POUGHKEEPSIE – The United States Coast Guard Cutter “Penobscot Bay,” commissioned in 1985, was training on the Hudson River off Poughkeepsie on Tuesday in the Coast Guard’s continuous efforts to keep
the river safe.
the river safe.The Penobscot Bay (WTGB 107) is a 140-foot Bay Class ice-breaking tug ported in Bayonne, New Jersey. The tug’s primary mission is ice-breaking along with ports, waterways, and coastal security. During the winter months, the vessel is tasked with breaking up ice in the Hudson River between New York City and Albany to allow for the safe passage of barges carrying gasoline, oil, and other commercial products.
For ice-breaking duties, the cutter uses a bubbler system that forces air and water between the hull and the ice, breaking the ice into smaller pieces.
On its most recent voyage on the Hudson, the 17-person crew, consisting of 14 enlisted members and three officers of the Penobscot Bay were traveling north.
Once between the Mid-Hudson Bridge and the Walkway Over the Hudson, members of the crew launched a smaller Zodiac-type vessel from the starboard side of the cutter, and the smaller boat traveled under the Walkway and ventured north ahead of the cutter.
