Ice Performance Tests of USCGC Healy

The ice performance tests of USCGC Healy were conducted in Baffin Bay in level first-year ice, multi- year ice and in one first-year ridge. Under full power of 30000 HP, USCGC Healy is capable of breaking 175-cm-thick ice continuously at a speed of about 2 knot (kt), and her speed in 137-cm-thick ice sheet was more than 3 kt, which is a design specification for the specified ice thickness. In 3.3-m-thick multi- year ice, she was able to advance a distance of 350 m by backing-and-ramming operations in about 65 minutes. She needed three backing-and- ramming operations to transit a first- year ridge, which had a 2-m- high sail and a 9-mdeep keel. Though not reported here, other types of tests included tests to break out of a channel and to advance through broken ice channels while going ahead and astern.