A.V. Sandusky breaks through iced-over Chesapeake Bay for Maryland watermen

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) crews were in the Chesapeake Bay on Thursday, cutting through ice to reopen a key watermen's basin.  

Frigid temperatures have left Maryland's waterways iced over, which has kept watermen off the water and out of work for weeks.

"If you can't make no money, you can't pay no bills," said Capt. Tyrone Meredith, a Maryland waterman.

A.V. Sandusky breaking through the ice

In Kent Narrows, Maryland, DNR sent out its ice-breaking vessel, the A.V. Sandusky, to clear a path through the ice to open the Queen Anne's County watermen's basin near the drawbridge.

The vessel uses its weight and reinforced steel hull to ride up on the ice, then crush it below and break apart the thick, frozen slabs.

"What we're dealing with is five to six-inch pieces of slab that are refreezing," said A.V. Sandusky Capt. Mike Simonsen. "You can tell we're breaking through this because you can hear the hull of the Sandusky singing to us."

Capt. Simonsen said that making these routes passable is critical, especially this time of year.

"Our main priority right now is making sure our first responders can get out and of course all of our professional commercial watermen," Simonsen said. "If we don't give them access, they're not able to get out and get their bushels and get their daily earnings."

Struggle for watermen

Watermen say many have been grounded for nearly two weeks because of the iced-over bay.

"Us watermen can't get out and go to work and we've got bills to pay," said Capt. Capt. John Edward Clopein.

Clopein said the conditions can also turn dangerous.

"The ice would sink the boat," he said. "One boat sank down at the Choptank yesterday, just people trying to go to work, risking their lives."

DNR says that as long as these frigid temperatures hold, the A.V. Sandusky will continue making rounds and keeping critical routes open and helping watermen stay safe on the water.