The rudder of the USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10) is being removed while in a Vallejo, Calif., dry dock, April 1, 2025. The maintenance work completed over the past five years recapitalized integral systems, including propulsion, communication, and machinery control systems. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Seaman Nestor Molina)
“On Dec. 30, 2025, California ship repairer Mare Island Dry Dock LLC (MIDD) informed the City of Vallejo that it would permanently close its Mare Island facility, resulting in the termination of all employees over the coming days.
The plan had been for USCGC Healy to go through a phased Service Life Extension program at this yard in much the same way as USCGC Polar Star had done. Apparently that plan has changed.
Having a yard with the potential of Mare Island close when the country is waking up to the fact that it needs more shipyards, particularly on the West Coast, seems unwise. This may be an opportunity for the Federal Government to recover all the Mare Island yard for future development. Government owned shipyards are an advantage, particularly for emergency repairs. No need to send out for bids. No need to wait for a court decision if loosing bidder objects.
This could be Coast Guard Yard West. It could also be a homeport.
The Polar Security Cutters and most of the Arctic Security Cutters will be coming to the West Coast.
Its true that the cost of living and consequently wages would be higher than most East Coast Yards, but by West Coast standards, Vallejo is a relative bargain with cost of living far lower than Seattle, Alameda, Long Beach, San Diego, or Honolulu.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
What does Mare Island have that PSNS in Bremerton doesn’t?
I don’t know but why didn’t Polar Star get her five part Service Life Extension at PSNS Bremerton?
There is a Nationwide shortage of dry docking facilities.
MIDD is capable of constructing ships up to 500’ in length and maintaining ships up to 700’ in length…
Something I have never understood is . . . why a Polar Class Icebreaker has to be retired. The hull-form is the working end of this construct and it works perfectly when properly manned, powered, and maintained.
These “Polar Class” icebreaker constructs can be rebuilt to a standard configuration for both, and that in a mission set for these two unique hull-forms. Those extremely valuable hulls are no longer made yet extremely effective in performing their mission. Rebuilding these two hulls to common/equipment sets (standard) is much less expensive over building new.
I am not saying we do not need more icebreakers because we do need them, and they should be under construction already.
Concerning shipyards . . . perhaps it is time for the U.S. government to buy another shipyard, and begin re-vamp operations.
USCG actually made an estimate for the cost of reactivation of USCGC Polar Sea. In short, 8 years and $1.3 billion would give you between 7 and 10 years of additional service life, and anything beyond that would require further recapitalization. After a certain point, the same price tag would likely apply to USCGC Polar Star.
https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2024-12/2024_1002_uscg_coast_guard_cutter_polar_sea_reactivation.pdf
Having actually visited USCGC Polar Sea when it was laid up in Seattle, I don’t even want to start imagining the compromises that would have to be made when shoehorning modern technology into those 50-year-old hulls after they have been scooped clean of obsolete systems.
So . . . in your qualified professional opinion even a deliberate commonality design would not be worth the effort?
At a time when there is a resurgence in the need for capacity, this could be an opportunity for someone (Korean or Canadian Shipyard) or the US Government, to buy the yard. Graving docks don’t come along every day.
AMEN!
They need to eminent domain back some of the buildings that have businesses in them and probably get CS Marine to move elsewhere. They should definitely look at a clean sheet reconfiguration of the yard with a Pearlson shiplift and or floating drydock for land level activity. My guess is they shoot for a graving dock or 2 to allow the largest conceived iteration of a Columbia SSBN and a Virginia SSN or SSNX as I have never seen where we lift those back to land level elsewhere. Make some new land in the redesign. The locals will hate it. Tough.
The locals would love having the employment opportunities back.