USCGC Mackinaw (WAGB-83) facts for kids
USCGC Mackinaw
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United States |
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| Name | USCGC Mackinaw |
| Namesake | Mackinaw City, Michigan |
| Builder | Toledo Shipbuilding Company, American Ship Building Company |
| Laid down | March 20, 1943 |
| Launched | March 4, 1944 |
| Commissioned | December 20, 1944 |
| Decommissioned | June 10, 2006 |
| Identification |
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| Status | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 5,252 long tons (5,336 t) |
| Length | 290 ft (88 m) |
| Beam | 74.3 ft (22.6 m) |
| Draft | 19.5 ft (5.9 m) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Capacity |
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| Complement |
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The USCGC Mackinaw (WAGB-83) was a special United States Coast Guard ship called an icebreaker. It worked on the Great Lakes for 62 years! When it was built in 1944, during World War II, it was a very advanced ship. Its main job was to break ice so that other ships could keep moving through the Great Lakes all winter long. This helped the United States economy during the war. Unlike other large Coast Guard icebreakers, the Mackinaw was made just for the shallow, fresh waters of the Great Lakes.
The Mackinaw was based in Cheboygan, Michigan, for its entire time with the Coast Guard. It traveled to Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, and Erie to clear paths for ships. In 2006, the Mackinaw was taken out of service because it cost too much to run. It then sailed to Mackinaw City, Michigan, where it became the Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum. A smaller, newer Coast Guard ship, also named Mackinaw, replaced it.
Contents
Building a Mighty Icebreaker
In 1941, the U.S. Coast Guard studied a Soviet icebreaker named Krassin. This ship, along with ideas from a modern Swedish icebreaker called Ymer, helped design the Mackinaw. Engineers also looked at how Great Lakes rail ferries broke ice in the Straits of Mackinac. All these ideas helped create the Mackinaw's unique design.
Construction Challenges
The Mackinaw started being built on March 20, 1943, at the Toledo Shipbuilding Company in Toledo, Ohio. This company wasn't ready for such a big and complex ship. Because of delays, the company went out of business. The American Ship Building Company then took over.
The Mackinaw was launched sideways into the water on March 4, 1944. It was officially ready for service on December 20, 1944. During World War II, many men were away fighting, so the shipyard hired over 100 women to help build the ship. The Mackinaw ended up costing $10 million, which was a lot of money back then.
Designed for the Great Lakes
The Mackinaw's design is similar to the Coast Guard's Wind-class icebreakers, but it was specially made for the Great Lakes. It was built longer and wider than ocean icebreakers so it wouldn't sit as deep in the shallower lake waters. Its cooling system used the fresh lake water directly for its engines.
The Mackinaw has a very strong double hull. The space between the two hulls is filled with fuel and ballast tanks. These ballast tanks can quickly pump 160 tons of water in and out in just 90 seconds. This makes the ship rock side to side (called heeling) by 24 degrees, which helps push ice away from its sides.
How it Breaks Ice
Besides its two large propellers at the back, the Mackinaw also has a propeller at the front. This front propeller pulls water from under the ice, creating a hollow space. When the Mackinaw rides its bow (front) up onto the ice, the unsupported ice breaks into this hollow space. The churning water from the front propeller also helps the ship slide through the ice.
The Mackinaw could break through 42 inches of solid "blue" ice. It could also clear paths through 38 to 40 feet of broken, piled-up ice. The sides of its hull have an "ice belt" of thick steel plating for protection.
Each of the three propellers has its own electric motor. The front propeller motor has 3,300 horsepower, and each back propeller motor has 5,000 horsepower. These motors get their power from six diesel engines and generators. The ship's crew could switch how the power was sent to the propellers, depending on whether they were breaking ice or cruising in open water.
A Long Career of Service
The Mackinaw was built to make the Great Lakes shipping season longer during World War II. Normally, ice would stop ships from moving from late December until March or April. The Coast Guard figured that adding just ten days to the shipping season could help deliver millions of tons of important materials like iron ore and grain.
Early Years (1945-1960)
The Mackinaw's first job was to train 25 Soviet sailors in early 1945. After the war, it continued its icebreaking duties on the Great Lakes. At that time, the channels to the ocean weren't big enough for the Mackinaw.
Every year, the Mackinaw's icebreaking season lasted about 70 days, usually from mid-December until May. There was a month-long break in February for the crew and ship to rest.
During the icebreaking season, the Mackinaw kept shipping lanes open in places like Whitefish Bay and the St. Marys River. It also worked in the Straits of Mackinac and sometimes on the Detroit River and St. Clair River. In very cold winters, it even went to ports like Buffalo on Lake Erie. The Mackinaw would free trapped ships and lead them to open water.
In 1947, the Mackinaw helped clear Buffalo harbor, freeing many ships. It did this again in 1948, allowing ships to leave earlier than ever before.
The Mackinaw didn't usually do search and rescue missions, but it did help after Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2501 disappeared over Lake Michigan in 1950. The Mackinaw and other ships searched for survivors and collected airplane parts.
Its powerful engines also made it good for towing large ships in trouble. In 1956, it helped the grain carrier J. P. Wells, which was caught in a storm on Lake Superior. The Mackinaw towed the freighter to safety.
From 1954 to 1957, while the Mackinac Bridge was being built, the Mackinaw cleared ice around the bridge piers. This helped the bridge foundations settle properly during winter.
Mid-Career (1960-1990)
In 1960, the Mackinaw helped rescue the crew of the freighter SS Francisco Morazan, which ran aground in a snowstorm on Lake Michigan. The ship's crew, including the captain's wife, were safely taken off.
In 1965, the Mackinaw was in charge of rescue efforts after the ship SS Cedarville sank near the Mackinac Bridge. The Mackinaw's crew pulled people from the water and took on survivors.
In 1966, it rescued crew members from the German freighter MV Nordmeer, which grounded in Lake Huron during a gale. A Coast Guard helicopter airlifted the remaining crew to the Mackinaw.
In 1967, the Mackinaw traveled through the Welland Canal to visit Montreal for the Expo 67 fair. This showed that the ship could now travel beyond the Great Lakes, though it still needed fresh water for its engines.
In 1976, the Mackinaw helped free the ore carrier Cliffs Victory, which ran aground on the Saint Marys River. This caused a huge traffic jam of over 60 ships waiting to pass.
In 1984, unexpected winds pushed ice into the St. Clair River, blocking it for weeks. The Mackinaw, along with other U.S. and Canadian icebreakers, led convoys of ships through the ice jam. Thousands of people watched this "ice jam of the century" from the river banks.
Final Years (1990-2006)
In 1991, the Mackinaw welcomed its first female sailors, both officers and enlisted crew.
In 1998, the Mackinaw's hull was repainted from white to red, matching other Coast Guard icebreakers.
As the years passed, the Mackinaw became very expensive to maintain. The Coast Guard had planned to retire it several times, but shipping companies and Congress always objected. Finally, in 2000, the Coast Guard began looking for a replacement ship. The Mackinaw cost over $4 million a year to operate, and it was getting too old and breaking down often.
In 2004, a group called the Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum (IMMM) was formed to turn the Mackinaw into a museum. They wanted to keep the ship in the Mackinac Straits area.
On June 10, 2006, after 62 years of service, the Mackinaw was officially retired in Cheboygan. A new Coast Guard icebreaker, also named Mackinaw, was commissioned on the same day. On June 21, the old Mackinaw sailed to its new home in Mackinaw City to become a museum. The museum opened to visitors in 2007.
As a Museum Ship
The Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum is located at the old SS Chief Wawatam railroad dock in Mackinaw City. Visitors can take tours and even stay overnight on the ship! You can explore the mess hall, the captain's rooms, the bridge, the engine room, and other areas. There's also a gift shop. All current and former U.S. Coast Guard members can visit for free.
Amateur Radio Station
A group of amateur radio enthusiasts has set up a full-time radio station on board the museum ship. This station, using the call sign W8AGB (matching the ship's WAGB-83 designation), helps with communications around the Straits of Mackinac. Visitors who are licensed amateur radio operators can even use the W8AGB station when a group member is present. The group also helps restore and operate the ship's old communication and navigation systems.
Awards and Honors
The USCGC Mackinaw received several awards during its service:
- American Campaign Medal
- World War II Victory Medal
- National Defense Service Medal with three service stars
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
