Ship safety and performance in pressured ice zones: Captain's responses to questionnaire

• Main Authors: Kubat, Ivana, Sudom, Denise
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: National Research Council Canada 2008
• Subjects: Pressured Ice Zone; Captain's Responses; Arctic; Canada; ice covered waters
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.4224/20178990; https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/view/object/?id=cf5e7707-5d35-4d94-aa12-55807f04a190

Transport Canada funded a project whose objective is to provide real-time information on ice pressure development to ships operating in the Arctic, in order to minimize safety and operational problems due to such ice conditions. To ensure that the predictive system will provide information that will be of use to the Captains and ship owners and operators, a questionnaire was prepared and distributed to the Captains of vessels that travel through the Canadian Arctic. The main focus of the questionnaire was on topics such as the type of product needed, the geographical regions where pressure ice presents a problem during shipping, and how the product should be distributed to operating vessels. The questionnaire and Captains’ responses are discussed in this report. All Captains agreed that ice pressure can have a significant impact on a vessel’s navigability, and that a product providing information on ice pressure development and build-up, and information on occurrence of leads, will significantly contribute to safe navigation through ice covered waters. In addition to a forecast of where pressured ice develops, the ability to demonstrate when pressured ice is developing in real-time is desirable. The responses identify the zones of interest and factors that can influence ice pressure. The responses also discuss the appropriate forecast products.