Polar star

This article is about a Norwegian ship; for the US Coast Guard icebreaker, see Polar Class (1976) . See also Polarstern (disambiguation) or Cape Polar Star .

Polar star

Icebreaker Polar Star off Ny-Ålesund ( Svalbard )

Ship data flag  Barbados (since 2000) Sweden   other ship names Njord Polar S. Ship type Icebreaker Callsign 8PPK home port Bridgetown Owner Karlsen Shipping Norway AS Shipping company Hurtigruten ASA Shipyard Oy Wärtsilä Ab ( Helsinki , Finland ) Build number 389 Keel laying April 1, 1968 takeover October 1969 Whereabouts Launched since 2012

Ship dimensions and crew length 86.5 m ( Lüa ) 79.49 m ( Lpp ) width 20.53 m Draft Max. 6.55 m measurement 4,998 GT / 1,500 NRZ   crew 40

Machine system machine diesel-electric 4 × electr. Propeller Motors ( DC ) Top speed 15 kn (28 km / h) Energy supply 4 × diesel engines ( Sulzer 9MH51), each 2,540 kW Generator power 10,160 kW (13,814 hp) propeller 4 × fixed propellers (2 × thrust propellers in the stern, 2 × pull propellers in the bow)

Transport capacities Load capacity 879 dw Permitted number of passengers 100 on 4 passenger decks

Others Classifications Det Norske Veritas Registration numbers IMO no. 6905745

The Polar Star (dt. Polarstern ) is an icebreaker converted for expedition cruises , which was chartered for the Norwegian shipping company Hurtigruten ASA in the polar regions. The ship was classified as "1A1 ICE-1A * Passenger Ship" (corresponds to "1A Super" for extreme ice conditions, ice thickness up to 1 m).

history

The Polar Star was laid down on April 1, 1968 at the Oy Wärtsilä Ab shipyard in Helsinki ( Finland ) and entered service in October 1969 for the Swedish Navy under the name Njord ( North ). In 2000 the ship was sold to Karlsen Shipping and it was converted for tourist purposes. From 2007 it was chartered out to Spitzbergen Travel, a subsidiary of Hurtigruten ASA , in the summer season . In the summer of 2007, the ship suffered engine damage. On June 30, 2010, the ship ran aground in Hornsund , but was able to free itself on its own. On January 31/1. In February 2011 the ship ran aground in Matha Strasse . The ship was brought to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for repairs, the owner was unable to pay for the repairs due to the inconvenience. Due to the insolvency of Karlsen Shipping, Hurtigruten ASA stopped using the ship in the 2011 summer season. The ship has been laid up in the port of Palma since winter 2012. It is still unclear whether it will be used again for cruises. 2018 the ship was Polar S renamed.

Machine system and drive

The Polar Star is equipped with a diesel-electric drive system. The four single-acting, nine-cylinder, two-stroke Sulzer 9MH51 diesel engines drive generators that supply the ship with electrical energy. The ship is propelled by four fixed propellers, two of which are arranged as pull propellers in the bow and two as thrust propellers in the stern. They are driven by direct current motors .

Furnishing

The ship offers space for 100 passengers in 48 outside cabins. It is functionally equipped according to its purpose and has a large panorama salon, which is also used as a lecture hall, a library, simple dining facilities and a fitness room. The ship is equipped with ten rubber dinghies for landings and excursions.

With a few exceptions, the navigating bridge is accessible to passengers at all times (so-called "Open Bridge Policy").

gallery

• 

  Side view of the ship

• 

  In the shipyard in Las Palmas / Gran Canaria

Web links

• Internet presence of the German tour operator Polar Star Expeditions
• M / S NJORD.
• M / S Polar Star.

Footnotes

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Ship data on Det Norske Veritas , accessed on December 21, 2010
2. ↑ ^{a b} Ship information of the shipping company Hurtigruten ASA ( Memento from February 15, 2011 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on January 5, 2013
3. ↑ The owner of the Polar Star is apparently broke. May 28, 2011, accessed January 6, 2018 . 
4. ↑ POLAR STAR threatens the last trip to the iron eaters :. January 5, 2018, accessed January 6, 2018 .