Chief Petty Officer Connor Marshall has been making river runs with the team aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Cleat for the past few weeks.
DEEP RIVER, Conn — The deep freeze across Connecticut has kept crews from the Coast Guard busy as ice-breaking missions have been happening more often this winter.
Chief Petty Officer Connor Marshall has been making river runs with the team aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Cleat for the past few weeks. On a frigid Wednesday, Marshall was aboard the 65-foot tug, clearing a channel between Deep River and Essex.
“We have had much colder temperatures this year. It’s been the coldest winter since 2015," Marshall said.
From clearing lanes for energy terminals to making sure more remote areas like Fishers Island can get essential goods, Marshall said their boat – The Cleat – has been more than able to help clear the ice on the water.
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“This tug can break up to 9 inches of ice comfortably, it’s a 500-horsepower single screw boat, it's got extra plating in the front so it can withstand the pressure of the ice and we can do a lot of work with this tug," Marshall said.
He added that with more cold weather coming in, he anticipates several missions on the Connecticut River in the weeks to come.
“It’s just the Coast Guard’s efforts to keep the maritime environment functioning normally even with the ice conditions.” Marshall said. “We are here and ready to go anytime anybody needs us.”
Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him onFacebook, X andInstagram.
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