The Region - News from May 20, 1985

Crowded out of its dock space in the Long Beach Naval Station, the Coast Guard icebreaker Glacier headed for its new home port of Portland, Ore. Coast Guard officials said the ship--which has made 27 Antarctic cruises to clear shipping lanes and conduct scientific experiments--had been based in Long Beach for three decades. Increased activity at the naval station, however, has made it impossible to give it a permanent berth, the Coast Guard said. The ship, known as “Big Red” because of its distinctive paint job and the fact that it is the largest Coast Guard vessel now in commission, is also due for a refitting. A Coast Guard spokesman said that its engines and hull will be overhauled in Seattle before it makes another voyage into the ice.