Coast Guard Cutter Capstan breaks through the ice on the Delaware River Thursday, Feb. 18, 2015, near Philadelphia. The Capstan crew has conducted daily ice breaking operations on the Delaware River for the past few days. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Peter Hoey)
PHILADELPHIA — The Coast Guard is working to break ice Thursday on the Delaware River.
The crews of the Coast Guard Cutters Capstan and Cleat are working this winter to break ice and maintain navigable waterways on the Delaware River, its tributaries, and the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.
Due to ice on the waterways, only steel-hull vessels may operate north of the Betsy Ross Bridge and in the Salem River. Additionally, vessels operating in the C&D Canal must be steel-hulled and have engines with a minimum of 1,500 horsepower.
“We are working with The Pilots’ Association for the Bay and River Delaware, Army Corps of Engineers, and other stakeholders to monitor ice accumulation throughout the tri-state region,” said Capt. Kathy Moore, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay. “Ice-breaking operations will continue as needed to keep the navigable waterways open for commerce.”
The cutters Capstan and Cleat are 65-foot ice-breaking tugs homeported at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay in Philadelphia. They are designed to break ice up to 18 inches thick.
