North Star

• Icebreaker in use
• Northstar

 

Photographs of the Icebreaker North Star. Built in 1868 it was used when the canals were frozen. The boat was pulled along the canal by horses while a team of men on board gripped the rope strung between the two masts and rocked the boat. The special shape of the iceboat caused a shockwave as it rocked, which in turn broke up the surrounding ice. The Icebreaker could only cope with ice up to 4 - 6 inches, anything above that stopped the canal traffic until a thaw.

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