Faced with an aging fleet of ice-eating monsters, the government is looking to build seven new vessels for the Gulf of Maine.
The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking bids for the new boats, which will be used off the New England coast and in the Great Lakes.
The specifications require the vessel’s to be able to eat through 12-inch thick ice while moving forward steadily at 3.5 miles per hour.
The Coast Guard the new ice breakers will play a critical role in keeping shipping channels open, assisting vessels trapped in ice and reducing the risk of ice jams and flooding that can damage infrastructure and communities.
The cutters must also be able to conduct at least three days of continuous icebreaking operations without resupply, according to a report by GCaptain.com.
The vessels will replace the agency’s fleet of 65-foot icebreaking tugs, commissioned between 1961 and 1967, as well as 49-foot buoy tenders, GC reporter Malte Humpert writes.
The new boats are envisioned as combining both capabilities into a single design capable of supporting year-round operations in smaller ports and harbors.
