the owner of the Vermont Lake Monsters, a minor league baseball team headquartered in Burlington.) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 grants totalling approximately $600,000 were used under the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program to reduce emissions by the ferries. History From about 1820 to 1850, approximately five horse ferry crossings operated on Lake Champlain. The Burlington Bay Horse Ferry shipwreck discovered in 1983 in Lake Champlain is an example of a turntable team boat. "Horse-powered ferries like the one sunk in the Bay of Burlington, Vermont, had reached their heyday in the 1830s and 1840s. Eventually, in the 1850s, the steam boat took over and the days of horse-powered ferries quickly came to an end." A brief history of the vessels owned by the Lake Champlain Transportation Co. from 1948–2010 is available online. Ice-breaking on Lake Champlain During the winter, Lake Champlain sometimes ices over, making ferry service on the long Burlington-Port Kent route impractical. The Grand Isle-Cumberland Head route is short enough to maintain an open channel, and the distance to the Rouses Point bridge makes it practical for substantial motor traffic to use the ferry, justifying the difficulty of keeping the ferry service operating. The ferries used on this run are of the ice-breaking type; their hulls and propellers are reinforced to allow the boats to operate through thin or broken ice. By operating continuously, the ferries maintain an open channel throughout the winter ice season. In the past, the ferries did not operate around the clock, but in winter time, a few runs were made through the night to prevent the ice from freezing solidly. Now, scheduled runs continue throughout the night. Charitable donations Lake Champlain Transportation is the largest contributor to the Pecor Family Foundation, contributing over $250,000 in the tax years 2006–2008. The foundation makes large contributions to such charities as the American Cancer Society and United Way, and to educational institutions such as the University of Vermont and Champlain College. See also List of icebreakers Maritime Transportation Security Act References Lake Champlain Ferryboats, External links All-winter Essex Ferry service critical by Mac MacDevitt and Andy Buchanan, Press-Republican, November 28, 2010. American companies established in 1826 Ferry companies of New York (state) Ferry companies of Vermont Icebreakers of the United States Tourism in New York (state) Tourism in Vermont Transportation in New England Transportation in Essex County, New York Transportation in Chittenden