USCGC Edisto (WAGB-284) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The USS Edisto (AGB-2) was a in the service of the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

which was later transferred to the United States Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

as USCGC Edisto (WAGB-284). She was the sister ship to: USCGC Eastwind (WAGB-279)

USCGC Eastwind (WAGB-279)

USCGC Eastwind was a United States Coast Guard Wind-class icebreaker.She was laid down in 1942 and launched in 1944. Eastwind ferried 200 US army troops which captured the last German weather station in Greenland, Edelweiss II, on 4 October 1944. She also seized the German trawler Externsteine,...

, USCGC Westwind (WAGB-281)

USCGC Westwind (WAGB-281)

USCGC Westwind was a United States Coast Guard Wind-class icebreaker.-Ship's history:*1942 - 24 August: Keel laid at Western Pipe & Steel, San Pedro, CA, USA.*1943 - 31 March: Launched at San Pedro, CA, USA....

, USCGC Northwind (WAGB-282), CCGS Labrador

CCGS Labrador

CCGS Labrador was a Wind-class icebreaker. First commissioned on 08 July 1954 as Her Majesty's Canadian Ship Labrador in the Royal Canadian Navy , Captain O.C.S. "Long Robbie" Robertson, RCN, Commanding...

, USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278)

USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278)

USCGC Staten Island was a United States Coast Guard . Laid down on 9 June 1942 and launched on 28 December 1942, the ship was commissioned on 26 February 1944, and almost immediately afterward transferred to the Soviet Union, under the Lend Lease program, under the name Severny Veter, which...

, USCGC Southwind (WAGB-280)

USCGC Southwind (WAGB-280)

USCGC Southwind was a Wind-class icebreaker that served in the United States Coast Guard as USCGC Southwind , the Soviet Navy as the Admiral Makarov, the United States Navy as USS Atka and again in the U.S...

, and USCGC Burton Island (WAGB-283)

USCGC Burton Island (WAGB-283)

USS Burton Island was a United States Navy that was later re-commissioned in the United States Coast Guard as the United States Coast Guard Cutter Burton Island ....

.

Edisto was laid down at the San Pedro

San Pedro Bay (California)

San Pedro Bay is an inlet on the Pacific Ocean coast of southern California, United States. It is the site of the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, which together form the fifth-busiest port facility in the world and easily the busiest in the Western Hemisphere...

shipyard of the Western Pipe and Steel Company

Western Pipe and Steel Company

The Western Pipe and Steel Company was an American manufacturing company that is best remembered today for its construction of ships for the Maritime Commission in World War II. It also built ships for the U.S...

(WPS), launched on 29 May 1946, and delivered to the U.S. Navy on 20 March 1947. She was transferred to the USCG in 1966.

There is currently (2011) a "110 foot" Island Class Patrol Boat

Patrol boat

A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...

USCGC Edisto (WPB-1313) stationed in San Diego, California.

Ship's history

Congress authorized the construction of Edisto, one of the world's most powerful icebreakers, as a U.S. Navy vessel on 17 December 1943. Two years later, on 15 May 1945, the Western Pipe and Steel Company

Western Pipe and Steel Company

(WPS) laid the ship's keel at San Pedro California. The ship, sponsored by Mrs George B Gelly, was launched on 29 May 1946. She was commissioned into the United States Navy

United States Navy

on 20 March 1947 as the USS Edisto (AG-89), later to be reclassified as an AGB-2 on 28 January 1949.

She is named for an island lying at the mouth of a river of the same name about 20 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina. The island and the river, in turn, had gained their names from the Edisto Indians who inhabited the island and the surrounding area. Her outer hull plating was constructed with 1-5/8 inch thick high tensile steel. Edisto had a double bottom above the waterline with the two "skins" being approximately 15 inches apart, insulated with cork. Framing was closely spaced and the entire hull girder was designed for great strength. Edisto's bow had the characteristic sloping forefoot that enabled her to ride up on heavy ice and break it with the weight of the vessel. Edisto's stern was similarly shaped to facilitate breaking ice while backing down. The sides of the icebreaker were rounded, with marked tumble home, that enabled the ship to break free from ice by heeling from side to side. Such heeling was accomplished by shifting water rapidly from wing tanks on one side of the ship to the other. A total of 220 tons of water could be shifted from one side to the other in as little as 90 seconds, which induced a list of 10 degrees. Ballast could also be shifted rapidly between fore and aft tanks to change the trim of the ship.

On 11 April 1947 Edisto sailed for the east coast on a shake-down cruise. That summer, during a training cruise to Greenland

Greenland

Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...

, she crossed the Arctic Circle

Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....

for the first of many times in her career. Upon her return to Boston, Massachusetts, Edisto was assigned to Task Force 39 for the Second Antarctic Development Project. She sailed 1 November 1947 for a rendezvous via the Panama Canal

Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...

with at American Samoa

American Samoa

American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...

. Together, they ventured south, becoming the first ships to penetrate the pack ice east of the Ross Sea

Ross Sea

The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land.-Description:The Ross Sea was discovered by James Ross in 1841. In the west of the Ross Sea is Ross Island with the Mt. Erebus volcano, in the east Roosevelt Island. The southern part is covered...

. While in the Antarctic

Antarctic

The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...

on this deployment, Edisto trained sailors and tested cold weather equipment, as well as investigating installations and equipment left by Operation Highjump

Operation Highjump

Operation Highjump , officially titled The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 1946-1947, was a United States Navy operation organized by RADM Richard E. Byrd Jr. USN, , Officer in Charge, Task Force 68, and led by RADM Richard H. Cruzen, USN, Commanding Officer, Task Force 68....

of the previous year. She also collected valuable scientific data concerning geographic, hydrographic, photographic, oceanographic, meteorological, and electromagnetic conditions in the south polar regions.

Upon her return to Boston, Massachusetts on 31 March 1948, Edisto immediately began preparing for operations in the far north. During this summer deployment, her task force resupplied weather stations at Thule

Thule

Thule Greek: Θούλη, Thoulē), also spelled Thula, Thila, or Thyïlea, is, in classical European literature and maps, a region in the far north. Though often considered to be an island in antiquity, modern interpretations of what was meant by Thule often identify it as Norway. Other interpretations...

, Greenland

Greenland

, and on Ellesmere

Ellesmere

-Places:* Ellesmere, Shropshire, a market town in Shropshire, England** Ellesmere Castle** Ellesmere Rural, a civil parish to the west* Ellesmere Park, area of Eccles, Greater Manchester, England* Ellesmere Port, an industrial town in Cheshire, England...

and Ellif Renghes Islands. The ships in this task force did reconnaissance to establish additional weather stations, trained men in cold weather operations, tested equipment, and collected a variety of data. Except for brief repairs in Boston, Massachusetts for replacement of a broken propeller shaft, Edisto continued this grueling grind until 25 September 1948. During December 1948, in company with , she successfully rescued the , damaged by ice and grounded in Tunulliarfik Fjord

Tunulliarfik Fjord

Tunulliarfik Fjord is a fjord in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. In times of the Norse settlement in southern Greenland, it was known as Eiriksfjord.- Geography :...

at Narsaq

Narsaq

Narsaq is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. The name Narsaq is Greenlandic for "plain", referring to the beautiful plain on the shore of Tunulliarfik Fjord where the town is located.- History :...

, Greenland

Greenland

.

The next cruise of Edisto to the north polar regions was for purely exploratory purposes. Not even waiting for summer, she sailed out of Boston Harbor on 24 January 1949 to determine how much an icebreaker would be limited by the foul Arctic

Arctic

The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...

storms and lowest temperatures. She weathered extreme sub-zero conditions and returned to Boston, Massachusetts on 25 March 1949.

From 1949 until her transfer to the U.S. Coast Guard on 20 October 1965, Edisto continued her indispensable support to exploration in both Arctic

Arctic

and Antarctic

Antarctic

regions. She supplied bases, reported ice packs and floes, took part in oceanographic, hydrographic, geological, coast and geodetic, and hydrophone surveys, and participated in Arctic convoy exercises. In 1949, Edisto took part in Operation BLUEJAY, the construction of radar stations in the far north. The following year, on 6 August 1950, Edisto set a record for northern most penetration by reaching latitude 82 degrees North while conducting oceanographic surveys. In 1952, the work she had begun in Operation BLUEJAY was completed.

While participating in Operation DEEP FREEZE I during the winter (Antarctic summer) of 1955-1956, Edisto penetrated unexplored areas in the Antarctic near Cape Hallett, leaving "Edisto Bay" and "Edisto Acres" penguin rookery named in her honor. After her return to Boston, Massachusetts the ship was again assigned to Arctic

Arctic

missions, aiding shipping in the Newfoundland and Labrador

Labrador

Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...

area for the remainder of 1956 and all of 1957. In December 1958, Edisto departed for Operation DEEP FREEZE IV. Her work in the Antarctic this time was in support of the International Geophysical Year

International Geophysical Year

The International Geophysical Year was an international scientific project that lasted from July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War when scientific interchange between East and West was seriously interrupted...

. En-route home, she stopped in Uruguay

Uruguay

Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

, which was experiencing disastrous floods. The crew labored many long hours in flood relief work, thereby receiving the personal thanks of the president of Uruguay

Uruguay

on their departure.

Her next Antarctic

Antarctic

trip came during the winter (Antarctic summer) of 1960-1961 as a member of Operation DEEP FREEZE 61. While operating far south of New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

in an attempt to salvage a naval vessel that had broken loose from its moorings, Edisto encountered what was probably the worst storm of her career. With tons of ice loading her topside down, she staggered to regain stability at the end of each long, agonizing roll. Before the storm had blown itself out, Edisto had lost most of her rigging and her starboard propeller.

As a unit of the task force for Operation DEEP FREEZE 63 in 1962-1963, she spent 131 consecutive days in the ice. During this time, her crew witnessed the breakup of RADM Richard Evelyn Byrd

Richard Evelyn Byrd

Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, Jr., USN was a naval officer who specialized in feats of exploration. He was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics...

's Little America

Little America

Little America was a series of Antarctic exploration bases, located on the Ross Ice Shelf, south of the Bay of Whales.The first base in the series was established in January 1929 by Richard Byrd, and was abandoned in 1930....

III, built in 1940-1941. Instead of going south for the 1963-1964 season in the Antarctic, Edisto entered the Boston Naval Shipyard for an overhaul. Then, on 15 June 1964, she departed Boston, Massachusetts for military resupply operations in the Arctic. While on this cruise, Edisto used Prince Christian Sound instead of rounding Cape Farewell, Greenland

Cape Farewell, Greenland

Cape Farewell , is a headland on the southern shore of Egger Island, Greenland. Located at it is the southernmost extent of Greenland, projecting out into the North Atlantic Ocean and the Labrador Sea on the same latitude as Stockholm and the Scottish Shetland Islands. Egger and the associated...

probably making her the first US naval vessel to transit this sound since the in 1941. Before returning to Boston, Massachustts in early October 1964, she picked up some scientists in Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

and proceeded to the waters between Greenland

Greenland

and Spitsbergen

Spitsbergen

Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...

, Norway to carry out an oceanographic survey.

On 10 December 1964, Edisto departed for the Antarctic as a unit of the task force for Operation DEEP FREEZE 65 on an assignment unprecedented in icebreaker history. She had the responsibility for constructing the new Palmer Station

Palmer Station

Palmer Station, on Anvers Island, is Antarctica's only US station north of the Antarctic Circle. Initial construction of the station finished in 1968. The station, like the other US Antarctic stations, is operated by the United States Antarctic Program....

for marine biological studies on Anvers Island off the Antarctic Peninsula. No sooner had she accomplished this assignment and returned to Boston, Massachusetts, than Edisto was ordered to sail on a polar rescue mission. Drifting south was the Ice Island Arlis II, with 20 scientists on board waiting to be evacuated before the island broke up underneath them. Departing Boston, Massachusetts on 6 April 1965, after a stay of only five days, she battled some of the thickest and hardest ice ever encountered by an American icebreaker to moor alongside Ice Island Arlis II and to effect the evacuation of the men and equipment.

During the summer of 1965, Edisto again sailed to the Arctic in support of the northern defense outposts and for oceanographic survey work. Before her return to Boston, Massachusetts in early October 1965, a message informed her that she would be the first of the United States Navy

United States Navy

icebreakers turned over to the United States Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

under the transfer agreement signed between the United States Department of the Treasury

United States Department of the Treasury

The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...

and United States Department of the Navy

United States Department of the Navy

The Department of the Navy of the United States of America was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, to provide a government organizational structure to the United States Navy and, from 1834 onwards, for the United States Marine Corps, and when directed by the President, of the...

. As Edisto sailed south, U.S. Coast Guard officers boarded who would command the vessel following the turnover.

On 20 October 1965, the ship became USCGC Edisto (WAGB-284), when the icebreaker was decommissioned by the U.S. Navy, transferred, and immediately commissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard at Constitution Wharf, U.S. Coast Guard Base in Boston, Massachusetts. The U.S. Coast Guard changed Edisto's hull number to WAGB-284. Her first mission as a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker came the following month, when a vital undersea defense cable near Thule

Thule

, Greenland

Greenland

, broke. Although she got underway on short notice and steamed far north to join the other Canadian and American icebreakers in the repair operation, Edisto arrived only to learn that the cable had already been repaired.

After her return in early December 1965, Edisto spent the entire winter in the Bethlehem Steel

Bethlehem Steel

The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...

Shipyard, where she underwent major repairs and alterations. Part of the alterations consisted of installations of a new flight deck with a telescopic hanger to house two helicopters which she would carry. The summer of 1966 saw the Edisto deployed to the arctic waters off Greenland and Iceland

Iceland

to participate in "Arctic East Summer" (AES) operations, which entailed the annual resupply of American bases in the Arctic and the advancement of polar sciences. As in the previous winter, Edisto was ordered on an unusual winter penetration into northern Baffin Bay

Baffin Bay

Baffin Bay , located between Baffin Island and the southwest coast of Greenland, is a marginal sea of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is connected to the Atlantic via Davis Strait and the Labrador Sea...

. The vital undersea cable connecting the remote North American defense outposts with the mainland of the United States had broken again. Reaching the break area on 12 December 1966, the icebreaker braved extreme cold, continual darkness, gale winds, and heavy icing until the break was located and repaired. For their "extremely meritorious service in support of Coast Guard operations" during this emergency, Edisto and her crew were awarded the U.S. Coast Guard Unit Commendation

Coast Guard Unit Commendation

The Coast Guard Unit Commendation is the highest peacetime unit award that may be awarded to military commands of the United States Coast Guard. The decoration was first created in 1963 and is presented to members of any Coast Guard unit that distinguishes itself by valorous or extremely...

for the period of 02 through 22 December 1966.

In 1967, while in company with the the Edisto made an unsuccessful attempt to circumnavigate the Arctic, a feat that would have rivaled the 16th Century voyages around the world of Magellan and Drake and has yet to be accomplished by surface vessels of any nation. In 1968 and 1969, the Edisto participated in Antarctic polar deployments in support of operations DEEP FREEZE 69 and DEEP FREEZE 70.

In 1971, as in every summer since she became a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker, Edisto took part in "Arctic East Summer" (AES) operations. In December 1971, she was temporarily transferred to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to take part in a test, along with of icebreaking operations designed to extend the length of the shipping season on the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

and the Saint Lawrence Seaway

Saint Lawrence Seaway

The Saint Lawrence Seaway , , is the common name for a system of locks, canals and channels that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior. Legally it extends from Montreal to Lake Erie, including the Welland Canal...

System. In the autumn of 1971, however, Edisto conducted icebreaking operations off Greenland

Greenland

in concert with the U.S. Navy oceanographic research ship . She was sent there from the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

after the cutter originally assigned the duty, , suffered an engine casualty; although she remained off Greenland

Greenland

. The Edisto arrived in the Arctic on 30 September 1971 and began escorting Mizar into the icepack for oceanographic research. At one point, the two were as far as 40 miles into the heavy ice, some of which was a thick as six feet. In early October 1971, one of the Mizar's engines went out, so the Edisto took her in tow, intending to take her out of the ice. On 6 October 1971, Mizar slipped out of its tow with the Edisto and collided with the icebreaker, doing minor damage to Edisto's starboard side superstructure. Later, Edisto, due to the heavy ice; lost her starboard propeller and damaged her rudder and starboard shaft.

Although Mizar repaired her engine, the ship could not break ice, so the need for a fully operational icebreaker still existed. U.S. Coast Guard officials, through the U.S. State Department, arranged for the support of Canada's 315 foot icebreaker CCGS John A. Macdonald

CCGS John A. Macdonald

CCGS John A. Macdonald was a Canadian Coast Guard heavy icebreaker. She was named after The Right Honourable, Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , the First Prime Minister of Canada....

, in case the Southwind was unable to free Mizar. Macdonald sailed from Baffin Bay

Baffin Bay

around the southern tip of Greenland

Greenland

and berthed at Reykjavík

Reykjavík

Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...

, Iceland

Iceland

and awaited the call for assistance.

Fortunately, Edisto managed to work her way through the open leads in the ice while Southwind, with only four of her six engines running was able to reach the Mizar, still icebound where it had struck the Edisto, and freed her. Southwind then took Edisto in tow, and made for Reykjavík

Reykjavík

. They arrived on 23 October 1971 and the Edisto's crew made temporary repairs to her rudder for the long tow back to the U.S. They departed and headed for the U.S., but the repairs did not hold and they once again returned to Iceland

Iceland

. On 2 November 1971 they once again set sail.

U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters decided that Southwind would take Edisto's place on the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

for that season. They were under pressure to get a second icebreaker

Icebreaker

An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller vessels .For a ship to be considered an icebreaker, it requires three traits most...

there before the Welland Canal

Welland Canal

The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Canada that extends from Port Weller, Ontario, on Lake Ontario, to Port Colborne, Ontario, on Lake Erie. As a part of the St...

closed on 15 December 1971. To lessen the impact on the crews, headquarters also determined that the ships would simply exchange their entire crews. Southwind's men would take over during the repairs on Edisto while Edisto's crew would join Southwind once she made her new home port of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in preparation for the 1971-1972 winter season.

On 10 November 1971 the rendezvoused with the icebreakers and prepared to take over the tow but severe weather prevented a switch. By 13 November 1971, however, the weather moderated and she took over towing, and set course for Baltimore Maryland. Southwind then made her way to the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

. On 24 November 1971 she rendezvoused with approximately 35 miles west of the Nantucket Lightship after first dodging a storm by sailing towards Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

. Chilula took over the towing and headed to Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...

, Virginia and then to the Coast Guard Yard, where the two cutters arrived safely on 30 November 1971.

After repairs were finished she was homeported in Baltimore, Maryland and used for icebreaking. Edisto's final cruise was a three-phase "Arctic East Summer" (AES) voyage that commenced at Baltimore Maryland on 7 July 1974. She first sailed in support of the International Ice Patrol

International Ice Patrol

The International Ice Patrol is an organization with the purpose of monitoring the presence of icebergs in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and reporting their movements for safety purposes. It is operated by United States Coast Guard but is funded by the 13 nations interested in trans-Atlantic...

, studying some 35 icebergs of varying sizes and shapes off the west coast of Greenland

Greenland

and the east coast of Baffin Island

Baffin Island

Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut is the largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is and its population is about 11,000...

, Canada. Her crew took aerial, surface, and sonar measurements of bergs to be used by marine scientists to determine their rates of deterioration and drift. As tribute to their wives, some of the crew named the icebergs under study after their loved ones. During the voyage north, the Edisto assisted the , a cargo ship that sustained ice damage to her hull off Hamilton Inlet

Hamilton Inlet

Hamilton Inlet is a fjord-like inlet on the Labrador coast of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Together with Lake Melville, it forms the province's largest estuary, extending over 140 kilometres inland to Happy Valley-Goose Bay and primarily draining the Churchill River and...

, Labrador

Labrador

.

Edisto then sailed for Edinburgh, Scotland, arriving 12 August 1974. She departed Edinburgh, Scotland on 17 August 1974 and headed for the Icelandic Sea for the second phase of her cruise, where she worked in conjunction with the Icelandic government. Her crew took 40 "Nansen Casts" in the Icelandic Sea and then, on 2 September 1974, made Reykjavík. Edisto departed Reykjavík on 5 September 1974 and sailed for the Labrador Sea

Labrador Sea

The Labrador Sea is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean between the Labrador Peninsula and Greenland. The sea is flanked by continental shelves to the southwest, northwest, and northeast. It connects to the north with Baffin Bay through the Davis Strait...

for the third phase of her cruise. Arriving off Cape Farewell, Greenland

Cape Farewell, Greenland

on 8 September 1974, her crew took 52 "STD Casts" in the Labrador Sea

Labrador Sea

and along the coast of Labrador

Labrador

, Canada. On 14 September 1974 she finished the third phase and began her return journey to Baltimore, Maryland, arriving there on 24 September 1974.

She was decommissioned at Baltimore, Maryland on 15 November 1974 and then transferred to the U.S. General Services Administration

General Services Administration

The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...

(GSA). GSA sold Edisto on 29 September 1977 to Boston Metals Company of Baltimore, Maryland who then sold her to the Union Minerals Company of Carey, New Jersey. Edisto broken up for scrap in the Baltimore Shipyard.

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