Bj”rn Forsstr”m (2:203/614.61) wrote to Steven Horn at 08:26 on 21 Oct 2003:

 BF> A cold winter the Lake Vanern freezes totally with over 20 cm hard
 BF> ice. Then we have a special build ice-breaker, just for Vanern
 BF> here. It fits exactly in the
 BF> locks with just a few dm on each side and to the bottom.
 BF> Due to the locks it can't have front mounted propellers to crack
 BF> the ice with so instead it blow compressed air in front under the
 BF> ice in order to lift the ice
 BF> and then it can get loose, back up and then go full speed in the
 BF> ice again. 3 500 hp. I did spend a night on that ice-breaker a few
 BF> years ago when she was breaking ice and that was quite an
 BF> experience.

What you have there sounds like fun albeit bone jarring.  But the Great
Lakes are a bit bigger than Vanern which is one reason why they rarely
freeze,  But I am sure the water gets cold.

Take care,

Steven Horn (steven_a_horn{at}yahoo.ca)
Moderator, ALASKA_CHAT 
--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+