Lieutenant Junior Grade Andrew Perodeau explains the plan to free the Huron from the ice. The Coast Guard cutter Biscayne Bay also responded to a call from the Manistee Saturday, January 28, when the freighter was stuck in the ice west of the Mackinac Bridge. The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Biscayne Bay had just docked Friday, January 27, at the St. Ignace station after a seven-day icebreaking operation called Operation Taconite, west of the Mackinac Bridge, when they received a call and learned the Mackinac Island ferryboat Huron, en route for its 4 p.m. passage from St. Ignace, was bogged down in the ice just west of Round Island passage off the shore of Mackinac Island, with 68 passengers on board.

Wind had pushed a sheet of ice north into the ferryboat, locking the boat in place between two sheets of ice. The

A quick drawing on the deck window shows crewmembers how the Biscayne Bay would free the Huron. The cutter headed as close as possible on the south side of the ferry to break ice, then circled around and broke through on the second pass. “We got the call right when we killed the engine,” said Lieutenant Matthew Walter, commanding officer of the Biscayne Bay.

The Biscayne Bay headed out to free the Huron at around 5:30, and crew on deck monitored conditions while en route.

The cutter stopped about a hundred yards away from the trapped ferryboat. From the Huron, it may have looked like the Biscayne Bay was frozen in place. On deck it was another matter, as the Coast Guard officers formed a plan.

The Biscayne Bay heads to Mackinac Island to help free the ferryboat Huron after it becomes trapped in the ice Friday, January 27. After freeing the ferry, the cutter guided the ferryboat home around the east and north sides of the Island before heading to homeport in St. Ignace. “As long as we have the time,” Lt. Walter said, “we take the time to understand the situation. We get there, try to fully understand the condition, and ask the captain for input. He knows his ship better than I know his ship.”

Over the radio, Keith Duffton, the captain of the Huron explained the situation, and suggested that the cutter pass by on the ferry’s port side, between the Island shore and the boat.

Passing between the Huron and Mackinac Island would relieve pres- sure on the port side, and the wind would push the Huron into open water.

The officers noted passing between the ferry and the shore could put both ships at risk of running aground on Mackinac Island, should something unforeseen happen. Instead, Lieutenant Junior Grade Andrew Perodeau, the cutter’s executive officer, suggested passing on the south side in a race-track path and using the wake of the cutter to push ice away from the Huron. On the window of the deck, he drew an outline to show everyone on deck the plan.

It could require multiple trips past the ferryboat, but the crew of the cutter would prefer taking more time rather than put anyone at risk.

“There’s a key difference between unsafe and hard,” LT Walter said. “We would prefer to do hard things over unsafe things.”

Unlike other commercial boats that have a licensed mariner as the captain, who makes all decisions when on the water, no one person has complete operational decisions on Biscayne Bay. Instead, the crew makes decisions by committee, allowing for new ideas while emphasizing safety and past experience.

“The team model comes in to play because it lets the new guys offer ideas that us old codgers can’t wrap our heads around because we’ve been doing this for so long,” LT Walter said.

All plans are rated by six categories: supervision, planning, crew selection, crew fitness, environment, and evaluation of complexity. A team of five crewmembers on deck rates the category on a scale from one to five, and the highest vote is considered the level of risk for the category.

If the risk is low, between 6-13, the crew is operating in the green. Operating in the amber is considered operating at the crew’s capacity. Too high a risk, or operating in the red, the commanding officer turns down the proposed plan, and the crew forms another.

The crew rates this plan 14, within the amber, factoring the proximity to land, the amount of time the crew has spent on the lakes, and the setting sun reducing visibility. The cutter turns around and builds up some momentum, then passes by the starboard side. It takes a quick turn to starboard, then heads around for another pass.

After two passes, the Huron broke free and made its way to the Mackinac Island dock to drop off and pick up new passengers. The Biscayne Bay was also informed that the re- turning passengers included the governor’s wife.

By the time the ferryboat left the harbor, the sun had set. With no guide lights and an important passenger on board, Biscayne Bay took the lead around the north end of the island. Using a spotlight mounted on the ship, the cutter passed through a sheet of ice on the north side, then waited for the Huron to radio it was all clear.

The ferry returned to St. Ignace by 8 p.m. and the cutter returned to the St. Ignace Coast Guard station.

“The crew performed flawlessly,” LT Walter said. “We were just getting back from being out for seven days, and we stayed focused.”

The Arnold Line ferry was only one day from finishing its season. Bob Brown, manager of Arnold Line, said the company planned to end the season Saturday. He said he was happy the Biscayne Bay was home. The ice-breaking tug can operate anywhere in the Great Lakes, from Thunder Bay, Ontario, to Green Bay, Wisconsin, and as far south as the St. Clair River near Detroit.

The crew of the Biscayne Bay also received a call from the 678-foot Manistee at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, January 28. The freighter had a crew of 18 and was stuck 10 nautical miles west of the Mackinac Bridge heading toward Lake Huron. The cutter freed the freighter before 9 a.m.