 20 years Healy was the law from Seattle to Point Barrow and in what was to become the state of Alaska and the fact he was born a slave and rose to become the first black Captain in the service of the U.S. government was just a small part of his story.
The University of Alaska-Fairbanks has a short history of his and Rev. Sheldon Jackson's efforts to supply Alaskan Natives with a source of food, leather, income etc. when the northern whales and sea-lions were hunted to near extinction.
The largest and most advanced U.S. Coast Guard ship, the icebreaker Healy was named for the Captain and like its namesake is pretty tough.
A couple years ago it became the first U.S. surface ship to break its way to the North Pole:....MORE
