Icebreakers escorted 46 merchant vessels in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland
Overall, icebreakers escorted 610 since the beginning of winter navigation season
The number of merchant ships escorted by icebreakers in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland per day, February 17-18, 2021, was 46 units, the Baltic Sea Ports Administration’s Ice Operations Headquarters said.
IOH announced February 13, 2021 the area near Buoy No. 1 of the Bolshoy Korabelny Fairway (BKF) as the Convoy Meeting Point (CMP).
Deployed icebreakers and area of responsibility: the Kapitan Sorokin: CMP - BKF - access channels to Greater Port St. Petersburg; the Murmansk: CMP - BKF - access to the Port of Vysotsk; the Vladivostok: CMP - BKF - approaches to Ust-Luga; the Kapitan Plakhin – access channel and basin of Ust-Luga port; the Yury Lisyansky - basin and approaches to Port of Primorsk; the Kapitan Izmailov - Bolshoi Transundsky anchorage - basin and approaches to the seaports of Vyborg and Vysotsk; the Mudyug, Ivan Kruzenshtern and Kapitan Zarubin - basin and approaches to Greater Port St. Petersburg. The leading icebreaker in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland is the Vladivostok icebreaker and in basin of Greater Port St. Petersburg – the icebreaker Kapitan Zarubin.
Ice conditions as of Feb 18: 20-25cm thick fast ice is observed in the water area of Greater Port St. Petersburg, with ridging ice 1-2 points. The ice channel is free for passing. The most difficult place for the passage of ships is near the Kamennaya bank (Peterhof buoys). Beyond C1 to the west: 15-20 cm thick ice, ridging 1-2 points, up to Buoy No 10, near the island of Seskar, 10-15-cm thick packed ice, 10 points. Fast ice formation, with northern winds compression of channels is observed. From Seskar Island and westward up to Gogland Island, 5-10cm thick ice, 9-10 points, ridging 1 point, ice pressure – 1-2 points.
The Primorsk basin: 10-15cm thick shore-fast ice. From Grekov's bank to Buoy No. 7 – very packed ice (9-10 points) is observed.
Vyborg – 15-20cm thick fast ice was formed from the port basin to Vikhrevoy Island, fast ice (10 points) in Bjorkosund Strait. From Vikhrevoy Island to the latitude of Mk Nerva, 5-15cm thick consolidated pack ice, 9-10 points. Further to Sommers Island, dark nilas.
Access channels and the basing of Ust-Luga: 10-15cm thick consolidated pack ice.
The icebreaking assistance season in Greater Port St. Petersburg, the Passenger Port of St. Petersburg and the Port of Vyborg was announced December 16, 2020, in the Port of Vysotsk – as of January 11, 2021, in the Port of Ust-Luga – February 1, 2021.
