• Entering Lake St. Clair crewman Chris Armour relives the quartermaster for lunch.
• We pass fleetmate CCGS Griffon and exchange salutes
• Nearing the lower end of Lake St. Clair, we pass the American Mariner.
• Close up of ice on her bow.
• Passing Detroit the ice begins to thicken.
• John J. Boland unloading in the Rouge Short Cut.

For the next few days the Risley will work Western Lake Erie and the lower Detroit River. A particularly troublesome spot for winter shipping is the Livingstone Channel in the lower river.  Completed in 1912, the Livingstone Channel is a narrow deep draft shipping channel that was built using explosives to blast away the solid limestone rock. Its size, current and location can caused the channel to fill will ice, halting shipping. Normally used by downbound traffic only, in the winter it is open to both up and downbound traffic and the only channel open for navigation. 

• Upper end of the Livingstone Channel.
• We continue downbound in the channel and pass the "Hole in the Wall". An opening in the channel for small pleasure craft to pass through. Located near Bob-Lo Island, wind and current can cause ice to build in the area of the opening.
• The channel is marked by permanent Aids to Navigation.
• Our first assist of the day is the downbound Canadian Progress.
• View from atop the pilothouse. This pictures illustrates how effective the Risley's square stern is for breaking a track and leaving open water. An icebreaker with a raked stern allows the ice to fall in behind the vessel.
• Canadian Progress passing through the heaviest ice below "The Dikes". This is the area where the channel empties into Lake Erie.
• Below the Livingstone we exchange salutes with the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw waiting for an upbound vessel.
• The Progress safely on its way we pass the Detroit River Light heading onto the lake.

• As the sun sets we head toward Toledo to break a track for the tanker Gemini.