 The canal would often freeze in winter , so an icebreaker was used to ensure the canal remained navigable during the cold weather . Named " Sarah Lansdale " and owned by James Crompton Paperworks , it was towed by a team of horses while the crew stood astride the deck , secured to the handrails , rocking the boat from side to side and breaking the ice in the process . Often , ice would be encountered that was so thick the boat would rise up onto the surface of the ice . This boat did once reside at the boat museum in Ellesmere Port Dock but was later destroyed by fire . 
