Maritime Lawyer

Icebreakers

An icebreaker is a specially designed ship or boat intended to move and to navigate through ice-covered waters. While the term usually is used to describe icebreaking ships, it can also refer to smaller vessels used on smaller bodies of water for the same purpose. This smaller class of ships includes the icebreaking boats that were used on the Canals of Great Britain in the days of commercial carrying.

For a ship to be an icebreaker, it must have three key components:

• A strengthened hull
• An ice-clearing shape
• Added power

None of these attributes are typically found in normal ships. The strengthened hull is necessary, because without it the ice would have the ability to tear through the ship’s hull and sink the ship. While some might question the power of ice to destroy a ship, the Titanic is an excellent example.

To pass through ice-covered water, an icebreaker uses a great amount of momentum and power to move its specially fortified bow over the surface of the ice. The ice is then broken due to the immense weight of the ship resting on it. Because a buildup of ice in front of a ship can slow it down much more than the process of breaking the ice, the speed of the ship is increased by having a specially designed hull. The hull is designed to direct the broken ice around or under the vessel.

Because of the prevalence of ice underneath the ship, the external components of the ship’s propulsion system, basically the propellers and propeller shafts, are at great risk of damage. They are at a greater risk for damage than even the hull. Because of this, the ship’s ability to propel itself onto the ice, break the ice, and then direct the debris from its path is essential for the ship’s and crew’s safety.

Icebreakers are necessary for keeping trade routes open in situations of both seasonal and permanent ice conditions. Icebreakers are expensive to build and even more expensive to run so they are typically run by governments.

In addition to the expense, they are uncomfortable to travel in on the open sea. They are uncomfortable due to their thick, rounded keeps that lack any protuberances for stability. Because of this, they can roll even in light seas. They are also uncomfortable when breaking through continuous ice due to the constant motion, noise, and vibrations.

Contact a Maritime Lawyer

If you have been injured in an accident on an icebreaker, contact the maritime injury lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 1-800-220-9341 today.