Polish Ocean Lines v. The ship Maplebranch - Fed.Ct. (Marceau J.) - 7 May 1982

Collision action - Following vessel in narrow ice channel

On 2 January 1978 the vessel Maplebranch was sailing westbound in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, proceeding from Port Tucker to Montreal. The sea was calm, the visibility fairly good, but the weather was cold. At about 5.20 a.m., the vessel reached the estuary where the river begins and the formation of surface ice which was a normal occurrence at that time of the year. For a while, she negotiated a path through the moderate pack ice by fluctuating between northerly and southerly courses according to paths of open waters, but finally, about 12 miles off Matane, she encountered some heavier and thicker ice which almost immobilised her.