Abstract: An icebreaker hull is disclosed having cutting edges and sloping ramps that substantially surround the icebreaker's forefoot and taper as they continue aft along the sides of the hull. The cutting edges produce grooves in the underside of the ice to reduce the resistance of the ice to breaking. The ramps are used to break the ice near the bow of the icebreaker and to remove the broken pieces from the water. The pieces of broken ice move along the sloping ramps as the icebreaker continues its forward movement through the ice field. The tapered portions of the ramps provide for the broken pieces of ice to be deposited substantially in windrows on the surface of the unbroken ice field. Thereafter, sweep assemblies that extend away from the hull on both the port and starboard sides are positioned to move the windrows further away from the substantially ice-free channel that is formed behind the icebreaker as it moves forward through the ice field.