Whitefish Bay ice floes delay ships, keep Coast Guard icebreakers busy
April 16, 08 by TheFleetIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
By Dan Bellerose | Source: Sault Star
Nearly a month into the commercial shipping season, a small fleet of United States Coast Guard icebreakers continues working the upper approach to the Michigan Soo Locks.
The 3,500-ton heavy icebreaker Mackinaw and three 660-ton icebreaking tugs, the Katmai Bay, the Biscayne Bay and the Neah Bay, re-established commercial shipping tracks Wednesday on ice-clogged Whitefish Bay.
Nine freighters, six downbound and three upbound, were delayed overnight Tuesday due to deteriorating conditions.
“Large ice floes of significant thickness broke loose from the western shore (of Lake Superior) earlier in the week and collapsed previously-laid shipping tracks,” said Mark Gill, operations manager of USCG Group Sault.
Plate ice was up to 75 centimetres [about 29 inches] thick, he said.
…“Whitefish Bay is the last significant ice left to deal with on all of the Great Lakes,” he said. “Our work, if all goes well, should be done for another season in a week to 10 days.”
More quotes, explanation of ice and Coast Guard operations the Sault Star >>
