The Kapitan Moshkin, an icebreaker owned by Rosmorport, has commenced escorting a recently formed convoy of cargo ships from the ports of Rostov-on-Don and Azov along the Don river Don and further to the Kerch Strait, the Azov Ice Operations HQ reports.
The convoy is comprised of two Cambodia-flagged vessels, the Amur-2525 and the Dorothy, one Panama-flag M/V A. Shotman, the Turkey-flag Kazan, six Russian-flagged MVs: the Sormovsky-3060, the Amur-2512, the Mechanic Erokhin, the Mechanic Kharitonov, the Mechanic Sazonov, the Siberian-2131 and the Nasiba Zeynalova bound to Taganrog.
The icebreaker will lead the ships to the reception buoys of Azov-Don canal where another Rosmorport’s diesel-electric icebreaker the Kapitan Krutov will take over the convoy, while the Kapitan Moshkin will guide the Nasiba Zeynalova to port of Taganrog, where the icebreaker will take the Adriatic Mariner, the Baltic Mariner to catch up with the waiting caravan. Three more ships will join the convoy of 12 ships en route to the Kerch Strait (the Russian-flag Azov Mariner, the Panama-flag Ukrainian, the Vostochny, Ukraine flag).
Overall, there are 37 merchant ships in the Sea of Azov, as of 20:00 (GMT), including 22 waiting, 12 sailing and 2 stricken merchant ships. Besides, there is a backlog of 63 vessels, which are ready to depart from the Russian ports in the Azov Sea, only 14 of them have ice class hulls.
According to ice reconnaissance the entire sea is covered with drift ice: to the west of the meridian 36 ° 30 'E.– gray-white ice, with inclusion of gray ice and nilas, compact. 10pts, east of the meridian 36 ° 30 'E. - mostly gray and gray-white ice, compact. 10pts. In the Kerch Strait: drifting gray and gray-white ice, of 9-10pts. In the Kerch Strait – the 20cm-thick fast ice, in Primorsko-Akhtarsk – the 35cm-thick ice, in the Taganrog Bay - 30-40 cm, in Genichevsk – 25cm, near the port of Kavkaz - ice thickness up to 30 cm, in the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov to the west – pressure ridges formation, up to 3m-tall hummocks.
Weather forecast predicts for the coming week a temperature of – 13 Cº (night) and -5 Cº (day) in the northern part of the Azov Sea, winds of different directions. In the southern part of the Azov Sea: -9 Cº (night), - 4Cº (day). By this weekend the Kerch Strait and the western part of the Azov Sea the fast ice thickness will increase by 4-6 cm.
The Rosmorport owned icebreakers were deployed and operate in the area in accordance with the instructions of the Ice Operations Headquarters (IOHQ) led by Harbour Master of the Port of Taganrog. Currently, the IOHQ is busy freeing ice-trapped vessels and escort them to open water in the Kerch Strait. The Azov Sea is "closed" for arrivals, while the Russian ports of the Azov Sea are accessible for incoming vessels. The icebreakers work in pairs clearing a passage for the vessel to then start organizing ship convoys to escort them both to the north-east towards the port of Taganrog, Azov, Rostov-on-Don, Eisk, and from the ports to the Kerch Strait, as well as to assist the ships at the port of Temryuk.
FSUE Rosmorport has now a fleet of four diesel-electric icebreakers in the area operated by its regional Azov and Black Sea branches. In addition, the Port of Taganrog has the icebreaking tug Kama, the same class vessel Kapitan Kharchikov operates at the port of Azov, Port of Rostov-on-Don has the icebreaking tug Phanagoria.
The convoy is comprised of two Cambodia-flagged vessels, the Amur-2525 and the Dorothy, one Panama-flag M/V A. Shotman, the Turkey-flag Kazan, six Russian-flagged MVs: the Sormovsky-3060, the Amur-2512, the Mechanic Erokhin, the Mechanic Kharitonov, the Mechanic Sazonov, the Siberian-2131 and the Nasiba Zeynalova bound to Taganrog.
The icebreaker will lead the ships to the reception buoys of Azov-Don canal where another Rosmorport’s diesel-electric icebreaker the Kapitan Krutov will take over the convoy, while the Kapitan Moshkin will guide the Nasiba Zeynalova to port of Taganrog, where the icebreaker will take the Adriatic Mariner, the Baltic Mariner to catch up with the waiting caravan. Three more ships will join the convoy of 12 ships en route to the Kerch Strait (the Russian-flag Azov Mariner, the Panama-flag Ukrainian, the Vostochny, Ukraine flag).
Overall, there are 37 merchant ships in the Sea of Azov, as of 20:00 (GMT), including 22 waiting, 12 sailing and 2 stricken merchant ships. Besides, there is a backlog of 63 vessels, which are ready to depart from the Russian ports in the Azov Sea, only 14 of them have ice class hulls.
According to ice reconnaissance the entire sea is covered with drift ice: to the west of the meridian 36 ° 30 'E.– gray-white ice, with inclusion of gray ice and nilas, compact. 10pts, east of the meridian 36 ° 30 'E. - mostly gray and gray-white ice, compact. 10pts. In the Kerch Strait: drifting gray and gray-white ice, of 9-10pts. In the Kerch Strait – the 20cm-thick fast ice, in Primorsko-Akhtarsk – the 35cm-thick ice, in the Taganrog Bay - 30-40 cm, in Genichevsk – 25cm, near the port of Kavkaz - ice thickness up to 30 cm, in the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov to the west – pressure ridges formation, up to 3m-tall hummocks.
Weather forecast predicts for the coming week a temperature of – 13 Cº (night) and -5 Cº (day) in the northern part of the Azov Sea, winds of different directions. In the southern part of the Azov Sea: -9 Cº (night), - 4Cº (day). By this weekend the Kerch Strait and the western part of the Azov Sea the fast ice thickness will increase by 4-6 cm.
The Rosmorport owned icebreakers were deployed and operate in the area in accordance with the instructions of the Ice Operations Headquarters (IOHQ) led by Harbour Master of the Port of Taganrog. Currently, the IOHQ is busy freeing ice-trapped vessels and escort them to open water in the Kerch Strait. The Azov Sea is "closed" for arrivals, while the Russian ports of the Azov Sea are accessible for incoming vessels. The icebreakers work in pairs clearing a passage for the vessel to then start organizing ship convoys to escort them both to the north-east towards the port of Taganrog, Azov, Rostov-on-Don, Eisk, and from the ports to the Kerch Strait, as well as to assist the ships at the port of Temryuk.
FSUE Rosmorport has now a fleet of four diesel-electric icebreakers in the area operated by its regional Azov and Black Sea branches. In addition, the Port of Taganrog has the icebreaking tug Kama, the same class vessel Kapitan Kharchikov operates at the port of Azov, Port of Rostov-on-Don has the icebreaking tug Phanagoria.