The Claw of Knowledge

In the Coast Guard, we always talk about the EAGLE – the 3-masted sailing ship we stole from the Nazis at the end of World War II. But there’s another ship we talk about less – one even EAGLE aspires to be. That ship is the  Bear . Bear  was built in Scotland in 1874, for a company that hunted seals out of Newfoundland. She was a marvel of her time: a steam-powered proto-icebreaker with six-inch wooden planks on her hull and enough power to smash through solid ice. Her first voyage revolutionized the sealing industry forever, and she quickly earned a reputation as the best sealer on the waves. She could venture further and bring back more pelts than literally a hundred other ships combined. Which is a great reputation to have, unless you like seals.