Monday 2 March 2026
A new floating pier has arrived in Antarctica after a stopover in Lyttelton in January, following a six-week tow across the Pacific Ocean.
The United States National Science Foundation (NSF) is replacing McMurdo Station’s long-used ice pier, which is prone to cracking, with the new NSF Discovery Pier.
Built in Portland, Oregon, the pier travelled down the Pacific Ocean, stopping in Hawaii and American Samoa.
Skipper, Justin Gustafson, is proud to be a part of this historic voyage delivering the NSF Discovery Pier to McMurdo station.
“The Southern Ocean gave the relatively low freeboard of the barge a bit of a fight during the final leg of the voyage. Crossing safely through 30s seas, with the help of our shoreside team and weather services, we were able to properly plan around the weather for a large portion of the transit – holding position north of an advancing front for approximately four days,” says Justin Gustafson.
“With the help of the SKUA Ice Pilots and USCGC Polar Star, we were able to avoid significant contact with sea ice during our final transit into McMurdo, with the Polar Star making a pass through an ice flow 15nm north of McMurdo,” Justin added.
