small berg to let us go through within five minutes were up against a big jam of ruffed ice 6" - 12" thick which carried all four men the hardest kind of work for 1 3/4 hr too with poles and shrow knees crow bar and to cut a way through so that item- drift by running & backing the engine could finally free the boat - at 10:50 we are in open water & the way seems clear for a long distance - I was not of much use, but I pumped out occasionally pushed extra ice with an oar from deck as ofte as I could at 9 o clock was clear.