Finnish Icebreaker Kontio Departs in Bothnian Bay

The icebreaking services provider Arctia’s icebreaker Kontio departed the icebreaker base in Helsinki as the Finnish icebreaking season’s second icebreaker on Saturday 29 December 2018.

The vessel headed towards its initial operation area near Oulu and Raahe, where it will begin assisting vessels. Icebreaker Otso, that departed on 25 December, already assists vessels in the Bothnian Bay.

“There is already ice coverage in the northernmost part of the Bothnian Bay as well as near Oulu. So far the ice situation has been easy, but as temperatures keep dropping further below zero, more ice will form fast. Some forecasts predict a winter colder than average. A master of an icebreaker naturally has nothing against these kinds of predictions”, ponders Timo Jeskanen, Master of IB Kontio.

According to the latest ice report by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, ice in the Bay of Bothnia is drifting towards north-east. In the northern Bay of Bothnia’s inner archipelago there is 10-20 cm thick fast ice. Farther out there is 5-15 cm thick very close ice, level ice and new ice to Kemi 2, Oulu 1 and Raahe lighthouse.

In 2017 the Finnish icebreaking season’s first icebreaker departed the icebreaker base in Helsinki on December 18th, in 2016 on December 8th, and in 2015 on December 29th.