The USCG Cutter Healy is designed to conduct a wide range of research activities, providing more than 4,200 square feet (390 m2) of lab space, numerous electronic sensor systems, oceanographic winches, and accommodations for up to 50 scientists. HEALY is designed to break 4 feet (1.2 m) of ice continuously at three knots (5.6 kph) and can operate in temperatures as low as -50 degrees F (-46C).
The Icebreaker Healy has its own web page at: http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/healy/ which contains full information on the ship's specifications, scientific gear, and scientist accomodations. There is also an excellent science cruise planning guide which should be read by anyone interested in using the Healy for research support. Information and photos courtesy of USCG |
| Vessel Ownership | ||||
| Vessel name: | USCGC Healy | |||
| Vessel nationality: | United States | |||
| Vessel owner: | United States Coast Guard | |||
| Vessel operator: | United States Coast Guard, Pacific Area | |||
| Homeport: | Seattle, Washington, USA | |||
| Vessel web page: | http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/healy/ | |||
| Vessel Activities and Operating Areas | ||||
| Vessel's main activity: | Healy was designed and built for its primary task as a platform for ocean research. | |||
| Vessel operating areas: | Worldwide, emphasis on Arctic waters. | |||
| Primary Logistics Provider | ||||
| Organization: | Once researchers are on board the vessel, naturally all logistics support comes from the ship and its crew. However, the first step towards reaching that point must take place more than a year earlier, and through another entity: The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) Shiptime Request System. Click here for a concise description of how this system works, excerpted from the UNOLS web site. Click here for the UNOLS site, which provides full details, and the online Shiptime Request System itself. For all other logistics issues, contacts will be USCG personnel: | |||
| Name and title of contact person: | Dave Forcucci, Marine Science Coordinator | |||
| Address: | 1519 Alaska Way South Seattle, Wa 98134 | |||
| E-mail: | DForcucci@d11.uscg.mil | |||
| Fax: | 206-217-6878 | |||
| Telephone: | 206-217-6648 | |||
| Contact person or agency web page: | USCGC Healy's web page: http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/healy/ | |||
| Primary Management Agency | ||||
| Organization: | United States Coast Guard | |||
| Contact information: | Direct to Healy: Crewmember USCGC HEALY (WAGB 20) FPO AP 96667-3918 (206) 217-6300 - Voice (206) 217-6309 - FAX While Underway: 011-874-330390221 - INMARSAT Voice 011-874-330390223 - INMARSAT FAX HEALY Shoreside Support: Commanding Officer USCGC HEALY Shore Support 1519 Alaskan Way South Seattle, WA 98134 206-217-6870 - Phone 206-217-6878 - FAX |  | ||
| Web site: | http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/ | |||
| Availability and Cost | ||||
| Advance arrangements: | Use of the Healy is scheduled through the University-National Oceanographic System (UNOLS). The NSF requires that proposals be submitted for panel review by 15 February of the year before the requested cruise. | |||
| Scheduling Process | ||||
| After a UNOLS request has been made, the Coast Guard Icebreaking Program/USCG and the NSF will lead a group of program managers from US agencies (NSF, NOAA, DOD) wishing to sponsor projects on Healy to determine, principally through consensus, which projects can be funded, and the resulting schedule. Currently it is envisioned that the main scheduling period will be in the early summer for following year. This calendar will change from time to time to fit needs, e.g. the ODEN-HEALY joint cruise in 2005. US Coast Guard will be primarily responsible for finalizing schedule details. The adjustment will usually involve US Coast Guard, the sponsoring program managers and the affected PIs. USCG does not maintain a public schedule for HEALY. | ||||
| Vessel Characteristics | ||||
| Vessel length in meters: | 128 | |||
| Vessel length in feet: | 420 | |||
| Beam (Breadth) in meters: | 25 | |||
| Beam in feet: | 82 | |||
| Draft in meters: | 8.9 | |||
| Draft in feet: | 29 | |||
| Displacement GRT: | 16000 | |||
| On-board aircraft: | Two HH-65 helicopters on-board. | |||
| Helipad: | Support for two HH-65 helicopters: flight deck, hanger, helo workshop and storeroom, aviation office | |||
| On-board boats: | One 38' (11.5m) cargo boat, one 38' (11.5m) arctic survey boat (ASB), and two 23' (7m) rigid hull inflatables. | |||
| Science deck space (m) : | 381 Sq Meters Forward - 46Sq M, Aft - 279 SqM, Starboard Aft - 56 SqM. | |||
| Science deck space (ft) : | 4100 sq feet Forward - 500 sq ft, Aft - 3,000 sq ft, Starboard Aft - 600 sq ft. | |||
| Year built : | Building began in 1996, Healy was launched in 1997, and placed in active commission in August of 2000. | |||
| Vessel Performance and Capabilities | ||||
| Range in nautical miles: | 21500 | |||
| Icebreaking capability: | 4.5 ft at 3 knots continuous, 8' backing and ramming | |||
| Cruising speed (knots, open water) : | 12 knots cruising, 17 knots maximum | |||
| Accommodations | ||||
| Number of scientist beds or berths: | 35 | |||
| Number of staff or crew beds/berths: | 85 | |||
| Visitor capacity: | 2 | |||
| Communications and Data Systems | ||||
| Local area network (LAN), Internet access, Fax send/receive, Telephone system | ||||
| Network: | Science Data Network - dual fiber-optic network with 120 Ethernet ports throughout the science spaces for real-time data transfer, provided with processors, plotters, printers, GPS master clock, installed workstations. | |||
| Laboratory Space | ||||
| Lab space: | From the National Science Foundation Fact Sheet about Healy: There are over 5,000 square feet of interior science laboratories and science support rooms in addition to covered staging areas and exterior space on Healy. There are seven labs, two climate control chambers, a freezer and a refrigerated space. Three science cargo holds provide up to 20,000 cubic feet of storage space. The ship includes the latest in polar research equipment and systems, integrated by a modular science data network. Key science systems and gear include a bottom mapping sonar system; a depth sounding and sub-bottom profiler; a conductivity-depth-temperature (CTD) acquisition and analysis system; an acoustic Doppler current profiler; a rosette water sampling system; a continuous flow, seawater sampling system; a jumbo piston coring system; and a bow tower for clean air experiments. | |||
| Number of containerized labs accommodated : | Space for eight 20 foot and two 40 foot vans ( total 12 TEU ): Eight standard ISO vans with service hookups (including electrical, HVAC, air, science data network, and uncontaminated seawater), two 40' vans for storage (when ASB and LCVP not embarked) | |||
| Other specialized lab space: | Bio-chemical, electronics, meteological, photography labs. | |||
| A-Frames | ||||
| Onboard A-Frames: | Two A-Frames located on working decks aft and starboard. | |||
| Cranes | ||||
| Onboard cranes: | 5, hydraulically operated, 100% coverage of working decks, with exception of forward van locations on boat decks. | |||
| Winches, Wires and Cables | ||||
| Onboard winches: | Two oceanographic winches, capable of handling 10,000 meters of 3/8" wire, 12,000 meters of 0.322" electro-mechanical cable, or 14,000 meters of 1/4" wire; Two double drum trawl/core winches, capable of handling 10,000 meters of 3/4" wire, 12,000 meters of 0.680" electro-mechanical cable, or 14,000 meters of 9/16" wire. | |||
| Other Science Features | ||||
| Other science-related features: | Starboard staging area provided with a bridge crane & hoist, roller door access weather deck, direct access to wet lab, science conning station and holds. Aft staging area for fantail work and on-deck snowmobile stowage (when provided by science party). Science freezer and refrigerator. Two Climate Control Chambers Three cargo holds providing a total of 20,000 cu ft, with storage systems and serviced by a dedicated science hoist. Bow Boom & Tower Sampling Systems: The bow boom can extend approximately 15 feet forward of the ship's bow, and when erected, the bow tower is approximately 60 feet above water line. Dive Locker, containing high pressure air compressor and storage for dive equipment. Required diver operations must be specified during mission planning phase. Quiet Ship Operations: Control of radiated noise for underwater acoustics work and operation of underwater systems. | |||
| Handbook | ||||
| Source for electronic handbook: | For the complete Science Cruise Planning Guide go to: http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/iceops/cpmanual/cpmanual.htm | |||
| Staging Place | ||||
| Staging place: | Healy is berthed near downtown Seattle, Washington, minutes from all the resources of the city. | |||
| Current Projects and Research History | ||||
 The Western Arctic Shelf Basin Interactions (SBI) project is a multi-year, interdisciplinary program to investigate the impact of global change on physical, biological and geochemical processes over the Chukcki and Beaufort Sea shelf basin region in the Western Arctic Ocean. The project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research. The SBI project has its own website with a great deal of information about their research, including data and recent cruise reports, and about Healy itself.  For a detailed look at everyday life on a Healy science cruise, with pictures, browse the journals of participants in the Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic program. The journal of Betty Carvellas would be a good place to start. | ||||