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Kapitan Khlebnikov
The ship is a Kapitan Sorokin class, Diesel electric ice-breaker operated by the Far East Shipping Company (FESCO) of Vladivostok, Russia. There are four of these vessels; her sisters are Kapitan Sorokin (launched 1977), Kapitan Nikolayev (1978), and Kapitan Dranitsyn (1980) [first two were lengthened in 1990]. These shallow draught escort ice-breakers are designed to operate in the Arctic Ocean entering northern Siberian deltas in ambient temperatures down to -50°.
Kapitan Khlebnikov was built in Helsinki by the Wärtsilä company and launched on 5November 1980. Modifications for carrying passengers were made in 1992 after which she has operated in Antarctica, Greenland, Canadian Arctic, and Alaskan waters as well as off Siberia. The ship is named after Yuriy Khlebnikov, a mariner with exceptional experience in Arctic navigation.
- Port of Registry: Vladivostok Number: M 17454 Radio call sign: UGSE.
- Displacement tonnes: 15 000 (full load).
- Length; 121 m (waterline), 132¨4 m (overall); breadth 26¨75 m; draught8¨5m; height48¨7 m.
- Main engines: 6 Wärtsilä-Sulzer 9 ZL40/48 Diesel sets developing 18¨5MW (24 200 horse power) which drive 6 AC generators.
- Propulsion: 3 twin DC electric motors, each producing 5400 kW in either direction turn the 22m long propeller shafts (one spare shaft is carried).
- Propellers: 3, fixed pitch, 4¨3 m diameter with 4 hardened steel blades turn at about 110 to 200 r/m. Spare blades are carried which can be deployed at sea.
- Steering: 1 rudder, protected by an ice horn, can move through 35 degrees either way.
- The ship may be navigated from 2 positions on the bridge and from an aft auxiliary bridge (ice can also be broken when going astern).
- Full speed: 19 knot (35¨2 km h-1) with 6 engines; cruising speed 16 knot (30kmh-1) in calm open water; ice 1¨5 m thick may be broken at 1 knot (1¨8 km h-1), 3 m has been broken by repeated ramming.by Operating range: 10 500 nautical miles (19 500 km) at 16 knot (30km h-1).
- Auxiliary power: 5 alternating current generator sets developing 730kW (2200horsepower).
- Anchors: 2 weighing 6 tonnes each, with 300 m chains, and one spare.
- Powerful search lights are used for winter operations in darkness.
- Complement: 76 on escort operations (60 on this voyage).
- An air curtain system can be deployed to assist ice-breaking (air at 0¨8kg cm-2 may be discharged through vents from forward to midships 2 m above the keel).
- Hull thickness is 45 mm where ice is met (the ice skirt) and 22-35 mm elsewhere.
- An ice knife is fitted 26 m aft of the prow.
- Ice friction is reduced by polymeric coatings on the ice skirt.
- Hull is double with water ballast between them, there are 7 bulkheads which allow the ship to be divided into 8 watertight compartments.
- A cushioned stern allows close towing when vessels are being assisted through ice.
- Pumps can move 74 tonnes of water a minute between ballast and heeling tanks.
- Fresh water is provided from a vacuum distillation apparatus heated by exhaust gasses, which is is supplemented by a reverse osmosis apparatus. A maximum of 80 tonnes a day can be produced.
- Two helicopters are carried to assist ice navigation.
- Safety equipment includes 4 fully enclosed life-boats and 4 inflatable life rafts (total capacity 264 persons).
- Deck cranes: 2 forward can lift 3 tonnes each, and 1 aft lifts 10 tonnes.
- The ship is equipped to undertake rescue operations with fire-fighting apparatus (3water/foam jets with 60 m reach), powerful salvage pumps, and emergency accommodation.
1st February 2001