Icebreaking – Professional Mariner

20 May

U.S. Great Lakes shipping lost 82 days due to ice delays, trade group says

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Icebreaking, shipping

(CLEVELAND) — The numbers are in and U.S.-flag shipping on the Great Lakes lost 1,953 hours or 82 ship days due to inadequate icebreaking during the past winter. To put 82 days in perspective, it is about a third of the shipping season on the Great Lakes as the Soo Locks close on Jan. 15. It took 96 hours after…

11 May

Coast Guard ends seasonal icebreaking in East, Great Lakes

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreaking, Navigation, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard concluded all icebreaking operations in America’s Eastern and Great Lakes waterways on Thursday following a severe winter season that continued well into spring in some regions. Operation Taconite, the Coast Guard’s final ongoing domestic icebreaking operation, has ended as ice throughout the western Great Lakes has nearly melted and icebreaking in support of commercial…

29 Jan

Icebreakers called to duty in New York Harbor, Hudson River

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreaking, Navigation, U.S. Coast Guard

(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Coast Guard is actively conducting icebreaking operations in New York Harbor and the Hudson River in response to worsening ice conditions caused by prolonged extreme cold and Winter Storm Fern. Ice conditions have developed and expanded quickly across New York Harbor and the Hudson River, with significant ice formation now affecting the waterway from New…

09 Jan

Operation RENEW keeps heating oil flowing to Northeast

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreaking, U.S. Coast Guard

(BOSTON) — In preparation for the winter season, the Coast Guard Northeast District has launched Operation Reliable Energy for Northeast Winters (RENEW) 2026, emphasizing the critical role of maintaining the flow of heating oil to the region. This operation is pivotal for the well-being of over 33 million residents, as the Northeast consumes 85 percent of the nation's heating oil,…

05 Jan

Icebreakers not keeping pace with winter on Great Lakes

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Icebreaking, shipping

(CLEVELAND) — Winter may have started a little early this year on the Great Lakes, but neither the U.S. nor Canadian coast guards are keeping traffic moving through the ice, according to the Lake Carriers' Association (LCA). The U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) only heavy icebreaker, Mackinaw, has been missing in action along with several 140-foot icebreaking tugs and an ice-capable…

26 Feb

Polar Star handles fast ice, wraps up Antarctic mission

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreaking, Licensing and training, U.S. Coast Guard

(SOUTHERN OCEAN) — The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) and crew departed McMurdo Station, Antarctica, on Feb. 12 after operating for 51 days below the Antarctic Circle in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2024. Polar Star and crew broke a 38-mile channel through fast ice to create a navigable route for vessels to reach McMurdo Station and…

16 Nov

Polar Star departs for annual Antarctic resupply mission

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreaking, U.S. Coast Guard

(SEATTLE) — The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) and crew departed Seattle on Wednesday and are scheduled to transit to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze. Deep Freeze is an annual joint military mission to resupply the United States Antarctic stations in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the lead agency for the United States…

13 Jan

Lakes shipping delays point anew to icebreaker shortfall

Rich MillerMaritime NewsIcebreaking, shipping

(CLEVELAND) – The holidays were not kind to Great Lakes shipping when a massive bomb cyclone created a dangerous flash freeze situation. Once the winds subsided, lakers were greeted with stiff ice that had a tremendous impact on critical late-season raw material deliveries. Between Dec. 25 and Dec. 30, ships were halted in western Lake Erie and the Detroit River.…

29 Dec

Icebreakers get busy as Operation Coal Shovel begins

Rich MillerMaritime NewsIcebreaking, U.S. Coast Guard

(DETROIT) — The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday began Operation Coal Shovel, an annual domestic icebreaking operation ranging from southern Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair to the St. Clair/Detroit River system, and into Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers work together in these waterways as conditions worsen throughout the winter to ensure the ability…

27 Dec

Defense bill to fund new Great Lakes heavy icebreaker

Rich MillerMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Icebreaking, shipbuilding, shipping

(CLEVELAND) — Thanks to the efforts of the Great Lakes congressional delegation, major milestones were reached with the passage of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2023, according to the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force. The bipartisan legislation authorizes $350 million for U.S. Coast Guard acquisition of a new Great Lakes heavy icebreaker. It…