U.S. Coast Guard Icebreaker Mackinaw
The Queen of the Great Lakes
During World War II war production increased ship traffic on the Great Lakes, and with two U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes ice breakers reassigned to the East Coast, there was a strong need for a new one.
Built specifically for service on the Great Lakes, when Mackinaw was launched, she was the most powerful icebreaker in the world. She was in a class of her own, as no other ships were built to her specifications. She went on to a 62 year service career, becoming an icon to the Great Lakes mariners and residents of coastal towns that depended on her to clear a path through the lakes’ thick ice.
When she was decommissioned, she became a museum ship in Mackinaw City, Michigan.
The Mackinaw was documented during her final days with the Coast Guard as part of the Historic American Engineering Record, a project of the U.S. Department of the Interior. The records of that survey are kept by the Library of Congress.
[…] Mackinaw plans page offers six ships plans: outboard profile and inboard profile, upper deck plans, lower deck plans, […]
Is. The newer Macinaw just as powerful at breaking ice as the original was?
From a ship modeler’s perspective, a better question would be “is she as beautiful?” 😉
The New Mac is not designed to be the same type of icebreaker the Old Mac was. She is an amazing vessel in her own right but not built deal with the extreme ice the Old Mac broke.
The New Mackinaw was not designed to deal with ice in the same way the Old Mackinaw was. She is smaller but she has characteristics that make her an amazing vessel in her own right.
The new Mackinaw is an ice breaking buoy tender
As previously mention, the new “Mac” is not built to deal heavy/thick ice,
a new ice breaker may be in the works, I have written some state official and House of Representative from around the Great Lakes, suggesting of mixing some of the old “Mackinaw” with the new ice breaker. As it stands, the Canadian Ice Breaker help the US Coast Guard’s new “Mackinaw” when the ice becomes to thick. The US has an urgent requirement of a heavy duty ice breaker. The Russian are building a huge Polar ice breaker with a high powered ray/beam to help cut through the polar ice.
I served on the Mackinaw from 73-76. After the first month on the ice, I
noticed they only used 2 engines out of 6 for the whole season. We never got stuck, never had to use the ballast tanks. I’m thinking that back in the 40-50s it was really that cold. Global warming? who knows?
I’Am A Now Retired Navy Man I Worked On The Mackinaw When It Came To Detroit Coast Guard Station
In May ’92’ I was hired by Marinette Marine to resaw Douglas Firm beams into boards which were then machined to specific size with my LT 30 Wood Mizer portable sawmill. I was told it was being used for decking on the Ice Breaker. As I speak, the Mackinaw is in port at Marinette Wi., for the day only, I hear. Very Proud of that. Not sure they are one and the same ships. I thought the earlier one was mothballed?
I believe you are correct. The new Mackinaw was commissioned in 2006, if memory serves me right.
[…] U.S. Coast Guard Icebreaker Mackinaw […]
The page has no obvious link(s) to the plans for the Mackinaw. How can I download them?
Thanks for visiting the website. Sorry for the confusion, I always neglect info on downloading the plans. If you left-click on the plan image, it will open the full size image file. Right-click on that image, choose “save image as,” and chose a location to download the file to. Any print shop that has an architectural drawing printer can output the files.
Best regards,
Jim