Back in the olden days ships used to get stuck in the ice. They would remain stuck until they either became crushed or the ice broke up freeing the ship from its icey grip.
These days with a presence in these regions we have established ways to avoid this happening. With satellite technology and GPS navigation ships can now navigate these frozen seas with relative ease. That said sometimes the ice is just too thick to get through and when this happens the ship becomes stuck within a maze of dead ends and frustration. For the last week the main cargo ship (Igarka) has been battling through the conditions with very little success and the second ship not far behind suffering the same conditions.
The "Igarka" was trapped within an area of sea ice adjacent to the "Stancomb Wills" an natorious area many a ship has become trapped. The area where the "Igarka" had become trapped was also not to far from where Shackltons Endurance became stuck.
Where as Shackleton had no support these days we have a fleet of light aircrafts and yesterday one of these "Twin-Otter" planes went out to try and determine a route. After only an hour of flying a route was identified and the ship was able to follow the route and free its self from the ice. The route was communicated in the form of GPS way-points and nothing more complicated than those shown bellow: Directions given to ship:
Way Point 1 - 73° 41’S, 27° 24’W – area of 7/10 ice with circular floe in middle on bend of wake. Bearing approx. 280°
Way Point 2 - 73° 39’S, 27° 28’W – small area of open water. Bearing approx. 246° following meandering lead
Way Point 3 - 73° 41’S, 27° 36’W – large area of open water Bearing approx. 245° following leads bearing round to 233°
Way Point 4 - 73° 47’S, 28° 01’W – large area of open water. Bearing approx. 235° Way Point 5 - 73° 57’S, 28° 54’W – very large area of open water.
Way Point 6 - 74° 02’S, 28° 51’W – large area of open water just west of a large berg. Bearing approx 170° Way Point 7 - 74° 12’S, 28° 51’W – Bearing approx 160° - still following arching lead
Way Point 8 - 74° 27’S, 28° 19’W – start of open seas
Way Point 9 – 75° 29’S, 26° 54’W - Creek 3 Halley (Destination).
This morning the news came in that the Igarka had successfully made it to Creek 3. For now technology has prevailed :-)
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