Swedish Icebreaker Oden

Every year McMurdo receives several maritime visitors. First there is a fuel ship, which replenishes fuel to run the power generators for the station, the aircraft operations (which are quite massive, running people out to field camps and South Pole Station), and fuel for the South Pole generators. Then a research vessel stops by for a couple days. And finally, the resupply cargo vessel, which brings everything needed for the next year, like food, new snowmobiles, t-shirts for the store, etc. The groundwork for these visits is laid by an icebreaker, which opens up the last few miles of sea to McMurdo. For many years that duty was performed by a US Coast Guard vessel, then the contract was given to the Russians for a few years. But the last two years have seen the Swedes step in with their state of the art vessels. This year the Oden broke a channel through about 5 miles of ice up to the dock. (By the way, the dock is no more than some dirt smoothed over on top of some sea ice by the shore.) So far Oden has been in the neighborhood for two weeks. It will remain here for another two weeks to keep the channel ice free as the various other vessels arrive and depart.

The Swedes really know how to build a beautiful icebreaker. While docked here taking a break, the Oden offered tours. I was fortunate enough to be able to take one. The captain and first mate led us around. We visited the galley, bar, sauna, bridge, some crew quarters, the engine room, and walked across the deck. We learned that the shape of the bow is flat, not pointed like the classic ship, so that Oden can ride up over the ice when it crashes into it. The steel in the bow is of the finest quality and several inches thick. There are pumps that spray seawater on the ice as the bow moves over it to make it more slippery (ice has more and more friction as it gets colder). Once the icebreaker has ridden up on the ice, it breaks it by rocking from side to side. Rocking? What, do all hands leap from side to side? No! There are water tanks in each side of the ship and a massive pumping system that can change the heel of the boat by 20 degrees in 20 seconds. The ship has four eight cylinder diesel engines directly coupled to the two propeller shafts (usually the engines run an electric motor which then runs the propellers), and can go from full reverse to full forward in 12 seconds. I am told she stands on her stern when that happens. Must be quite exciting. The interior is beautifully decorated with wood highlights, and each of the crew of 18 gets his or her own room. Visiting scientists, however, have to share four to a room.

There is probably more information online, but I have not taken the effort to search for it. If anyone finds a link to more about the Oden, send it along and I'll put it in this post.