Ninth District Public Affairs U.S. Coast Guard

Sundew History

SUNDEW’S HISTORY   The United States Coast Guard Cutter SUNDEW, “The Superior One”, was launched from Marine Iron and Shipbuilding Company, Duluth, MN on February 8, 1944 and was commissioned on 24 August 1944.  The SUNDEW called many places home before returning to Duluth almost a quarter century ago.  Her first homeport was Manitowoc, WI.  There she serviced Aids to Navigation and conducted icebreaking and search and rescue missions.  In 1947, SUNDEW saved the lives of 28 crewmen on the freighter JUPITER, and towed the 3000-ton vessel to safety.  In 1950, SUNDEW was transferred to Milwaukee, WI where she served for 3 years.  From 1953 to 1958, Sturgeon Bay, WI was home to SUNDEW.  During these years, SUNDEW conducted annual breakouts for ports along Lake Michigan and freed numerous vessels beset in ice, including the fishing vessels Green Bay, Ellison Bay, and Jackson Harbor who were in danger of the ice crushing their thin hulls.  SUNDEW was moved to Charlevoix, MI in 1958.  While in Charlevoix, SUNDEW’s missions expanded to include lighthouse maintenance--taking fuel, supplies and personnel to area lighthouses.    In 1958, SUNDEW engaged in one of her most noteworthy missions when she was sent to the aid of the Carl D. Bradley who had cracked in two and was sinking.  SUNDEW braved waves of 30 to 40 feet as she rescued the only two survivors of the 35-man crew from a wooden life raft where they endured the elements for nearly 14 hours.  During the fall of 1962, a 40-foot patrol boat from the Charlevoix Lifeboat Station began to take on water during a storm.  The 3-man crew was forced to beach themselves on the north shore of Little Traverse Bay.  SUNDEW was dispatched to tow the boat off the beach, hoist it aboard, and return it to Charlevoix.  In the winter of 1962, as SUNDEW was returning to Charlevoix after retrieving Aids to Navigation, she was ordered to change course and assist a 64-foot tug that had grounded itself on the southwest side of Beaver Island.  After snapping three tow hawsers SUNDEW finally pulled the tug free and towed it to Detroit.  In 1963 SUNDEW got underway on a mercy mission of transporting five tons of bailed hay and a large supply of grain to Beaver Island in northern Lake Michigan for a herd of 150 Herefords, a type of hardy red beef cattle, who’s food supply was running dangerously low.  It took Sundew 11 hours to break its way through thick ice from Charlevoix to the harbor of St. James, a distance of 32 miles, where the cutter unloaded the cattle’s cargo.  In 1964 the CGC MESQUITE, another 180’ buoy tender, ran aground on a reef south of Escanaba, WI.  The tug John Purves was sent to free the MESQUITE but ran aground on the same reef.  The Coast Guard then dispatched SUNDEW and she was able to tow the tug off the reef with no damage.  Together the tug Purves and SUNDEW pulled the MESQUITE to safety, and SUNDEW escorted the Purves as it towed MESQUITE to Escanaba for repairs of the 12 foot gash that flooded the engine room and other sections of the cutter.  During the ordeal, SUNDEW shared food and other supplies with the 45 crewmen aboard MESQUITE after learning food storage compartments were damaged in the grounding.  In February 1971, when commercial sources failed, SUNDEW was again called upon to bring emergency supplies to Beaver Island.  This time in the form of 2100 gallons of gasoline, 3600 gallons of fuel oil, 20 one-hundred pound tanks of propane gas, and a new radiator for the diesel engine which powered the island’s electrical generator.  In fall of 1971, SUNDEW and a helicopter from Air Station Traverse City, were tasked to search for the 9 crewmembers and retrieve the wreckage of a U.S. Air Force B-52 Bomber that crashed into northeast Lake Michigan during a practice bombing mission.  In the 60’s and 70’s, one of SUNDEW’s spring duties was to take crews to seven lighthouse stations in Northern Lake Michigan and Lake Huron that could not be manned during winter freeze-over.  Early in 1973 while SUNDEW was on one of these many logistic runs, she was diverted to the Straits of Mackinac to assist four steamers that were beset in moving ice fields.  In that same season and again in the Straits of Mackinac, SUNDEW assisted the Cutter SOUTHWIND in freeing the steamers Vorhees, Fraser, Ferbert, Olds, and the S.T. Crapo after they too became stuck in ice.  From August 1977 to August 1978, SUNDEW underwent major renovation at Coast Guard Yard, Curtis Bay, MD.  There she was given new, more powerful Main Diesel Engines, a larger shaft and propeller, and an upgraded main motor with additional thrust bearing support to facilitate the icebreaking mission.  These changes made SUNDEW the most powerful 180-foot buoy tender in the fleet.    In 1980, SUNDEW returned to Duluth, MN where she continued her distinguished service to the public.  SUNDEW sailed in salt water for the first and only time between 1987 and 1988.  She wintered over in the Caribbean where she conducted search and rescue, law enforcement operations, and serviced Aids to Navigation.  Early spring in 1991, SUNDEW freed the icebound M/V’s Incan Superior, Tarantau, Winnipeg, and Lee A. Tregurtha, clearing a path for them to enter Duluth Harbor.  In 1999, SUNDEW conducted a rescue mission in Superior Harbor.  Two people were caught in shifting ice in the harbor and local authorities were unable to assist.  Because it was after the workday, SUNDEW got underway without its usual compliment, proceeded to the scene and rescued the two people from an oncoming winter storm.  SUNDEW has also conducted many scientific missions on Lake Superior.  SUNDEW assists in the maintenance and monitoring of weather observation buoys for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  Today brings closure to the life of one of the Coast Guards most durable assets.  In its 60 years of service, SUNDEW has met every challenge head on.  She will remain in the Duluth area, a museum, where she will continue to educate the public about life aboard a Coast Guard Cutter, just as she has educated those who have proudly sailed with her for the last 60 years.

MILWAUKEE  – The Coast Guard provided a staging area for numerous federal, state and local response agencies to enforce safety and security during the Harley-Davidson 100^th Anniversary Celebration.

Hundreds of thousands of people from around the world attended the celebration from August 27-31, 2003.  The majority of events took place at various locations along Milwaukee’s Lakefront.

The Coast Guard facility was an ideal location to house response agencies for the Harley-Davidson events.  The base provided close proximity to the events, easy access to major transportation routes and detailed support to accommodate people, vehicles and equipment.

Federal, state and local agencies who operated from the Coast Guard’s facility included: the FBI, ATF, Milwaukee Fire Department Hazmat Team, Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Biological Emergency Support Team, Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, City of Milwaukee Health Department, WI Emergency Management, Milwaukee County Emergency Management and Amateur Radio Emergency Support. 

Dozens of highly trained personnel and specialized response vehicles were staged at the base.  “This coordinated effort shows our capability and dedication to ensuring the safety of the people of Milwaukee,” said Deputy Chief Peter Putchinski of the Milwaukee Fire Department.

The size, international interest, and publicity of the event warranted the response preparations.  A broad range of capabilities was available to handle possible threats and emergencies.  Some of these capabilities included hazmat units trained to detect, identify and respond to chemical, biological, and radiological agents; K-9 teams trained to detect bombs; local and federal bomb squads trained to disable an explosive device; bomb disposal robots; specialized teams who monitored the local environment for biological agents; conducting surveillance at local area hospitals and monitoring unusual cases or increases of diseases; and state of the art communication systems. 

In addition to providing the staging area for the Harley-Davidson event, the Coast Guard also increased boat and harbor security patrols during the celebration.

“The facilities at the Coast Guard Base provided a unique opportunity to support and work with our fellow Homeland Security partners to increase safety and security along Milwaukee’s Lakefront,” said CDR Mark Hamilton, Captain of the Port, Milwaukee

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   Strong winds and bitter cold temperatures plunged the Great Lakes into the worst ice season the area has experience in more than 20 years. Lakes Superior and Huron had 98 percent ice coverage.  Lake Erie was completely ice covered.  Lake Michigan’s southern end and its bays and harbors were ice covered. 

   “It has been 25 years since we had to provide icebreaking in the Chicago area”, said Cmdr. Joe McGuiness, Ninth Coast Guard District Aids to Navigation Assistant Branch Chief.  “This has been a tough ice season.  Environment Canada said they have not seen ice conditions like this year since the early 70s.”  

   “The main goal of icebreaking is to keep the shipping channels passable”, said McGuiness.  “This year we were not able meet our goal.  The demands for our services outstripped our resources.  In some ports the ice was too severe fore even the Mackinaw, the largest icebreaker on the Great Lakes and the Samuel Risley, Canada’s largest icebreaker on the Great Lakes.  Traffic lakes wide only moved with escorts.” 

   The United States and Canada maintain the largest bilateral trade relationship in the world, and trade between the province of Ontario and the Great Lakes states accounts for more than half of the total. Historically, this trade relationship dates back to the Native Americans, who first mined copper in the northern parts of the Great Lakes region and traded it as far east as New York.

   Later, French fur traders followed the water routes used by the Indians, traveling the lakes in their canoes with loads of pelts bound for the East Coast and Europe. The fur trade lasted until the early 1800s and was followed by logging, commercial fishing and agriculture and, more recently, by manufactured goods.

   “Icebreaking on the Great Lakes is a key to the regions economy,” said McGuiness.  “We help our industries maintain global competitiveness. We keep the shipping lanes open a month longer in winter and open them up earlier in the spring.  These longer shipping seasons mean reduced the factories do not have to stockpile so much raw materials.  That reduces inventory costs, so the cost of manufacturing is lower.  We clear the ways so ships carrying coal can reach power plants, resulting in lower cost, yet reliable electicity for everyone.  Barges keep gasoline and home heating oil flowing north.  For the average citizen this means lower cost for heating oil and gasoline.  The region needs shipping, and shipping needs Coast Guard icebreaking.”

   An average of 200 million tons of cargo passes through the Great Lakes each year.  Major Commodities shipped on the Great Lakes each season are; iron ore 72,300,000 tons and coal 41,000,000 tons. Dry –bulk shipping generally begins in early March and extends until the end of January.  One 65,000-ton cargo of iron ore keeps a major steel mill in operation for more that four days.  One 65,000-ton coal cargo produces enough electricity to power the Greater Detroit area for one day.

   “A Detroit area steel mill’s operation was facing layoffs if product was not moved during midwinter,” said McGuiness.  “Our icebreakers were able to keep the channels open and shipping moving.  The mill stayed open and no layoffs were made.”

   The Great Lakes are divided into two main parts; the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Upper Great Lakes.  The St. Lawrence Seaway includes Lake Ontario, the Welland Canal and the numerous lakes, river and locks the connect Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean.  The Upper Great Lakes include; Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake St. Claire, Sault Ste. Marie Locks and the St. Claire and Detroit Rivers.

   The main cargo exported from the Great Lakes region is U.S. and Canadian grain.  The ships that carry cargo to the Atlantic are called “salties”.  A single ‘saltie’ carries 925,000 bushels of grain, which represents the harvest of 29,000 acres and would make enough bread to feed New York City for a month.

   “This season, ice delayed the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway,” said McGuiness.  “This is the first delay in the seaway’s seasonal opening since 1959. The St. Lawrence Seaway is required to be open from late March until late December.  Ice begins forming early in the St. Lawrence Seaway, especially in the Welland Canal, the part of the waterway that connects lakes Ontario and Erie.”

  Icebreaking in the St. Lawrence Seaway is the responsibility of the Seaway Commission and the Canadian Coast Guard.  The Canadian icebreaker Simcoe and the Seaways tug Robinson Bay keep commerce moving until the Seaway closes.  This season the heavy ice conditions delayed the opening of the Seaway and Welland Canal six days.   The Canadian Coast Guard ordered in the Pierre Radisson and the U.S. Coast Guard brought up the Morro Bay from New England to assist.

   Seasoned marine community members have characterized current conditions as the worst season in the last 25 years.  Davis Helberg, Port director of Duluth, M.N., stated that this is one of three worst ice conditions seen in his 45 years with the port.

   “15 December to 30 April is the official ice season, although we have certainly broken ice before and after these dates,” said McGuiness.  There is a mid winter period between 29 Jan. and 15 March when we reduce our icebreaking missions.  This corresponds to a slow down in ship traffic and the height of the ice season.  We use this time to do minor repairs and get ready for the spring opening.”

   Effective icebreaking is a combination of specially designed hull, horsepower, air bubblers and heeling tanks.  The maximum thickness of ice a cutter can break varies according to its size, design, engine power, weight and whether or not it s uses any unique icebreaking systems

   The 140-foot bay-class icebreaking cutters are equipped with a bubbler system.  A bubbler system is a low-pressure air pump that forces air out of small holes along the bottom of the cutter.  This reduces resistance against the hull

. The primary method for icebreaking is for a cutter to build up speed and ride up onto the ice, crushing it beneath its hull as it steams ahead.  When the ice is too thick to ride up on, the cutters ram the ice then back up and ram it again.  This is called ‘back and ram” and like a floating battering ram, the cutter slowly pounds its way through the ice.

   “Icebreaking is very hard on the cutter’s engine plant,” said McGuiness.  “The backing and ramming of the ice, requires the engine plant to be constantly ramping up and down.  This leads to a lot of engine casualties.  Our cutters are old, but they are in great shape because of the hard work of their crews.”

  “It is very stressful work,” said McGuiness.  “Crews work in narrow channels near shoal water, with many evolutions going on at the same time for days on end.  Icebreaking is a very complex operation, but given all that; most of us just love it.  We get a deep rooted sense of satisfaction from moving huge ships through the ice and the contribution we make to the region.”

   The dominant factor in icebreaking is the weather.  It is a constant variable that shapes the whole ice season.  Sometimes it can be a crew’s worst enemy, other times, like the recent warm spell has been a gift.

   “We have to be very respectful of the weather,” said McGuiness.  “Strong winds will close a track as fast as it is made.  In open water, topside icing is a real danger to ships stability and something to be avoided.  You have to work with the weather, not against it.  Delaying operations for a few hours or perhaps a day due to weather is usually just as efficient, as following a tight schedule, but safer.”

   “Whitefish Bay is typically our most difficult area,” said McGuiness.  “Ice that forms on Lake Superior is blown by the prevailing winds into the bay.  This year we saw plate ice as thick as five feet and ice ridges as high as 15 feet above the lake surface.  A track needs to be open before the locks at Sault St. Marie can be used.  U.S. icebreakers were able to establish and maintain tracks and the locks opened on time at midnight March 25.”

   “It has been a challenging year and we are very proud of our icebreaking crews,” said McGuiness.  “They were able to keep the ships moving.  But, we are by no means done.  We continue to assist shipping, conduct flood relief icebreaking and restore all the channel markers.  There is plenty of work ahead.”

   The last time the lakes completely froze over was 1979.