
Check Out ‘Lightning Cracks’ Breaking Up Ice In Duluth
I learned a new term just the other day. I was watching one of Vibe With Mike's videos on YouTube again when I witnessed something pretty awesome. They're called lightning cracks!
Vibe With Mike has tens of thousands of subscribers from around the globe who watch his videos of Duluth and Great Lakes Shipping. Seriously, he's got an amazing following, and it's led to some pretty cool opportunities. He's previously been invited onboard a thousand-footer to get a behind-the-scenes look. This time, he was able to get aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw, which was just recently in Duluth.
Read More: Take A Rare Tour Of One Of The Great Lakes Biggest Boats
He got a full tour of the boat and witnessed it as they did their ice-breaking operation in the St. Louis River Bay. Eventually, the cutter went out of the Superior entry and got out on Lake Superior. From there, they follow a laker in under the lift bridge, where Mike got to blow the horn! Lucky guy!
During the ice-breaking operation, Mike caught lightning cracks on camera when the thick hull of the cutter broke the ice. It's pretty cool to see how they race across the ice. Also neat is seeing the chunks of ice just glide across the smooth surface. That's pretty awesome!

Have you ever wondered how thick the cutter's hull has to be to withstand the pressure of breaking ice? They actually have a piece of the hull in the ship to show you how thick it is. It's 7/8" of an inch of steel.
Make sure you watch the full video from Vibe With Mike. He does a fantastic job interviewing the crew and learning more about the Coast Guard operations. It's pretty awesome to get a tour of the inside of the Mackinaw!
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