More than 60 years ago a mighty cutter was launched and quickly became known as the largest, most powerful, most capable icebreaker in the world. Throughout its long history Mackinaw has kept commerce moving on the U.S. northern bodies of water by keeping the shipping lanes open. The cutter’s crew has worked to helped free ice bound ships, transported international mariners to safety and became known as the Christmas Tree Ship by delivering Christmas trees to Chicago.
But, as every beginning must have and an end, the Mighty Mack prepares to make way for new blood.
The day was clear and crisp with a small helping of puffy white clouds in the blue sky. Jean Hastert, the ship’s sponsor and wife of U.S. House of Representatives J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), climbed the platform that would bring her eye to bow of this magnificent ship. She swung a bottle of champagne toward the hull where it smashed on impact eliciting a roar of approval from the onlookers.
Amidst cheers, pomp, circumstance, decoration and anticipation, the new cutter splashed into the Menomonee River from her construction cradle April 2 at Marinette Marine Corporation in Marinette, Wisc. A wave that nearly spanned the width of the river showed onlookers this cutter was just about ready to fill the huge wake it was built to replace. This is the new, high-tech cutter that will take the place of yesterday’s state-of-the-art, powerful Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw.
During a ceremony just before the launch, a sea of people from all over the Great Lakes sat transfixed listening to what each speaker had to say. Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Thomas H. Collins, spoke of the “new and improved Mackinaw,” that she will be “the envy of the Coast Guard fleet for years to come.”
“We are here to celebrate the new Mack, but we must pay tribute to the old Mack that has served the U.S. for more than 60 years,” said keynote speaker, Representative Hastert during the ceremony.
This being such a historical day on the Great Lakes, people from all around the region flooded into the tiny town of Marinette to witness a moment in time that will be remembered and talked about for years to come. A woman from Duluth, Minn., took a tour bus ride with about 30 other Duluth Mackinaw fans. There wasn’t anything in the world that was going to keep her from seeing a piece of history in the making, she said.
The new Mackinaw is not only replacing her namesake, but also a second cutter, the buoy tender Acacia. This unique new cutter will be multi-mission minded, like the old Mackinaw. Though unlike her predecessor, this red-hulled icebreaker will also have a place among the black-hulled buoy tending fleet on the Great Lakes.
The new icebreaking-buoy tender will be able to provide 15 days of continuous icebreaking support. It is powered by three Caterpillar diesel engines enabling it to break through 32 inches of level ice at three knots. Twin Azipod™ Propulsion Units with fixed pitch propellers and a bow thruster propel the ship, providing unparalleled maneuverability.
In order to fulfill its buoy-tending mission, the ship has a 20-ton crane for lifting and servicing aids to navigation and a heated buoy deck. In addition, it is equipped with an oil spill recovery system and some of the latest technology that includes state of the art navigation, communication and security systems.
“The new Mack is an excellent example of building a better, more capable Coast Guard,” Collins said during the ceremony.
The 240-foot cutter will be manned with a crew of nine officers and 49 enlisted personnel, with Cmdr. Don Triner at the helm. The cutter is scheduled to be delivered to the Coast Guard October 14 and an established commissioning date June 9, 2006, the same day the Old Mack is scheduled to be decommissioned.
“We will maintain all of the traditional rolls of the Mackinaw. The Christmas tree run – still on. Coast Guard Festival – still on,” said the new operations officer, Lt. Dave Schuler.
The original Mackinaw was built to model the World War II era Wind Class cutters, but with slight differences since it was made especially for ice breaking in the fresh water of the Great Lakes. During the months of December through April of every year since her commissioning, the ship has responded to maintain the flow of commerce through the shipping channels of the Great Lakes and its connecting rivers.
"Usually the places where the biggest ice problems exist and the ships are having the most trouble, that's where the Mackinaw will be sent each year," said the older ship's commanding officer, Cmdr. Joe McGuiness.
May of 1997, former crewmember, MKCS Glenn Hall, recalls still breaking ice in Marquette Harbor, he says wasn’t a “typical May.”
After splashing into the river, the Mackinaw righted herself and the river water drained off of her decks. The gathered crowd stayed to admire the ship for just a little while longer as she bobbed atop the river. Finally, it was time to say good-bye to this splendid ship, for now, until she would be patrolling the lakes, working buoys and breaking ice.
printer friendly