Summary
In early April 1972, the Coast Guard tug Kaw broke Beaver Island harbor ice between the Coast Guard Station and the dock in preparation for ferry service. The report says the ice was more than two feet thick and that the tug had to back and ram ahead, gaining roughly its own length on each attempt.
Evidence and limits
The newspaper says the break-out was eventually completed but that the harbor remained full of ice afterward. It does not supply an exact date, official log, ice measurements beyond the report, or proof of the ferry’s operating start.
See also
Sources
- Beaver Beacon, April 1972, “Cracked Ice Anybody?”Reports Kaw working from the Coast Guard Station toward the dock through ice over two feet thick, advancing about its own length per attempt; the task was eventually completed, although moderate winds left the harbor ice-filled afterward. It does not provide a log, exact day, or subsequent ferry-start date.