Bob Parsons tells me that the last book written on the practices and procedures of icebreaking was written over 25 years ago. Less than six pages, Bob says, are designated to the topic in books about ship handling. There are some basic premises, or goals, to the theory of icebreaking. Travel in open water, even if circuitous, is the preference. The basic thought is not to break more ice than must be broken, to go around it versus through it.
Mobility is the goal.
It's about getting from point A to point B in the most efficient manner even though the course may be indirect. It is not necessarily to break ice. The art of backing and ramming is the skill in observing the ice itself. Ice is very different in its thicknesses and qualities. The art is the ability to make the best decisions for the easiest and most efficient backing and ramming options based upon the conditions of the ice.