• Tuesday-What'sUP January 25 - 10:54 am

When E. Neil Harri was flying over the Straits of Mackinac, he spotted an Ice Breaker, leading the way for a freighter on the way toward the Mackinac Bridge. Pretty impressive when you see the path the breaker cuts from the air like this. It actually looks like it is the same path that was cut earlier for a different boat and refroze again. It must be easier to follow that previous trail, since the ice would be thinner there, having already been broken through.

That sure is an endless looking road, just reaching farther and farther along the way. A vast and lonely looking path this time of year.

You're right, Mary, that is an impressive sight. Crew members on the icebreakers and freighters certainly must be stouthearted sailors!
Thanks for that view, Neil ~ you're stouthearted too, to be flying in that weather!:) Gives me the shivers!

Saw where a while back there was a collision
between an ice breaker and a freighter. Looked
like both were worse for wear!

Awesome photos, Neil! Thank you!

Every time that I see the CG icebreakers it frustrates me; tens of millions of taxpayers dollars are being spent to put people out of work. The Lake Carriers Association seems to have some sort of stranglehold on the Coast Guard. The longer the season that boats can operate the less boats they need to have and consequently the less employees.

Great pictures.

Looks so cold and lonely.

nice shots neil...that freighter better stay close
to that ice breaker or it will freeze back up'its
so darn cold here.. its... 40 degs. warmer in
alaska than it is here..global warming..

Hello
Note that there are shipping lanes, particularly in the Straits area. That, in addition to ease of re-breaking the ice, is probably why they stay in the same track.

FYI, though it's a bit small to see clearly, I'd bet that icebreaker is the new Mackinaw. The old Mackinaw is docked at Mackinaw City instead of its former home port of Cheboygan.

Not the Mac. It's one of the ones that replaced Sundew, Woodrush, Bramble etc. And yup a freighter ran into the back of one of the CG boats when the CG boat ran into a windrow while breaking a track and came to a stop and the freighter wasn't able to stop in time. 60,000 plus tons just doesn't stop very quick.

Save it for another page Dave.

You know; after looking closer I'm thinking I'm wrong about that not being the Mac. It does look reddish which is the color of the Mac. Oh well, color deficiency kept me out of the Naval Academy.