- Dates
- 2008-03-22 – 2008-03-29
- Kind
- Transportation
- Where
- Beaver Island
- Eras
- Modern era
- Concepts
- maritimetransportationweatherinfrastructurecommunity
- Within
- Beaver Island
Summary
During the severe March 2008 ice season, the Emerald Isle was chartered to carry a 9,000-gallon tanker to Beaver Island. The 140-foot icebreaking tug Biscayne Bay cut through ice near Charlevoix, escorted the ferry, cleared the Beaver Harbor entrance, and enabled the fuel delivery. The tug later departed, leaving the ferry and tanker frozen in until the channel could reopen.
Evidence limits
This is a detailed newspaper account, not a vessel log, fuel invoice, weather series, or complete record of the tug’s other duties and return voyage.
Sources
- A participant linked video of Jimmy breaking ice near the gas dock on March 28, followed by a comment that the Emerald Isle had departed. This is contemporaneous visual/community evidence connected to the ice season, but the video is not preserved here and the post does not identify the vessel or provide a navigational log.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 01 · t001106
- Beaver Beacon, April 2008, "Winter Run – Spring Is Near."Reports a 9,000-gallon tanker run aboard the chartered Emerald Isle, the Biscayne Bay’s icebreaking work from Charlevoix through Round Lake and Beaver Harbor, the March 28–29 arrival and harbor clearing, and the ferry and tanker remaining frozen in after the tug departed. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 2008-04_Beaver-Beacon
- The held April issue scan confirms the winter transport account.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 2008-04_Beaver-Beacon
- Forum participants posted photographs/video of the icebreaker and Emerald Isle entering the harbor, described ice remaining inside the harbor mouth, and discussed the ferry's delay. This contemporaneous visual testimony corroborates difficult harbor conditions but does not replace a vessel log or establish the full voyage sequence.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 01 · t001099
- A webcam observer reported the harbor frozen over in late January; island participants described persistent snow, cold snaps, and ice visible in the harbor, while discussion of Coast Guard and other icebreakers remained partly speculative. This provides local winter-condition context, not a measured ice record or proof of a planned cutter visit.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 01 · t001051
- Participants posted photographs and webcam observations of the Emerald Isle docking with icebreaker assistance during the special run, including a comment that docking appeared difficult. The images are catalogued in the forum archive; the thread does not provide a manifest, hazmat documentation, or independent voyage log.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 01 · t001091
- BIBCO's Marie LaFreniere linked a video of the Emerald Isle moving through broken ice, with community and Chamber responses. This is contemporaneous visual corroboration, not a navigational record.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 01 · t001100
Added 5 August 2026. Recent changes
Cite this article
Beaver Island Archive, “Biscayne Bay breaks ice for Emerald Isle’s emergency fuel run, 2008”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/events/beaver-island-icebreaker-fuel-run-2008/, accessed [date], citing Bob Tidmore and Sean, “Jimmy Busting Ice,” Beaver Island Forum, March 29–30, 2008, topic 1106. (and 6 further sources listed on the page).
Last revised 2026-08-05. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.
BibTeX for “Biscayne Bay breaks ice for Emerald Isle’s emergency fuel run, 2008”RIS for “Biscayne Bay breaks ice for Emerald Isle’s emergency fuel run, 2008”