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The Cold Hard Facts About Polar Sailing
Conditions can be extreme in the polar regions, even at the height of summer. Whiteouts can occur. High winds can force ice toward the shore, putting pressure on ship hulls. Antarctica and the Arctic are no place for ordinary vessels. That is the reason that design and construction standards have been set for ships sailing in water where ice and icebergs are a constant.
Featured Ship
Akademik Shokalskiy carries no more than 46 guests. You'll feel rather like sailing on a private yacht. Expedition cruising on Shokalskiy is an intimate experience.Like any set of standards, there are varying degrees. Ships that sail in the Baltic Sea, ice-covered for part of the year, do not contend with swell like ships that sail in the polar oceans do. Rather technical, perhaps, but for the traveler the difference can mean a great deal when foul weather moves in.
Baltic ships are not designed for polar sailing conditions. As a matter of fact, they are designed assuming that they will need an icebreaker escort when the going gets tough.
Ice Class or Ice Rating
They are international standards for ships that sail in regions where water freezes for part of the year. They are often broken into two categories: vessels that navigate first year ice, and vessels that navigate multi-year ice. Multi-year ice is encountered in the polar regions. Check a ship's ice class if are concerned about safety. Keep the following in mind, when you compare.
LL before a number indicates the ship is an icebreaker. 50 Years of Victory is designated LL1: Kapitan Khlebnikov is designated LL3. They are polar-class vessels, purpose-built for polar conditions.
There are a variety of designations for ice-strengthened vessels. IA, L1 and 1A designations are higher than IB, 1B, and L2, which are higher designations than IC, 1C, and L3. [The designations within the groupings are considered equivalent.] The third group is limited to sailing in waters with ice no thicker than .4 (1.3 feet) of a meter.