News Photo by Julie Riddle The tugboat Manitou leaves the Thunder Bay River on Tuesday.

ALPENA – Trailing a swath of broken ice, the tug Manitou on Tuesday morning heads into a misty Thunder Bay after several days in the mouth of the Thunder Bay River. The tugboat, which has been in Alpena to break ice for cement boats headed to Lafarge Alpena, headed for Cheboygan to break ice Tuesday morning but should return yet this week, said Manitou Captain David Malcolm. This winter’s ice cover has been low but could change quickly, he said. When not working in Alpena, the 110-foot tug, built in 1943 by the U.S. Coast Guard, keeps busy dredging, towing, ice breaking, and providing ship assists throughout the Great Lakes.