The North-West Basin Branch Icebreaking Fleet Set Out to Work

19.12.2012

The FSUE "Rosmorport" icebreaking fleet started providing icebreaking assistance to vessels in ice conditions in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland.

Fifteen icebreakers will provide icebreaking assistance to vessels suring navigation of 2012-2013. They comprise 14 diesel-electrical icebreakers and 1 atomic icebreaker. At present 3 of 15 icebreakers started working. Other vessels of the icebreaking fleet are ready for operation.

At present the Kapitan M. Izmaylov icebreaker provides assistance in the Vyborg seaport, the Kapitan Zarubin icebreaker assists vessels leaving the Big Port of Saint-Petersburg. The Semen Dezhnev icebreaker is involved into icebreaking assistance in caravans and is located at the roads of the Lesnoy Mall.

The Kapitan Plakhin and Ivan Kruzenshtern icebreakers in the Big Port of Saint-Petersburg are ready to set out in 4 hours and round-the clock respectively.

On the whole from the start of winter navigation 2012-2013 icebreaking assistance in the Big Port of Saint-Petersburg and seaports of Vyborg and Vysotsk was provided for 70 vessels.

At present ice is steadily appearing in the northern and north-eastern parts of the Gulf of Finland. An up-to 15-cm thick ice cover has been formed in the area between the Big Port of Saint-Petersburg and the dam. An up to 20-cm landfast ice cover is observed near the seaportd of Vyborg and Vysotsk, and the Saymen Canal. Ice also starts to appear in the seaport of Primorsk.

In the framework of preparation to winter navigation navigation equipment of the Moskva, Sankt-Peterburg, Kapitan Sorokin, and Kapitan Nikolayev icebreakers was modernised. A new version of the Navi-Sailor 4000 electronic and cartographic navigation information system, which helps to automate the navigation process, was installed on four leading icebreakers. The installed navigation systems are equipped with a module, which can depict ice maps of the Arctic and antarctic research institute.


The Azov Basin Branch Icebreaking Fleet Set to Work

19.12.2012

On December 11, 2012 the FSUE "Rosmorport" Azov Basin Branch icebreakers started to perform duties in Taganrog Bay of the Azov Sea.

In accordance with the resolution of the Basin Committee for arrangement of icebreaking assistance to vessels in the seaports of the Azov Sea, and their approaches, in conditions of harsh decrease of temperature to -17 degrees and in storm up to 25-30 meters per second, which resulted in decrease of the water level by 2 meters in Taganrog Bay, from December 15 to 17 the icebreakers took more than 40 vessels from the ice fields to plain water into the haven near Elenina sandspit.

At present ice thickness in Taganrog Bay is about 15-20 meters with a 10-point density.

The Kapitan Kharchikov, Kama and Fanagoriya icebreakers tohether with the Dobrynya and Muromets ice tow-tugs provide safe mooring and support to vessels in the seaports of Rostov-on-Don, Azov, and Taganrog.

Leading icebreakers Kapitan Demidov, Kapitan Moshkin, and Kapitan Chudinov provide safe mooring of vessels near Elenina sandspit in the Eastern part of the Azov Sea.

Regular icebreaking pilotage of vessels to the seaports in the northern part of the Azov Sea will be performed after improvement of weather conditions and raising of the water level near the Taganrog approaching canal and Azovo-Donskoy sea canal.

Rosmorport press release