Boatnerd Discussion Forum

It has been a harsh winter up here in Duluth. As temperatures rise and the ice gets a little softer they will make better progress. I believe it's true that the Alder is not the best design for ice breaking but what can ya do?

Have got to work with what you have, and nothing will be available to help until the locks open.

We used to use explosives in the Arctic on USCG Wind Class icebreakers to provide a shock to break the ice's hold on a beset icebreaker, but that's about all it did. It doesn't do much to break the ice. One exception is in rivers where ice has jammed and dammed to create flooding. Explosives can help there. Ice has a tremendous ability to absorb the shock explosives provide. If used on the Great Lakes I can hear the protest clamor from those concerned about what it would do to fish and their eggs in the Rivers.

I previously posted about using explosives to break ice, and i now have a new question:
If the alder was not Purpose built for icebreaking, then why is it being used to break ice that some reports are saying is 5' thick? Would explosives be a better alternative? I heard the alder is moving very slow, in some cases 30' in an hour.