New Cutter Mackinaw Hits Break Wall
The new ice breaker Mackinaw was damaged on Monday when it hit the channel break wall in Grand Haven, Michigan. The incident resulted in no injuries but caused damage to the ship’s hull. Witnesses report a dent about 10 foot by 10 foot near the bow with paint scraped away.
The brand new ship was handed over to the Coast Guard less than a month ago during a ceremony a the ship builder in Marinette, Wisconsin. The Grand Haven visit was part of a mission to familiarize crew with the Great Lakes.
It is unclear why the modern ship hit the inner breakway on a day when seas where calm and weather conditions favorable. Observers at the scene report that the vessel seemed to be trying a turn around in the middle of the channel when it likely had too much speed and slammed into the channel wall. The Coast Guard has not issued an information about a cause of the accident but Ninth District Commander, Rear Admiral Robert J. Papp Jr. reported an investigation will be conducted.
The new ship is scheduled to replace the current Mackinaw next year. In addition to heavy icebreaking the new ship will service buoys, participate in search and rescue and respond to oil spill situations.
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| This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 13th, 2005 at 8:46 am and is filed under Main Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |
