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In the twilight of a notable career By Glen G. Nekvasil Whether it's true that a red sky at night is a sailor's delight is open to debate, but there's no question that a certain red hull in ice makes everything nice for Great Lakes mariners. The U.S. Coast Guard recently changed the hull color of the icebreaker Mackinaw from white to red to improve her visibility in winter's blanket, but in truth, the Mackinaw has been a standout for every day of her 55-year career on the Great Lakes. |
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As portrayed on the cover of this magazine, the U.S. Coast Guard's "mighty Mackinaw" paid a visit to the Port of Duluth-Superior this spring to assist cutter Sundew in clearing harbor ice. The cutter Mackinaw played a fitting hostess to some 40 local maritime officials at an onboard ice-breaking demonstration during her stay. Port Director Davis Helberg took the opportunity to meet with Mackinaw Commander Edward Sinclair. |
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Launched in 1944 to ensure that America's steel mills received the iron ore they then turned into the bombers, tanks and warships that won World War II, the Mackinaw has never failed in its mission. Even in the harshest winters, she's mastered every ice formation Mother Nature put in her path. Just as recently as 1994, the shipping season from Lake Superior began on schedule only because the Mackinaw led convoys of U.S.-flag and Canadian-flag lakers across the largest of the five Great Lakes until April 7. The Mackinaw is, however, now entering the twilight of her career. While the Lakes fresh water environment means a well-maintained hull can last virtually forever (a cement carrier built in 1906 is one of the busiest ships working the Great Lakes), it is all but certain that the Coast Guard will retire the Mackinaw within the next five to six years. It would cost nearly as much to modernize the Mackinaw as it would to build a brand new icebreaker, and with improvements in hull design since 1944, a new heavy icebreaker could also perform other missions such as placement of aids to navigation and search and rescue. Thanks to Minnesota Congressman James L. Oberstar and his Wisconsin colleague Dave Obey, the Mackinaw won't be retired until a vessel with like capabilities has been assigned to the Great Lakes. These two champions of Great Lakes shipping have been the driving force behind studies to determine how to best replace the Mackinaw. With those studies all but completed, Congressman Oberstar has included a provision in this year's Coast Guard Authorization bill earmarking $128 million in FY2001 for construction of a new heavy icebreaker for the Lakes. The next step in the legislative process is appropriations, and Congressman Obey is ranking minority member on the House Appropriations Committee. While there is no argument that the Lakes need a heavy icebreaker, construction of the Mackinaw's successor will likely be accompanied by a renewed effort to impose ice breaking user charges on Great Lakes shipping. That's a rather short-sighted view seeing as 70 percent of the nation's steel making capacity depends on delivery of iron ore on the Lakes from early March until late January, and that 55 per-cent of the nation's heavy manufacturing takes place within the Great Lakes basin, but the Office of Management and Budget has been desirous of Coast Guard user charges for several years now. The Great Lakes delegation in the House and Senate will surely have to defeat a new proposal in the near future, but with such widespread benefits from Great Lakes shipping, reason will prevail and essential Coast Guard functions such as ice breaking and other services will continue to be funded from general revenues..
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