 Year-round train ferry service in the Straits of Mackinac was a significant challenge because of the heavy ice buildup experienced by these straits in winter.The "Chief Wawatam" was designed to break ice floes with her bow propeller, which could both maneuver the boat and suck water out from underneath the ice to enable it to be broken through force of gravity.The "Chief Wawatam" was 338 feet in length and had a beam of 62 feet.