Icebreaking Anchor Handling Vessel Aiviq
Commercial Polar icebreaker Aiviq will join the U.S Coast Guard inventory before the end of the calendar year, officials announced during a Congressional hearing on Capitol Hill…“We are making tremendous strides. It’s painted about a quarter of the way in Coast Guard icebreaker red and it’s underway today with a team from the owners doing an evaluation and we’ll get on the vessel in the coming weeks,” confirmed VADM Thomas Allan, in front of the House Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure…“It will be in the Coast Guard inventory before the end of this calendar year and we will be sailing that up into the Arctic in 2026,” expanded VADM Allan.
An earlier post recounts “The Icebreaker Aiviq Saga.”
In October 2015 we learned that Shell had abandoned its ambitions to drill in the Arctic and that Aiviq was up for sale and that construction had been suspended on a second icebreaking AHTS, meaning it might also be available. I suggested, “This might be an opportunity for the Coast Guard to obtain one or two reasonably capable medium icebreaker in the near term on favorable terms.” Icebreaker Bargain?
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
Aiviq‘s loss of main engine power was sea water in the fuel oil. After the casualty, sea water contamination was found in settling tanks, day tanks, main engine primary filters and main engine injectors. The design of the vessel allowed considerable amount of sea water to enter the stern deck and subsequently to the fuel oil tanks through overflow vents in heavy weather. There were also problems with fuel management practices onboard Aiviq
Presume the defects are fixable or they would not be buying it now.
Direct drive rather than Diesel Electric meant it was never the ship we really wanted.
I’d rather look at this as lessons earned from a first in class rather than be learning these lessons again on another ship a decade from now.
Well I for one look forward to seeing her in USCG WAGB livery.
I have been wondering if she will be renamed.
Chuck, do you know the history on the USCG acquiring commercial vessels, have they been renamed?
There have not been a lot of examples. Here is one
USCGC Kukui (WAK-186) – Wikipedia
I doubt they will change the name. It is Inupiaq for “walrus”
I wasn’t aware Aivig was Inupiaq for walrus. I had tried translating it, but got nothing. Seems quite fitting.