Coast Guard looks to expand Seattle base as US ramps up Arctic presence The Associated Press May 13 In this Nov. 30, 2018, file photo tugboats help the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy icebreaker into her homeport of Seattle, as a Washington state ferry passes in the background following a four-month deployment to the Arctic Ocean. (Ted S. Warren/AP) SEATTLE — The U.S. Coast Guard is proposing a renovation and expansion of its Seattle waterfront base that during the next decade will be home to three new icebreakers, and probably other vessels. The Coast Guard’s aging Seattle operations hub supports Pacific Northwest and polar missions. The Seattle Times reports the Coast Guard will have a higher profile role in the coming years as the U.S. ramps up its presence in an Arctic region rapidly changing as the climate warms.