Coast Guard Inks Deal to Acquire ‘Aiviq’ As Vessel Arrives in Tampa Dry Dock

[ombugge]

From the gcaptain article:

The latter’s controllable pitch propellers and mechanical drive train without heavy flywheels reduce its overall capability.

From the vessel’s specification:

PROPULSION/GENERATORS:
(4) CAT C280-12 diesels at 5,444 bhp each driving 4,600-mm-diameter CP props via Flender twin-in/single-out gearbox
(2) Brunvoll FU100 LTA 2,450-mm bow thrusters rated at 1,500 kW
2,000-kW fold-down bow thruster
(2) Brunvoll FU80 LTA 2,000-mm stern thrusters rated at 1,050 kW

I was of the impression that most icebreakers, whether classed as heavy, medium or light, built in the last decades are equipped with Azipods /Azimuth thrusters or diesel-electric propulsion. (??)

As for if Aiviq could reach the North Pole. Possibly, on a good day, but it likely wouldn’t be wise to send it there alone. “The vessel might get stuck in heavy ice ridges,” an Arctic operations expert familiar with the vessel’s capabilities speculated.
Healy on the other hand has been to the North Pole unaccompanied on two occasions, in addition to two other times.

The Norwegian Coast Guard vessel “Svalbard” reached the North Pole on 21 August 2019, thus became the first Norwegian ship to do so: https://www.kongsberg.com/kmagazine/2019/8/supported-historic-voyage-north-pole/

She was followed by R/V Kronprins Haakon that arrived at the North Pole for the first time on 28 July 2022: https://www.npolar.no/en/kronprins-haakon/

PS> Both of the Norwegian vessels are diesel-electric with Azipods

[Tupsis]

@ombugge

I was of the impression that most icebreakers, whether classed as heavy, medium or light, built in the last decades are equipped with Azipods /Azimuth thrusters or diesel-electric propulsion. (??)

Diesel-electric propulsion has been mainstream since the 1930s. However, there are a few icebreakers with mechanical drivetrain and controllable pitch propellers. In case of Aiviq, this is due to the fact that it was built for offshore work and icebreaking was not its primary mission. Geared diesels, controllable pitch propellers and nozzles are a cheap solution for maximizing bollard pull. They are just not that good in ice. Some icebreakers make do with oversized “ice flywheels” to increase shaftline inertia, but Aiviq does not appear to have them.

Oh, and Kronprins Haakon has Kongsberg’s mechanical Z-drive thrusters, not Azipods.