They are the mainstay of any harbor in the world, always at the ready to do the bidding in what ever form or manner. They tug, haul, push, pull, huge vessels most times in excess of their own weight and size. They skitter about harbors like colorful worker ants, making the way clear & safe for other vessel to come in and go out. They help in clearing away on large barges our garbage, they help in clearing channels to make safe harbors, they do a multitude of tasks that for the most part many are not aware of. The R.L.C. 11 pictured here has the delightful task of breaking ice around vessels laid up fore winter. The reason this is done is so that water around the tied up vessel will be free and flowing so as not to freeze to the point where plates and hulls can be ruptured and the vessel sinking or turning turtle. It would be a costly venture for a shipping company to have to start a new and lay out a huge expenditure to right a sunken vessel and refit her for seasonal duty, ergo the duty of a tug to break ice about the vessel tied up for the winter, a thankless job to be sure, but one that will allow you the reader to be able to sit at your table and eat your breakfast and read your paper that perhaps a vessel brought wheat & rolls of newsprint to your town so you could do just that.....thanks for the peek