HANDLING SHIPS IN ICE — A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO HANDLING 1A AND 1AS SHIPS

Nowadays, the process of global warming is reducing the density of the ice concentrations; that is why more and more vessels are getting designed and constructed to be able to operate in such extreme conditions which seriously limit both speed and maneuverability of the vessel and increase the risk of damage to the propellers, hull plating and propulsion engines.

Subject limitations eventually lead to higher risks of collision and grounding. And this is, in turn, the main reason why the expert knowledge and skills are required for handling ships in ice conditions. The purpose of the present volume is to demonstrate to the readers why those skills are considered necessary. Some of the vessels, particularly 1A Super - class, are designed for operation in such conditions.

But, the nature of their design and technical characteristics including power and speed have a sort of perverse effect - it means that when the vessel is not handled carefully, the risk of sustaining damage, get aground or collided significantly increases.

There are some other deficiencies that can become causes of the accidents, for example poor organization and communication, failure to follow the operational instructions and routing procedures etc. The material presented in this book is arranged in five sections covering all aspects of navigating in ice from preparation for voyage to berthing.