Don't play in the shipping lane

Captains,

Ice fishing and shipping don't mix. It's ridiculous for mariners to have to worry about people walking in their path, but at this time of year a catastrophe involving a pedestrian and a ship is possible.

RADM W

Coast Guard warns ice-sport enthusiasts of weakened ice near open shipping lanes

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – The Coast Guard is noticing a developing trend on Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, the St. Mary’s River and other waterways as ice-sport enthusiasts are putting themselves in danger by taking advantage of early and rapid freezing despite active shipping occurring on frozen and partially frozen waterways.

“We recognize people are going to venture out onto the ice, but they need to keep in mind we still have three weeks left in the shipping season, and recreational users of the ice are unknowingly risking their lives by traveling through or near open shipping lanes with broken or weakened ice,” said Mark Gill, director of vessel traffic services for Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie.

Ice Season Begins in the Great Lakes

Captains,

The ice season is underway in the Great Lakes. Most of the aids to navigation have been removed for the winter and the cutters are beginning to break ice. Last year was the heaviest year for ice since 1984. looks like this year could be another doosy.

RADM W

Coast Guard Starts Ice Breaking Operations

Cleveland, OH (Northland's NewsCenter) To ensure the highest state of readiness and the Coast Guard’s ability to complete this critical mission, an additional icebreaker from the First Coast Guard District, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Morro Bay, a 140-foot ice breaking tug, home ported in New London, Conn., has been temporarily assigned to the Great Lakes region. Morro Bay will augment the other Coast Guard icebreakers that call the Great Lakes home.

Morro Bay arrived in Cleveland on Dec. 10.

“We are taking all steps necessary to ensure we are ready to provide the best level of service and keep the fleet moving through the ice,' said Cmdr. Kevin Dunn, chief of waterways management for the Ninth Coast Guard District. “We are ready to respond to emergencies and provide assistance to those who may be effected by ice or flooding.”

Coast Guard Commences Operation Taconite

CLEVELAND – The Great Lakes Coast Guard fleet has commenced Operation Taconite after ice has caused the significant slowing of traffic in the St. Marys River system and other areas in the Lakes.

Coast Guard Cutter Biscayne Bay, homeport of St. Ignace, Mich., and the Coast Guard Cutter Katmai Bay, homeport of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., will be the focus of the first ice breaking operations, with the immediate concern to break small ice formations in the Duluth-Superior area first.

The Coast Guard Cutter Alder, homeport of Duluth, Minn., is currently removing aids to navigation buoys in the lower St. Marys River with the Coast Guard Cutter Buckthorn and replacing them with winter marks.

Coast Guard Sector Detroit begins ice breaking operation early

DETROIT December 15, 2010 – The U.S. Coast Guard commenced Operation Coal Shovel today after colder temperatures caused a rapid development of ice in the eastern Great Lakes.

Originally scheduled to begin Friday, Operation Coal Shovel is the ice breaking operation for the southern part of Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair/Detroit River systems, and lakes Erie and Ontario.

140' CGC Penobscot Bay heads back to Bayonne NJ

Captains

Thanks to the 140' Cutter Penobscot Bay from Bayonne NJ, cargo valued at $100 million transited the icy Great Lakes this year.

RADM W

CLEVELAND - The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Penobscot Bay is scheduled to depart here after spending the winter breaking ice on the Great Lakes. Capt. Lorne Thomas, Chief of Staff of the Ninth Coast Guard District, will oversee a brief recognition ceremony, Friday, at 10 a.m.

The 140-foot ice breaking cutter, whose original homeport is Bayonne, N.J., was temporarily assigned to the Great Lakes Region to augment the eight other Great Lakes-based ice breaking cutters with Operations Coal Shovel and Taconite, the Coast Guard's two major ice breaking operations here.

“Their presence (in the Great Lakes) ensured the Coast Guard provided the best level of service and kept commerce moving during the winter season,” said Cmdr. Kevin Dunn, Chief of Waterways Management for the Ninth Coast Guard District.

Penobscot Bay began Great Lakes operations on Jan. 2, 2010. The cutter participated in operations that cleared paths for more than 25 commercial freighters, and solely facilitated the safe navigation of 12 vessels. They spent more than 200 hours breaking Great Lakes ice, including more than 70 hours of preventative ice breaking to keep tracks and channels open for navigation. Overall, their efforts facilitated the safe transit of nearly one million tons of cargo valued at more than $100 million.

Icebreaking season begins in the Great Lakes

Captains,

An additional 140 ft ice breaker, USCGC Penobscot Bay, is making way to Lake Erie from Bayonne NJ to assist with this year's ice season (which has already begun). I'm following officially at our morning briefs and unofficially on facebook.

RDML W

Coast Guard prepares for 2009-2010 icebreaking season

Tuesday, 15 December 2009

The Ninth Coast Guard District is preparing for the 2009-2010 icebreaking season in the Great Lakes.

Coast Guard icebreaking operations are designed to facilitate the movement of commercial vessels to meet the reasonable demands of commerce on the Great Lakes and to assist the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with flood mitigation.

The Coast Guard conducts two major operations: Taconite and Coal Shovel. These operations ensure the most efficient movement of vessels through the entire Great Lakes region.

Operation Taconite, under the control of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., encompasses Lake Superior, the St. Marys River, the Straits of Mackinac, Lake Michigan and northern Lake Huron.

Coal Shovel, under the control of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit, encompasses southern Lake Huron, St. Clair/Detroit River systems, and Lakes Erie and Ontario, and includes the St. Lawrence Seaway.

To ensure the highest state of readiness and the Coast Guard’s ability to complete this critical mission, an additional icebreaker from the First Coast Guard District, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Penobscot Bay, a 140-foot icebreaking tug, homeported in Bayonne, N.J., will be temporarily assigned to the Great Lakes region. Penobscot Bay will augment the other eight Coast Guard icebreakers that call the Great Lakes home.