Journal Entry 10.26.01

From: Roberto Bessin

10-26-2001 1247 hrs
Aboard the CCG Louis St Laurent
74 deg 28.4 min N Lat 91 deg 43.7 min W Long
Underway in Eastern Barrow Strait
Speed 16 knots Course 101 deg

At 392.5 feet in length, 80 feet in beam, and over 15,000 tons (30 million pounds) deadweight, the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent is the undisputed queen of the Canadian ice breaking fleet. She is without question a world class icebreaker and polar scientific research vessel. With her top-notch, dedicated, and gracious Captain and crew, it is an honor to be aboard her for 2001 end-of-the-season arctic duties. Having had the opportunity over the past several weeks to learn a bit about the ship and her stellar record of service, perhaps a few words about her history are in order.

Canadian Vickers Ltd. laid the keel in 1967 and completed construction of the vessel in 1969. Contracted for $55 million Canadian initially (roughly equivalent in 1967 U.S. $ ), the ship was completed at a cost of around $80 million Canadian. Her current replacement value must be over a quarter billion dollars! She embarked on her first arctic voyage in 1969. During her first two seasons, in addition to other duties, she escorted the USS Manhattan on both her historic Northwest Passages. These represent the first and only Northwest Passages by an oil tanker.

Built originally with steam turbine propulsion, in 1989 she underwent a midlife refit, converting to a diesel electric system, her current means of propulsion. Five massive diesel engines drive the generators that provide electrical power for three shafts and propellers. What is particularly notable with the system in this regard is that there is complete flexibility and control of where the power is generated. The five diesels are not dedicated or otherwise limited to where they send their power. Any diesel can send power to any of the shafts. This gives the Captain tremendous flexibility with the 27,000 maximum horsepower and adds to the safety and smooth operation of the ship.

In general, there are backup systems supporting backup systems for everything aboard. She is ready and equipped to send her full crew of 46 around the world if need be, rated at a cruising range of 26,000 nautical miles. For example, she makes her own drinking water with a very large evaporation/filtration desalination plant. Having consumed that water over the past several weeks I can attest to its excellent flavor. In terms of taste and quality, it is better than the tap water at home in Newport.

I have not had the chance to take a look inside the food storage area yet; but judging by the quantity, quality, and variety of chow on the menu, the freezers must be huge. For every meal we have extensive choices, with lots of fruits and vegetables. Wally, the cook aboard, could get a job in a restaurant anywhere in the world. I don't eat as well at home, and if I did I might weigh 350 pounds. Here on board, I have been using the gym every morning peddling the stationary bike for 45 minutes. Even so, my belt is getting steadily tighter. The food is just too good to resist.

After my first few weeks aboard, what already strikes me as the most valuable component aboard is the human element: the dedicated and skilled Captain and crew. Both the Captain and Chief Engineer served on the Louis S. St-Laurent right out of school. There are very few aboard who have not served many years on this vessel. I see the crew performing excellently because they seem to want to be here. I have not met a single crew who gave me the impression that he or she is anxious to finish up and get off, despite the fact that they are working twelve hour shifts, seven days a week The value of such a crew cannot be overstated. When scientists are aboard, half a dozen different types of research might be going on simultaneously.

Every year of her three decades of service, this ship has successfully performed as a research platform studying arctic concerns of the utmost importance to the international scientific community. Given the international concern of global warming and the pivotal role the arctic plays in the debates surrounding that crisis, the scientific value of this ship is immense. A telling example of how she has performed over the years is the record achievements attained during the 1999 arctic voyage. In June that year, the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent set sail from Dartmouth for Gothenburg, Sweden, to begin the Tundra Northwest 1999 Expedition. Fifty five personnel came aboard in Gothenburg, including world renowned scientists, media, and Swedish Polar Research Secretariat staff. Sixteen sites spread across the entire arctic archipelago, from west of the Mackenzie River to the eastern shore of Baffin Island, were selected for the project. In fact, seventeen sites were eventually utilized by the scientists despite the fact that the Swedish Polar Secretariat predicted that only 10 or 12 sites would be visited, given the extreme variability and unpredictability of arctic weather. The determination and skill of the crew and Captain made this 100 per cent success rate possible. While also completing a successful search and rescue mission during the 1999 season, the ship steamed over 12,000 nautical miles without any major incidents.

Tundra Northwest 1999 and other successful missions over the years have put this vessel in the international elite class of scientific platforms for arctic research. Some of these milestones have included: North Pole 94, Sheba, Jois 98, Expo 98, and this year's successful projects in the Nares Straight, to name just a few. One of the side benefits to serving on the crew is the science education everyone aboard is exposed to. When scientists are aboard, they offer mini seminars in the evening, open to all. Many of the crew, when they aren't on duty, take advantage of this.

Over the years, the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent has also steadily provided reliable escort and resupply service to isolated settlements and commercial operations in the arctic, and she will continue to do so. To date, no replacement for this vessel is even on the drawing boards, and it seems almost impossible that her crew could ever be replaced. No doubt, there is more history to be written aboard her as the world moves farther into the 21st Century

So, Gabriel and I feel extremely fortunate to not only be up here in the arctic, but also to be aboard the fine CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent with her gracious, knowledgeable, and able crew. Words cannot adequately express our gratitude. The landscape up here, the ethereal light, the exotic wildlife.... These are experiences you cannot take from a book. Our work as artists will never be the same. This is a gift for us to run with back home in our studios, a gift that few on the planet will ever dream of, let alone experience first hand.

RB