The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Maple follows the crew of Canadian Coast Guard Icebreaker Terry Fox through the icy waters of Franklin Strait, in Nunavut Canada, August 11, 2017. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nate Littlejohn.
JUNEAU, Alaska – The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Maple, a 225-foot seagoing buoy tender has completed their historic voyage from Sitka, Alaska, through the Northwest Passage to the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Maryland.
This summer marks the 60th anniversary of three Coast Guard cutters and one Canadian ship that convoyed through the Northwest Passage, which are several passageways through the complex archipelago of the Canadian Arctic. From May to September of 1957 the crews of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Storis, SPAR and Bramble, along with the crew of the Canadian ice breaker HMCS Labrador, charted, recorded water depths and installed aids to navigation for future shipping lanes.
The Maple will now undergo scheduled maintenance in dry dock at the Coast Guard Yard for repairs and upgrades. The Maple’s crew will return to Sitka to take command of the 225-foot Coast Guard Cutter Kukui, which was previously homeported in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is currently completing a mid-life renovation at the Yard.
