The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, the world’s most powerful non‑nuclear icebreaker, berthed at the Kings Wharf this morning for a routine visit.
Polar Star Commanding Officer, Captain Mike Davanzo says as part of its routine visit, they will be getting supplies as there were casualties to the engines and some of the components of the ship.
Captain Davanzo says there will be parts sent down to Fiji for the necessary repair works.
He says there are 150 crew on board the Polar Star and they are still working out the details to stay till Friday.
Captain Davanzo says they also help with the operations of the Navy.
Built in 1976, the icebreaker has recently been in Antarctica, where it established a channel through 15 miles of ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, sometimes up to 8 feet in thickness, and conducted close‑in merchant vessel escorts to McMurdo Station to resupply the United States' National Science Foundation’s McMurdo and Amundsen‑Scott South Pole stations.
The Polar Star is based in Seattle and is specially designed for operation in both polar regions.
While in port, the ship's crew members will be engaged in community work which includes cleaning up of My Suva Park.
