This winter, Arctia’s IB Otso will be the first icebreaker to depart from the Katajanokka base in Helsinki, according to Arctia’s press release. According to weather forecasts, a spell of intense cold is to be expected in the northern Bay of Bothnia. It will accelerate ice formation, and, consequently, the icebreaking season begins approximately three weeks earlier than last winter.
The previous ice breaking season was average in nature, spanning from Christmas Day to mid-May. At times, the Bay of Bothnia had full ice cover, while icebreaking assistance was required in the Gulf of Finland as well. As the winds were primarily mild, the ice conditions remained relatively easy to handle. However, nearly all icebreakers were active. The developments of this season’s winter conditions will be known at the latest in May after the icebreaking season ends.
The icebreaking season requires thorough preparations, and the Otso crew along with the Arctia office have been busy ensuring that the machinery and personnel are in full working order. The Otso crew are already eager to set off to the new icebreaking season. “We are in high spirits to start the icebreaking season slightly earlier than normal. Both the ship and the crew are prepared. We hope that other icebreakers will soon join us in the north,” says Hanna Kujala, Master of IB Otso.
Arctia’s icebreakers operate in Finland’s coastal waters, securing winter navigation which is vital to Finland’s business sector as approximately 90% of the country’s export and 80% of import is transported by sea. Icebreaker crews are at work around the clock, seven days a week. The crews are changed in intervals of 10 days, and at the same time, the vessel is refuelled and her water and food reserves replenished.