The Finnish Transport Agency has made a decision to send this icebreaking season’s first icebreaker to the Bothnian Bay, Arctia says in a press release. Arctia’s IB Otso departed the icebreaker base in Helsinki on Thursday 8 December 2016 at 01:30 towards the initial operation area, the fairways to Tornio, Kemi and Oulu.
Last year the first icebreaker began fairway icebreaking on Finnish waters on December 29th. Arctia’s harbour icebreaker Ahto began it’s work last year on December 14th near Tornio. This year Ahto assisted vessels the first time already on November 22nd.