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More mass coupled with more momentum equals
more trailblazing capability.
For example, the Edwin H.
Gott is known to be especially capable in ice, which is partially
attributable to her herculean carrying capacity (approximately
74,000 tons) and a new 20,000-horsepower engine.
Turning is tough. If the vessel is moving full speed in a gener-
ally straight direction across Lake Superior, it can power through
up to a foot of ice without too much difficulty. But in the harbor,
where an ore boat navigates tight turns at reduced speeds, even
6 inches of ice might necessitate icebreaking assistance.
Ice characteristics matter. Soft, deteriorating ice is easier
to navigate than fast ice hardened by weeks of subzero tem-
peratures. Moving plate ice, sometimes miles across, and ice
piled upon itself, even if it's fractured, can also present difficult or
even dangerous challenges. Ship captains and owners take all of
this into account when they calculate whether to plow through
or call for assistance.
Q: How much ice can Great Lakes
freighters navigate without Coast
Guard icebreakers or commercial
tugboats cutting them a track?
Winter
Wondering
FREIGHTERS
FIGHT THROUGH
ICE WITH VARYING
LEVELS OF SPEED AND
SUCCESS, DEPENDING
ON SEVERAL FACTORS.
Illustration by
Michael Iver Jacobsen
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