Coast Guard icebreaker Penobscot Bay was on the North River heading back to the front Saturday morning, returning to icebreaking duties up north after a few days back at base in Bayonne. It has been a busy winter for this cutter, along with the other Bayonne-based 140-foot Sturgeon Bay and the smaller 65-footer Hawser. A third Bay class cutter, the Thunder Bay has also been brought in this winter to keep the Hudson navigable.

As of Saturday morning, Thunder Bay is working the northern reaches of the river between Poughkeepsie and Hudson, while Sturgeon Bay has been between Newburgh and Hyde Park. Hawser has been working locally in New York Harbor and on Saturday morning she is in Sandy Hook Bay off Atlantic Highlands.