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Icebreaking is a highly
coordinated operation.
Vessels from the Canadian and U.S. Coast Guard are stationed throughout the lakes
and work together as a team to keep the shipping lanes open.
Political lines are
blurred as each country's ships work in any area they are needed. Each
morning the captain participates in a conference call with Coast Guard officials
and shipping companies to discussion operations and needs.
Icebreaking services can include
commercial ship assistance, track maintenance, harbor break outs, and flood
control as ice dams clog a water way during the harsh winter months.
The winter of 2000-2001 the lower
Detroit river developed heavy ice in the Livingstone Channel. As vessels became
stuck it was necessary to coordinate convoys. There are many factors that decide
the order in which ships will travel in a convoy:
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Size of the vessel.
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Amount of power.
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Loaded condition, vessels traveling
empty are more difficult to get through the ice.
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Past experience with vessel,
some ships perform poorly in ice.
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Length of time a ship has
been waiting.
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Less powerful ships are often
placed behind vessels with more power.
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Brash Ice over 10-feet deep
This type of ice is
created as a ship passes through an ice field and breaks the large
pieces of ice into small chunks. This slushy ice can build in a
channel reaching to the bottom. With each passing vessel the ice
is broken into smaller pieces making it more difficult to pass as
the ice is pushed in front of a vessel.
Breaking new plate ice
that is 10-12 inches thick.
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