New York, USA – On January 28, 2026, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Hawser conducted icebreaking operations while escorting a sanitation barge through the Gowanus Canal.

The 65-foot harbor tug, homeported in Bayonne, New Jersey, features a reinforced hull designed to break ice and maintain safe navigation. Its mission ensures that vital waterways in New York Harbor remain open for commerce, even during harsh winter conditions.

By clearing ice and guiding vessels through frozen sections, Hawser supports essential maritime traffic, keeping sanitation operations and other barge movements on schedule despite freezing temperatures.

This operation highlights the ongoing efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard to protect navigable waterways in the Northeast and ensure that critical services continue uninterrupted during winter weather.

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