After many years of hiatus, the icebreaker "Varma" has once again set out on an icebreaking mission. On Saturday, it entered the port for a few hours. After a short break, the crew of the icebreaker is going back to sea this evening. The team of "Varma" has a lot of work ahead, as this winter the navigation conditions are particularly challenging.
The icebreaker "Varma" went to sea in the middle of last week, reports TV3 News. After spending ten days on the mission, it entered the port for about 12 hours to replenish fuel, drinking water, and food supplies, said senior navigator Ivars Jonans.
"We have enough fuel, drinking water, and provisions for ten days. This is the time we spend at sea. Then we return back. The time in port is short — for us, it’s like a holiday. That’s why I wore a white shirt. Usually, we don’t wear white shirts in our everyday work. We work hard. Most of the work takes place outside, on the bridge wings, in thick overalls, and with red noses from the frost," Jonans said.
The situation in the Gulf of Riga is characterized by the head of the fleet of the free port as very complex.
"The power and might of nature are very impressive. Right now, the weather conditions of frost and wind have coincided. Work is being done at night as well. All of this makes the situation very, very complicated," clarified board member of the company "LVR flote" Kaspars Ozolins.
The vessel "Varma" is being used in its first icebreaking mission since the winter of 2018. Currently, the ice thickness in the gulf reaches 35 centimeters, but the main problems are created by ice accumulations that form in many places due to the wind.
"The thickness of the ice is actually perhaps secondary. The much greater problem is the ice accumulations formed by the wind, which make passage extremely difficult for maneuvering. This especially complicates movement in the Gulf of Riga for vessels that do not have an ice class," Ozolins explains.
The crew of "Varma," consisting of 26 people, also frees vessels stuck in the ice.
"From time to time, some vessel gets stuck, and in fact, "Varma" not only clears shipping routes, forms convoys, and escorts vessels from one side to the other, but also helps break the ice accumulations around the stuck ships. There are cases when we pull a vessel out of the ice captivity with cables, lead it to open water, and allow it to continue its journey," Jonans said.
The Finnish vessel "Varma" was built as the yacht of the President of Finland, capable of operating in the Arctic. Thanks to its reinforced steel hull and four screws, it is also suitable for icebreaking work. The icebreaker performs its duties well, despite its venerable age — "Varma" was built in 1968.
"The vessel is old, but everything that needs to work does. And the mechanics take care to ensure everything functions properly. We work hard. A very excellent team. We are lucky with the team and management. Very good people," Jonans says.
There is also a second icebreaker in the fleet of the Riga Free Port — "Laura," intended for work on the Daugava.
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