INTERNATIONAL ICE PATROL 



The International Ice Patrol Service for 1966 was carried out by the 

 U.S. Coast Guard in accordance with the provisions of tlie Interna- 

 tional Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea, 1960 and the United 

 States Code, Title 46, Sections 738-739d. The mission of protecting 

 shipping from the dangers of ice drifting in the Grand Banks area 

 was accomplished by the collection of ice information from all avail- 

 able sources and by means of twice daily radio broadcasts and daily 

 facsimile broadcasts disseminating to shipping the description of the 

 current ice situation. 



The Commander, International Ice Patrol, Capt. R. L. Fuller, 

 U.S.C.G., had the following facilities available to him during the ice 

 season: The Office, International Ice Patrol staff; radio and landline 

 communication facilities of the Coast Guard radio station NIK; Her- 

 cules HC-130B reconnaissance aircraft support provided by the U.S. 

 Coast Guard Air Station, Argentia, Newfoundland; surface patrol 

 vessels U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tamaroa, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter 

 ChUul-a, and U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Acushnet. The oceanographic 

 vessel was the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Evergreen. The distribution 

 of ice made it unnecessary to initiate a surface patrol for the seventh 

 consecutive year. Tliis was the third and final year the Commander, 

 International Ice Patrol was permanently stationed at Argentia, 

 Newfoundland. 



In addition to the assigned forces, the U.S. Coast Guard Oceano- 

 graphic Unit edited N.E.S.C. ESSA I satellite photographs and 

 transmitted tlie ice limits and concentrations to the Ice Patix)!. A study, 

 comparing ESSA I ice data with available observed data, was con- 

 ducted. Good correlation was observed. The results, unpublished, were 

 compiled by the U.S.C.G. Oceanographic Unit into a loose leaf pres- 

 entation "Tlie Operational Use of ESSA I Satellite Photography 

 during the 1966 Season of the International Ice Patrol." Refer to fig- 

 ure 8 for one such comparative observation. 



Preseason aerial ice reconnaissance indicated an extremely light ice 

 season. Tlie first of 13 ice observation fliglits made during the season 

 was flown on 5 March. The twice-daily ice broadcasts to shipping were 

 commenced at 1248 G.m.t., 1 March 1966. The first facsimile transmis- 

 sion was commenced at 1830 G.m.t., 1 March 1966. The ice information 

 was also sent via landline to the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office, the 



