Icebreaker Sisu to assist traffic in the Gulf of Finland
Arctia says its icebreaker Sisu departed the icebreaker base in Katajanokka, Helsinki, as the Finnish icebreaking season’s sixth icebreaker on Wednesday 21 February 2018. The Sisu will assist marine traffic in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, where IB Voima already works. Arctia’s icebreakers Kontio, Otso, Polaris and Urho assist traffic in the Bothnian Bay. All icebreakers based in Katajanokka are now on the move assisting vessels on Finnish waters.
“As sub-zero temperatures continue making ice conditions harder also here in the south, IB Sisu is needed again. We will assist traffic to ports in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. With the next southerly winds, ice conditions in the area develop to a more challenging direction to many vessels”, explains Matti Björkman, Master of IB Sisu.
Arctia Ltd. is a limited company that owns and operates a fleet of eight icebreakers. The company provides icebreaking services, ice management and specialized multipurpose vessel services, along with the management and chartering of ships in Finland and abroad. In July 2017 Arctia’s multipurpose icebreaker Nordica crossed the Northwest Passage (NWP) for the second time. The vessel currently holds the records for both the earliest and the latest season transits of the NWP.
Arctia Ltd. continues the 140-year-old Finnish icebreaking tradition by deploying one of the strongest icebreaker fleets in the world. In Finland, icebreaking services are financed through a market-driven system based on fairway dues. Finnish icebreakers are available for charter missions in polar areas.
