We have had a recent series from the Icebreaking tug USCGC Morro Bay (WTGB 106) as she deployed from her homeport in New York to the Great Lakes to help with icebreaking there. Here is a very quick video of her engineroom. Looking good for a 30 year old ship (Commissioned in 1981). The FY2012 budget request includes funds to renovate the first of her class.
Morro Bay is one of a class of 8. Here are their basic specs:
- Displacement: 662 tons full load
- Length: 140 feet (42.67 meters)
- Beam: 37.6 feet (11.43 meters)
- Draft: 12.5 feet (3.66 meters)
- Two Fairbanks Morse main propulsion diesels that drive generators (engines and generators at their far end, are gray in the video)
- Westinghouse electric drive motor
- Single shaft
- Two 125 KW ship service generators (they are yellow in the video)
- 2,500 HP
- Speed: 14.7
- Endurance 1,800 nmi/14.7 knots, 4,000 nmi/12 knots (probably requires only one diesel)
- Crew: 3 officers, 14 enlisted
Please, correct me if I am wrong, but I presume the ship service generators are forward of the main prop diesels.
Here are links to some of the previous posts about Morro Bay’s deployment:
- http://cgblog.org/2011/02/01/cgc-morro-bay-boatswain-mate-problem-solving-hit-it-repeatedly/
- http://cgblog.org/2011/02/08/cgc-morro-bay-saving-lives/
- http://cgblog.org/2011/02/08/cgc-morro-bay-it-was-an-insane-sight/
- http://cgblog.org/2011/02/12/cgc-morro-bay-it-was-4-degrees-outside-this-morning/
- http://cgblog.org/2011/02/15/cgc-morro-bay-mama-im-coming-home/
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
The “Bay Class’ icebreakers are diesel electric propulsion. Each diesel engine powers an electrical generator that provides power to the electric motor that drives the single screw. The result is high torque at low rpm….just like a locomotive. In addition, an air compressor on the fantail provides low pressure / high volume air to ports along the hull. This flow of air pushes water along the hull providing lubrication and increasing the ice breaking capability. Nice technology for a 30 year old ship!
I have had the opportunity to break ice with her sister ships Biscayne Bay (WTGB 104) and Sturgeon Bay (WTGB 109).
I was in HQ when they came out and helped coordinate the pre-com. Interesting and useful little ships.
Indeed! Multi-tasking work boats.
Not very fast, but capable.
I like the concept of re-commissioning them rather than replacing them.
The engine room of the Morro Bay is Bristol, the USCG has taken good care of this fleet.
video of a 140 breaking ice on the Hudson river: http://www.nytimes.com/video/nyregion/100000003526443/breaking-ice-on-the-hudson.html?playlistId=1194811622241®ion=video-grid&version=video-grid-thumbnail&contentCollection=New+York&contentPlacement=0&module=recent-videos&action=click&pgType=Multimedia&eventName=video-grid-click
I served in the Morro Bay in the early 80’s when it was home ported at Yorktown as the OCS training ship. As the EMC I was the Assistant Engineering Officer. Finland was suing the CG at the time for the air bubbler system which they had proprietory claim to. Because of our close proximity to Washington DC Dept of Justice Lawyers were always coming down and we would have to fire her up and bubble for them. They would walk around watch us bubble and take notes. It was pretty funny. I think Finland won that suit.
As a Lt, I ran a small precomm section in HQ and was responsible for getting the crews precommissioning training done, providing preliminary organization, that sort of thing, when the 140s were being built, so I have connection with these little ships.