Welcome Aboard The CGC Healy
September 25, 2005
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Come aboard as promised we have caught-up on some photos covering the past few weeks. Enjoy.
All photos are credited: U.S. Coast Guard.
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The Coast Guard Cutter Healy, homeported in Seattle, Washington.
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September 25, 2005. Jeff Jackson, Executive Officer
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Greetings to family & friends from 81 degrees north, 60 miles north of Spitsbergen Island and (mostly) out of the ice.
Last week’s incessant backing & ramming against the tough ice finally ended when we sailed into open water late on Friday evening, marking the end of one of HEALY’s toughest trans-Arctic passages. The crew breathed a collective sigh of relief and we were finally able to set aside our grim obsession with channel 26, the closed-circuit TV channel that shows our navigation system and the poor progress the ship had been making (just 24 miles on one particularly tough day.) Semi-serious talk of setting the ‘winter-over’ bill was replaced with enthusiastic discussion of our upcoming port calls and the transit home to Seattle.
Nature saved the Arctic’s best for last. Just after breaking free of the pack ice we sailed west along the ice edge for a hundred miles, moving to our last science station. The ice edge is fertile hunting territory for polar bears, and at one time we had five of the bears in sight. Twice we saw bears hovering over freshly killed seals, a truly rare event for ships in passage. We were also welcomed back by seabirds, the first we’d seen since heading for the pole in August.
On Saturday the morale committee staged our first “casino night” with roulette, craps, blackjack and other games of chance. The currency at these tables was “Healy Bucks”; everyone started with 2500 bucks, and for some the night ended quickly. For others, however, fortunes were acquired and put to use at the evening’s capstone, an auction for gifts purchased (with real bucks) by the morale committee. The 1st Class Petty Officers pooled their winnings to take ‘home’ the X-Box, Chief Kidd walked off with a Lord of the Rings Trilogy DVD set, MK2 Steele bought a jump drive, Seaman Boggeln outbid everyone for an ivory figurine, and Fireman Ashley Smith paid $145,000 in Healy Bucks for a night at a hotel in Tromso.
This week we will spend two more days near the ice edge ‘doing science,’ and then head south on the 700 mile transit to Tromso, Norway. The crew is looking forward to the 80-mile transit through the northern fjords into Tromso, and touching solid ground for the first time since August 5
For Captain Dan Oliver, Command Master Chief Pete Perron and myself, thanks for all your support. You’ll hear from us again next week. Best, Jeff Jackson Executive Officer USCGC HEALY (WAGB-20)
MST's (Marine Science Technician) from the coast guard are helping the scientists to set up equipment. (August 15, 2005)
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Ice men on their way to collect data on the ice in just one of the boast onboard Healy (August 15, 2005)
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Healy breaking sea ice The ice is between 1-3m thick. (August 15, 2005)
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The Helo coming in for landing on Healy. (Photo courtesy of Bruce Elder) (August 16, 2005)
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See the little red dot? That is the Healy! (Photo, Bruce Elder)(August 16, 2005)
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Polar Bear! Approximately at 175 Longitude -- 78 Latitude (August 2, 2005) (Photo courtesy Bjorn Eriksson)
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Breaking Ice in the middle of summer! (August 25, 2005)
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Scientist Dennis Darby playing golf while on ice liberty. (August 28, 2005)
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Soccer is a great way to spend a day on the ice. (August 28, 2005)
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Ooops, one of the perils of playing on the ice. (August 28, 2005)
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All good things come to an end. Up and on the ship it goes... Bye, bye... What a fun day on the Arctic Ocean! (August 28, 2005)
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Pressure ridges make us back and ram the ice (September 6, 2005)
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CMDR Jackson agreed to help raise monies for the MWR fund by auctioning off the privilege of getting to smack him in the face with some sort of pie. Not much was raised though, he is fairly well liked. (September 6, 2005)
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Captain Dan Oliver (Left) watching the Polar Bear initiation festivities, and thinking to himself, I am glad I am not the XO. (September 6, 2005)
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Ice liberty at the North Pole. They spend about 4 hours there. Take pictures have a beverage and get going. (September 15)
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Getting setup for the group picture of the Healy Crew at the North Pole (September 15,
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Sea ice with pressure ridges up to 18 m thick. (54 feet Approximately)
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89 22.447 N, 89 05.3 W the Healy Crew with Scientists at the North Pole.
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BMCS Sullivan (Navigator) and LT. Eller (Helo pilot) discussing the Tromso map. (September 19, 2005)
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EMC F. Donze changes electronic parts (September 19, 2005)
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MKCS J. Bisson shows the cycloconverter area. Cycloconverters control the speed of the propulsion motors through varying the frequency (0 Hz-20Hz ) provided to the motors. The ship has two and the left one in the photo caused problems. (September 19, 2005)
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Longitude: 150 12.387 E Latitude: 87 38.659 N. The Mighty Healy (September 6, 2005)
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LCDR John Reeves and Captain Dan Oliver at the ships controls driving (September 22, 2005)
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Oden & Healy are very, very close (September 22, 2005)
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the Arctic can be beautiful. the sight of the moon is one that hasn't come often. This is the first time it has been seen in 2 months. Nothing but daylight for months. (September 22, 2005)
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We get sun rise and sun sets now . This one is a sun rise. (September 22, 2005)
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What can get everyone on the bow of a ship? (August 19, 2005)
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A polar Bear of Course! (Photo Courtesy of Bjorn) (August 19, 2005)
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83 26.992811 N, 172 22.41108 W Ice Liberty for two hours. (August 26, 2005)
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One of the ways that the scientists get to the ice is via the basket, or cage. (August 28, 2005)
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A rare sight, beautiful blue skies. (August 31, 2005)
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87 39.610 N, 150 54.091 E The Healy in the ice, with the brow down. (September 6, 2005)
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