Tag: icebreakers

Northern Sea Route connects the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean via the Russian arctic coast A tanker managed by Scorpio Ship Management s.a.m. recently completed a voyage from Vitino, Russia to Map Ta Phut, Thailand, via the Northern Sea Route (NSR) -- with the assistance of nuclear powered icebreakers. This is the first such voyage for a vessel managed by SSM.The NSR, which connects the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean via the Russian arctic coast, is only open occasionally for international commercial shipping and is navigable with the assistance of icebreakers from mid-summer to mid-autumn. In addition to gaining considerable savings in distance and fuel, by using the NSRP ships avoid both Suez Canal tolls and the risks of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean region.The Scorpio-managed ship, STI Heritage is a 73,956 dwt ice class 1A Panamax tanker. It operates in the Scorpio Panamax Tanker Pool and is registered in the Marshall Islands and ABS classed. Owned by Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE: STNG), it is on time charter to Gard Shipping AS. She performed the NSR voyage under a charter to Novatek Gas and Power.The planning for the voyage included a comprehensive risk assessment of the ...

Summer 2007 Animation of images captured by a NOAA web cam as it was transported through the Arctic sea ice, on the deck of an icebreaker on a scientific research cruise, to within 93 miles of the North Pole, in the summer of 2007

It will allow the annual refueling and resupply of two U.S. stations in Antarctica The National Science Foundation​ (NSF) announced it has reached an agreement with a Russian company to charter a diesel icebreaker to create a channel through the sea ice of Antarctica's McMurdo Sound that will allow the annual refueling and resupply of two U.S. stations in Antarctica.NSF has signed a one-year contract, with an option for additional years, with the Murmansk Shipping Company to use the Canadian-built icebreaker, Vladimir Ignatyuk, to create a channel into NSF's McMurdo Station and to escort resupply and refueling ships.The refueling and resupply are critical to the Presidentially mandated mission of the U.S. Antarctic Program-which NSF manages-to maintain an active and influential national presence on the southernmost continent, by supporting a comprehensive science program and operating three year-round research stations. Delivery of fuel and supplies is critical to two of those three stations, in particular: McMurdo, on Ross Island and Amundsen-Scott South Pole.Without the annual resupply mission-and in particular the delivery every year of roughly 5 million gallons of fuel to support each year's activities-the science mission would have to be severely curtailed.Earlier this summer, the Swedish government announced that it would ...

Keel laying is scheduled for January 2012 Production has begun at STX Europe's Vyborg shipyard of two multi-purpose icebreaking service vessels, ordered from Arctech Helsinki Shipyard by Sovcomflot in December 2010. Both are scheduled for April 2013 delivery.The steel blocks of the vessels, which are designed to operate under extremely demanding environmental conditions in the Sakhalin area, are being manufactured at the Vyborg shipyard. A total of 17 blocks will be built in Vyborg and four in Helsinki."As the first newbuilding projects at the Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, the vessels delivered to Sovcomflot are extremely important. We believe this vessel type will be the foundation for similar series of vessels designed for arctic operation. Several will be ordered in the coming years" said Esko Mustamäki, managing director of Arctech Helsinki Shipyard."The Vyborg shipyard is a very important and reliable partner for us. We have a long history of cooperation with them, already from the late 1980s, and in the late 1990s we were a part of the same Kvaerner group", commented Juha Sinkkonen, director of Arctech Helsinki Shipyard.Source: Motorship

Icebreaker assistance As of today, April 7th (8:00am - MT), there are 48 cargo ships in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland that requested icebreaker assistance, the Port Authority of Big Port St. Petersburg said.The St. Petersburg PA reports of total 66 merchant ships currently located in the water area, 18 of them - in motion.Over the past day 23 ships have reached the entrance buoy of St Petersburg port. 22 vessels are westbound from the Gulf area, 23 ships called at the port and 18 - departed. Currently, there are 61 merchant vessels and 411 local ships at the port.3 vessels are subject to ice restrictions, two of them - at the port of St. Petersburg and one - at the port of Ust-Luga.Source: Portnews

Examination of USCG polar program The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued the report of its examination of the US Coast Guard polar icebreaker maintenance, upgrade, and acquisition program.The report concludes that the Coast Guard does not have the necessary budgetary control over its icebreakers, nor does it have a sufficient number of icebreakers to accomplish its missions in the polar regions.To view the report please click hereSource: Department of Homeland Security

Bulkers freed from ice The escort of Canadian Progress and Canadian Enterprise ended Saturday night with the convoy stopping in the lower St. Clair River near Russell Island.Efforts began again Sunday morning about 6 a.m., with the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Samuel Risley breaking a track into the lower river then returning to escort the freighters. The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Morro Bay joined the close escort and the icebreakers slugged it out with the ice. It was slow going and the convoy reached Lake St. Clair about 11:30 a.m. U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bristol Bay departed Detroit and joined the efforts on Lake St. Clair, later turning and heading upbound.Canadian Enterprise made her dock at Ojibay salt in Windsor, where she loaded for another trip to South Chicago. Progress followed Morro Bay and Risley downbound to Western Lake Erie, where the waiting Canadian Coast Guard Ship Griffon would escort her into lay-up dock at Port Colborne, Ont.Later in the day, the Risley met up with the tug Invincible and barge McKee Sons, heading upbound from Ashtabula with coal for Trenton, Mich. They met off Colchester about 9:45 p.m.Source: Boatnerd

Stuck in ice vessels Okhotsk sea development From 0800 Jan 10 till 0745 Jan 11 icebreakers Admiral Makarov and Krasin escorted reefer Bereg Nadezhdy, but at 0745 after helicopter reconnaissance icebreakers left reefer in pos 53 58 1N 141 23 1E and moved to fish factory Sodruzhestvo, at 0220 Jan 12 convoy started moving with fish factory on short stay of Krasin, Makarov leading the way and breaking channel. Weather wind 11 meters/sec W, packed ice but no compacting, air -17 C.Source: Russian News