Shipping and Logistics

April 9, 2015
More Ice Breakers Needed on Great Lakes
Written by Sandy Williams
Vessels transporting iron ore on the Great Lakes are encountering heavy ice in the Whitefish Bay area. Breaking the ice has been challenging for US and Canadian Coast Guard vessels. Strong winds over the weekend pushed ice from Lake Superior to the bay, covering about 35 square miles. Broken ice plate 24-30 inches thick clogs Whitefish Point to the Canadian shoreline, according to Mark Gill, director of vessel traffic Services for the US Coast Guard at Sault Ste. Marie. Ice is piled as thick as eight feet with chunks the size of pickup trucks.


