of course I would…in an effing heartbeat given the opportunity which ECO would never in a million years offer because I am not golden haired (like a certain other member here) in their eyes and will never ever march the Chouest goosestep. I have read pretty much every published work on both Antarctic and Arctic explorers from the Golden Age of Exploration with particular emphasis on the ENDURANCE expedition mainly because it ended up such a stunning success in the face of what should have been a catastrophic disaster. Ernst Shackleton was almost every reason for that success but there were also men like Frank Wild, Tom Crean and my personal hero, Frank Worsley who also played their roles in ensuring all made it out of the Antarctic alive. This planet simply doesn’t produce men of that astonishing mettle these days. The story of the JAMES CAIRD to South Georgia in the winter of 1916 is imo the greatest small boat voyage EVER!
so you are telling us that Australia is using one untested icebreaking vessel to accompany another in case the latter one breaks down while the former had an abysmal history of doing just that? And Australia is willing to shell out what must be well over $100k/day for all of this when they could have just hired a big tug for the purpose? And why all the hush, hush over this if it is in fact the case?
I don’t buy it at all…
Probably most of you may have already ascertained by AIS data that the Aiviq is approaching Colon (Panama) Vessels Static details remain unchanged.
I believe one would find that the Schmidt Foundation and Ray Dalio are already spending umpteen millions on ocean research programs. Among others.
Just sayin’
Ray Dalio is funding good work. Giving back as they say. Hopefully he will spend more of his billions to keep it up. He is becoming a bit of a historian too, I’d suggest reading what he has to say but with a tiny bit of salt.
Pretty special team to work for. I did a small job there years ago and they wanted an original receipt for a $13 lunch. Original - wouldn’t pay the entire job invoice until it was produced.
Oh well - assuredly someone far removed from the man himself. I went no bid on the next RFQ.
Aiviq has passed through the Panama Canal and the AIS destination has been changed to Hobart, Tasmania.
Not telling anyone anything. I believe there was a question on here, one in which I care very little about. But, because you asked, I asked someone else…and this is the result. You are welcome by the way. You don’t have to buy anything nor would I bet the house on this information. However, I noticed RSV Nuyina being in Hobart, Tasmania on Marine Traffic and another poster just posted the same destination being picked up from the Aiviq’s AIS. Maybe the information is somewhat accurate, I don’t know, but I really don’t care. I do remember leaving that company over a decade ago because I was being assigned to that particular vessel that didn’t fit my idea or ambitions at the time.
I hope the fuel tank vents have gone up 30’ or more…
Large swells become large waves in storms down there
I do remember a fuel tank vent problem, among many others. I would hope as long as she’s been layed up many of those problems have been taken care of. The learning curve is steep with this vessel.
I wish AIVIQ and Chouest success on this voyage down under.
well I don’t buy the coverstory you have been told to tell us but there are is another possible scenario which would fit all the hush hush…
if not a private charter to look for ENDURANCE, one scenatio is that AIVIQ might have a down under buyer who wants to remain anonymous but wants to see the vessel actually perform in ice before committing to forking over the cash. Likely a billionaire rather than a government or a public corporation who cannot enter into contracts of this magnitude without some disclosure being made. Obviously Chouest would not have agreed to bring the ship so far from home unless it has either fully funded by the prospective buyer or there was a purchase and sale agreement in place pending the final ice trials and a guaranty that the redelivery to Tampa is paid if the ship doesn’t pass otherwise Chouest would have said test the ship in the arctic much closer to home.
another scenario is that a government is buying the ship but not a government Chouest wants to world to know about such as Russia or China more likely, wanting the ship for some nefarious purpose. Lord knows China has the dollars and I am pretty damned sure Gary would love to be rid of the Blue Whale even though Shell paid him the building price of the thing and allowed him to keep it. It has been too many years sitting idle and any corporation would want the thing off the books by now. The thing is that if China does buy the ship, it cannot be kept secret forever. The world will find out in the end that Gary is taking ChiCom money which would not look so good. At least the transfer to the Chinese flag would take place far away from US waters.
What I never could understand is why Shell never offered the ship to the USCG for free just for the PR value of the gesture and hard for the CG brass to say no when you can get so much ship for nada even if it isn’t just what they would build for themselves?
The Aiviq was a build and charter arrangement with Chouest. When their Alaskan Arctic drilling project didn’t pan out they ended the charter. Just how would Shell offer the ship to the USCG.
I doubt @anchorman was told to give a cover story. You were the one doing the asking so he asked someone who might know. He says he doesn’t work for that company and hasn’t for over a decade. Take or leave the information as you wish.
Shell ended the charter & accelerated all the future payments for the next 25 years; effectively paying off the vessel for ECO with one check.
Why would China want to buy the Aiviq?
They already have two Icebreaking Research vessels in service:
MV Xue Long, built in 1993 at Kherson Shipyard in Ukraine. She was converted from an Arctic cargo ship to a polar research and re-supply vessel by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, Shanghai by the mid-90s. The vessel was extensively upgraded in 2007 and 2013.
(Presently on her way to Mauritius and presumably heading to the Chinese research station Xue Long in Antarctica)
MV Xue Long 2,designed by Aker Arctic, Finland:
Build at Jiangnan Shipyard, Shanghai in 2018 and entered service in 2019.
Presently in Shanghai, after her trip to the North Pole:
BTW; Hobart is a popular hop-off point for supply trips to Antarctica. Many nations that doesn’t have their own supply ships charter in tonnage from commercial companies with suitable vessels.
CG Rieber, Bergen, operated a fleet of vessels that served as supply vessels to Antarctica for many different nations (incl. USA and UK) from the 1950’s - 2000s:
PS> Christchurch, NZ is another much used starting port for Antarctic expeditions and supply runs.
I do not buy for one second the chance the ship is being charter to supply some bases in Antarctica. I mean, what is the cargo capacity of AIVIQ? How about next to nil because it was not built to built to be a cargo carrier and who on earth would pay to bring it all the way from Tampa because Gary Chouest never would for a simply supply charter. No, this is something else
hell, for that matter ECO could have offered the ship to the USCG for free but Gary is too greedy and doesn’t understand accumulating PR credits. At that moment there was a big debate going on about the need for more icebreakers in Washingtoon and Mister Gary had the ability to swoop in and be a big hero but instead he used his hamfisted style to try to cram the ship down the throats of the USCG brass who had no intention to just go along. In the end the CG brass won and Gary got stuck with the ship for a decade just sitting there at Tampa Ship when he could have been rid of it and got a very nice deduction off his taxes plus earned lots of PR value in the process
It is not major bases with hundreds of people to be served, but small research stations with a dozen or two people over wintering.
The requirement is a few tons of food and supplies + fuel for generators and heating to last for the winter months.
Aiviq specs:
CAPACITIES:
aDeadweight tonnage (max. draft): 5,113 LT
Deck cargo: 2,000 LT
aDeck cargo area: 4,880 sq. ft.
Anchor handling area: 4,270 sq. ft.
Deck strengths: 1,024 lbs/sq. ft. (cargo); 2,048 lbs/sq. ft. (anchor handling)
Total fuel oil: 528,155 gallons
aLiquid mud: 10,160 barrels
Drill water/ballast: 562,684 gallons
aGlycol: 8,677 gallons
aPotable water: 115,489 gallons
FYI: The RSV Nuyina has a cargo capacity of 1200 m.t,
and there is such a shortage of proper ice classed cargo vessels that some government needed to spend a bloody huge fortune to bring the AIVIQ all the way from Tampa to carry a handful of containers? No effing way!
Your innumerable conspiracy theories are ridiculous.
As someone said up post, AIVIQ is going to accompany a new vessel to the Antarctic. It appears that she’s just “insurance” for the safe transit of the new vessel.
The most surprising thing to me is that they haven’t changed the name.
Why keep an unpronounceable Inuit name that nobody can spell, that will always be associated with Chouest’s gross incompetence and killing offshore Arctic Alaska drilling forever. I understand that Shell was pandering to the Natives at the time, but that’s the past.
This, hopefully improved and repaired, vessel ought to have a fresh start with a new name.