Akademik Shokalsky is a small ice-class cruise ship, owned by the Russian Federation and operated by the Australian operator Aurora Expeditions, built in 1982
in Finland for polar and oceanographic research. Named in honor of the Russian and Soviet geographer, oceanographer and cartographer Lieutenant General and academician Yuli Shokalsky.
The vessel was built in 1982 in Finland for polar and oceanographic research and is UL ice class. The size of the vessel allows it to go where larger ships cannot. "Akademik Shokalsky" accepts 46 passengers on trips to the Arctic and 48 passengers on cruises to the Antarctic.
The ship has 26 sea view cabins (including the 23.2 m² Amundsen Suite) and has undergone several modernizations and refurbishments (2008).
On December 25, 2013, a ship with 74 Australian scientists, tourists and crew members on board became stuck in the Antarctic ice 1.5 thousand nautical miles (2.7 thousand km) from Hobart.
Early in the morning of December 25, a distress signal was received from the ship. Three icebreakers were sent to rescue him, but they were powerless to help the Russian ship.
On January 2, 2014, all the ship's passengers were evacuated by helicopter from the Xue Long ship to the icebreaker Aurora Australis, while the Xue Long icebreaker also found itself frozen 20 km from the Akademik Shokalsky. On January 7, as a result of ice movement, a wide crack formed near the ship “Akademik Shokalsky” and it began moving at a speed of seven knots towards the Chinese icebreaker “Xue Long”.
On January 8, 2014, “Akademik Shokalsky” was finally freed from ice captivity and reached clean water.
On board
Wardroom, crew canteen.
Lecture hall.
Salon and bar.
Library.
Satellite connection.
Expedition doctor and outpatient clinic.
Motor ship "Akademik Shokalsky" (hydrometeological service), 1980s
The ship "Mogilev" washed ashore (with a cargo of more than 20,000 pounds), covered with ice
"Akademik Shokalsky" is in shambles
From left to right: Viktor Sobolev (radio operator), Valery Nefediev (mechanic), Sergey Sklyanov (senior mate)
The Shokalsky team a month before its death (July 1983). From left to right: Nefediev V., Maksimov V., Konovalova A.P. (cook), sailor who did not go on that voyage, Sklyanov S., Chernysheva A.K., Sobolev V. in the first row.
Widows, children, relatives of crew members at the monument on the shore of Lake Baikal (October 1983)
Monument at the site of the sinking of the motor ship "Akademik Shokalsky" (Cape Krasny Yar, October 1983)
Every year, a Baikal ship, the kind that usually sails the waters of Lake Baikal, comes to the deserted shore near Cape Krasny Yar. There are never tourists on its deck, but people sail with it to celebrate a sad funeral feast here. And so every year, in 1993 this was the tenth time.
Here, in this place, in full view of the shore, the motor ship “Akademik Shokalsky” and seven crew members with it died. One of the last major disasters on Lake Baikal with human casualties. The ship disappeared without a trace, without returning anyone to the earth. Baikal tightly keeps its secrets.
Those who sail here every year remember those who died and the wound does not heal, and the grief is unbearable, and the heart hurts deeper; there are no graves on earth, and even if no one talks about it out loud, hope lives in everyone - maybe alive? And every year they commemorate Vladislav Ivanovich Chernyshev, Sergei Sklyanov, Valery Nefediev, Viktor Maksimov, Viktor Sobolev, Antonina Konovalova, Valery Rudakov.
Sometimes, knowing why the ship came here, passing ships swim up. People have been connected with Baikal for years, decades,
rarely lets anyone go. And, looking at Baikal, sparkling under the morning sun from the memorial sign placed on the mountainside, they remember both the sad and the happy.
They were all young, they all had children of different ages: Captain Chernyshev’s son was already twenty-two years old, and his assistant Sergei Sklyanov had three kids; Nefedyev has a nine-year-old daughter, and Maksimov, a mechanic, has a son and daughter. Left behind were widows, orphans, and inconsolable parents.
And the crew was friendly and cheerful. Their pranks and jokes are still remembered. And maybe cheerful memories of them brighten up the grief. When arriving at the port, instead of things they could put bricks in someone’s backpack, wrapped in something soft. Or they could, on the contrary, when getting ready to go sailing, put all their ties loose. Before the last tragic voyage, a month before it, the entire crew cut their hair short, like recruits.
After the disaster, a garden bench washed ashore. She was taken away at night from some garden and carried across the whole city to the ship, frightening and surprising late passers-by. And this
the bench became proof that “Shokalsky” had died. There are so many absurd accidents in life, or indeed fate, and you can’t run away from it. And, obviously, such accidents are enshrined in folk vocabulary: “it was written in the family,” “whoever is hanged will not drown.” Sailor Alexander Mikheev did not go on the voyage; musical comedy theater artist Valery Rudakov went instead for the duration of his vacation. And on this day, when a ship comes to Krasny Yar, even if Baikal Father frowned the day before, dispersing the wave, then on the second of August, on Ilya’s day, he smiles affectionately, all shining in the glare, as if on this day he was trying to make amends for his guilt before these innocent people, maybe guilty only of being wives, mothers of people who passionately loved Baikal and could not imagine life without it.
Baikal belongs to the class of lakes, but disasters have happened on it, just like on a real sea, and you need to think hard before frivolously calling it a lake. Its waters inspire respect, even when it is quiet and calm. He is neither evil nor good, he is indifferent to human destinies. And he took victims from the very beginning of the appearance of fragile boats and sailing ships.
“...in the fall of 1772, the boat “St. Kuzma” was thrown by a storm onto the eastern shore near Posolsk and damaged. In 1779, the boat “Adrian and Natalya” was thrown onto the embassy corga and covered with ice. In 1817, three ships with government lead were broken by a storm, “ships that were on the delivery of Xenofont Mikhailovich Sibiryakov, the cargo and people were completely lost.” On September 15, 1838, the galliot “Irkutsk” crashed near the Posolsky Monastery, the crew escaped, and the ship sank.” In 1860, in the late autumn, the steamship "Heir Tsesarevich" sank."
The largest disaster in terms of the number of casualties was the disaster with the Potapov ship, which belonged to the Nemchinovsky Shipping Company in the Small Sea. 158 people died, of which 143 were men, 11 women and four children. 550 barrels of fish were broken and 107 seines were sunk. A detailed study of this disaster based on archive materials was carried out by the captain of the motor ship “Andrulaitis” Viktor Vertyankin and published an article in the magazine “River Transport” No. 6 for 1991.
Last year marked ten years since the sinking of the motor ship Akademik Yu.M. Shokalsky,” with which 7 crew members died, including one woman, and the ship also disappeared, which has not yet been discovered, despite a thorough search.
The place where the disaster occurred is called Krasny Yar. And in gloomy weather it makes a gloomy impression. An almost vertical wooded mountain, rising like a screen above Lake Baikal; at the water's edge stand a wall of sun-bleached, dead pines, torn off from the mainland; branches are like hands calling for help.
The coast is usually deserted, but on that tragic day of August 2, 1983, fortunately, there were people here who had found refuge in anticipation of the approaching bad weather: fishermen, tourists, children from nearby Buguldeika. If on this day, as usual, not a single person had been here, then the death of the Shokalsky motor ship would have remained a mystery, never solved. And one more very important circumstance: on the shore of Krasny Yar there was a witness who had worked for a long time on the seas of the Northern
Arctic Ocean, who had experience in observing the state of the situation at sea and was then able to draw up a diagram of the situation of the death of the ship.
In general, Cape Krasny Yar is a bad place. One of the ship inspectors said that he had been investigating accidents with rafts for about 20 years. Most often, rafts fight near Krasny Yar. An unusual weather situation arises here, a north-west wind blows, fog rolls down from the mountains, not even fog, but some kind of jelly made from fog. Closer to the zenith, the sky is absolutely blue, it seems that the clouds are standing still. The wind blows from mountain crevices, and local mountain winds often occur. It is difficult to predict the weather here: there is no weather station on Bugul-Doyka, and winds blow, the names of which are known to everyone. Barguzin - eastern
wind from Barguzin, Kultuk - southwest wind, Verkhovik - northeast.
In the Krasny Yar area the weather was not good after noon on August 1st. At this time, in Irkutsk, the motor ship “Shokalsky” was preparing to leave for Davsha, to the north. At 14:00 it was inspected and found fit for accident-free navigation. At 18:00 he left Irkutsk and walked along the western coast.
And in the area of Krasny Yar, boats moored, which, out of danger of worsening weather, moored to the shore to wait out the bad weather.
During the investigation of the accident with the motor ship “Shokalsky”, Nikolai Iovich Grabovsky said: ““... Wind Aul is gusty 15 m/sec.(1 August 1983 - author), the waves were about 1 m. We don’t go on boats in such waves. By evening the wave subsided and we moved on, we stopped for the night at Cape Krasny Yar. We pulled out the boats 200-250 m from the cape, on which there was a lighthouse and a pole near the water. On August 1, no Irkutsk / Ulan-Ude weather was broadcast on the radio over Lake Baikal.
In the evening, around 11 p.m., the wind began to increase and became gusty again, somewhere up to 25 m/sec. and continued all night. By morning the wind increased sharply, and our tent was ripped off at about 7 o'clock. We went to put up tents in the forest, at that time our two boats, tied with a 30-meter rope, were lifted into the air by a whirlwind (tornado) and thrown about 15 meters. The wind was blowing from both sides of the cape and the wind was bursting out from above the cape in gusts. All this opposite the cape gave birth to whirlwinds. At our stop, the waves were 0.5-0.75 m. At the cape, the waves were stronger, there the water seemed to be boiling.
... From the side of Peschanaya Bay, at about 9 - 00, the masts of the ship appeared, and then the ship itself. I noticed him first. While sailing, the ship made some strange zigzags and apparently could not catch the wind with its nose. I did not see any bulky cargo on the deck; it was difficult to see due to the distance and visibility. Then the ship leveled off and went towards the cape and I stopped watching it.
... Then Cheremnykh turned to Babkin and shouted: “He turned over!” I looked and saw that the ship, in my opinion, was lying on its side and after 30 seconds I saw the completely red bottom and the propellers. After about 5 minutes one person appeared, then a second and a third. The ship stayed afloat for about 20-25 minutes. The ship constantly turned around in the water and it went further out to sea. There were constant whirlwinds swirling around the ship; they often hid the ship. In my opinion, the wind speed was up to 50 m/sec, even carrying pebbles the size of a fingernail. The ship disappeared. The wind died down somehow imperceptibly. Around 5 pm we started working on the boats. Cheremnykh noticed some objects on the water and seagulls were flying above them. Two lifebuoys, on which was written G-314 IUGMS (1), were carried out of the water right towards us. Also took out a canister from
Neptune motor and from the Whirlwind motor. They were very crushed." (2)
All the people who witnessed the disaster say that the weather began to deteriorate on August 1, but none of the radio stations reported a change in the weather situation.
Panov Yuri Andreevich: “...On August 1 we were on a sailing boat in the Krasny Yar area. Because of the danger of the mountain wind, I tied the boat tightly. At 2 o'clock in the morning the mountain began, I woke up from its noise. The boats were tossed about on a leash. I didn't sleep all night. At 9 o'clock I sawAs the ship was coming from the direction of Buguldeika, it tilted to the left side. He walked among whirlwinds and tornadoes and exposed the side to the mountain. But the ship passed and disappeared behind the cape. We returned to the winter hut. Gladkov took a camera and went to photograph the raging Baikal. Suddenly he screamed. We jumped out of the winter hut, he pointed to the horizon. There lay a large ship, bottom up. A few minutes later the figure of a man appeared, he crawled along the bottom and grabbed the steering wheel. Then two more figures appeared and joined him. The ship was heading east. The ship disappeared among the tornadoes and splashes. We talked among ourselves, seeing how people were dying before our eyes, but we could not do anything, although people were dying before our eyes. A kilometer from the shore I saw a red bottom and three dots on it, and then everything disappeared.”(3)
Panov says that Gladkov filmed the raging Baikal. Gladkov was a Muscovite. When they found out that he had the film, on the day of his departure they found him at the station and persuaded him to give the film. But a completely incomprehensible story emerged with it - indeed, Baikal does not part with its secrets - during development, the entire emulsion was washed away.
Another witness, Oleg Dmitrievich Kozlov, tells:
“...I turned on the radio, but the weather was broadcast only for Irkutsk, Buryatia also did not say anything about Baikal, although the unimaginable was happening at sea, it was as if it was being shaken from below. Tornadoes walked along the sea, they fell in fountains onto the shore, as if it was raining. The wind blew pebbles into the air. Our boat was washed ashore and there was a sound as if a large egg had been crushed. The boat was torn to pieces. We went to the yachtsmen to talk about boats (that is, we went to the winter quarters - author). One of them went to take photographs on the shore, then we heard his terrible cry: “Men!” Saw it 1.5 km away. from the shore the ship lies on its side. Five minutes later it turned upside down. Three climbed to the helm. Then it disappeared.
Floating on the water was a bench, a tank, a measuring pole, a steeple with a number, a large box with holes, and a nylon barrel. There was a lot of bread floating in the water.”(4)
Cheremnykh Vladimir Mikhailovich says:
“... At the time of the accident we were south of the lighthouse of Cape Krasny Yar. We were on our way from vacation on the Small Sea with comrades. We stopped at Krasny Yar due to worsening weather. (August 1, 1983-author). At 12 o'clock on the night of August 1-2, we went to bed. The tent was torn down and by 7 am it was completely torn down.
At about 8 o'clock the damaged boats washed ashore.
At about 9 o'clock in the area of Cape Dyrovaty (Arch) I saw a boat (the motor ship "Shokalsky" Cheremnykh calls a boat - author).
The boat had a white superstructure and was heading north, the boat behind the wheelhouse was gray. The boat moved smoothly without rocking and there was no fear for its fate. There were no people or cargo on deck.
After 2 or 3 kilometers, he began to yaw and found himself in a band of heavy winds. The wind changed from the southwest, then from the southeast, and the boat tilted. After that I began to watch him continuously.
The ship appeared abeam our anchorage, but at 9:30 the squally wind intensified. And a wall appeared coming from the north. I turned to the fire for a moment and when I looked back towards the lake, the ship was already upside down. There were no floating objects. The gusty wind intensified even more and even tore pebbles from the sand strip. There were high waves of about 20-30 m (5), with a front of 50-100 meters, which from time to time formed waterspouts 20 m high, which went in different directions and appeared again after 30-40 seconds. The pillars were made of water droplets. The sky was torn with glimpses of blue. And above the middle of Lake Baikal the sky was completely clear and blue.
When the ship was floating bottom up, after 5 - 8 minutes a man appeared at the bow of the bottom and ran to the helm. After another five minutes, two people appeared. The ship remained afloat for 10-15 minutes.
People were in one place, the ship was turning around, tornadoes continued to occur. A tornado arose, a wall of spray covered the ship, and when the wall disappeared there was neither the ship nor the people.
By one o'clock in the afternoon the storm began to subside. By 17 o'clock to the right of the ship's death, I saw several dark objects through the telescope, including a barrel. And a lot of seagulls gathered. At 17-00 one of the friends went to the place of death and brought a measuring pole, a red seat, a 20-liter can of gasoline and a dented fuel tank from an outboard motor. Later, foam plastic, two lifebuoys with the inscription G-314 and the letters IUGKS, and even later a wooden ladder washed up on the shore.
During the storm, schoolchildren from Buguldeika and three yachtsmen were on the shore.
About two hours after the sinking of the ship, a ship, whose identity was not identified, passed north.
At about 20-00 a boat “Kazanka” (a man and a woman) passed by, we stopped them and asked them to report the death to the authorities in Buguldeyk.
03.08 we went to Irkutsk and at the port of Baikal we reported what had happened.
In the 20 years during which I visited Lake Baikal, I have never encountered such phenomena.
I worked on the Kara Sea, on the Laptev Sea, and this didn’t happen there either.
After the storm on August 2, at about 5-6 p.m., transverse stripes appeared in the sky, which quickly moved from West to East.”(6)
The search operations did not reveal any of the crew members of the dead ship, nor did they find the ship itself; its whereabouts are unknown.
All required investigative measures were carried out and in the decision to terminate the criminal case by investigator V.M. Seryogin writes: « ... in the Krasny Yar area near the western shore of Lake Baikal, fell into the zone of an unpredictable, extremely rare local dangerous phenomenon with the formation of tornadoes and wind speeds significantly exceeding the wind restrictions for this vessel specified in the ship's documents, as a result of which the vessel capsized and sank ."
In October 1983, all the relatives of the victims gathered together and went ashore at Krasny Yar, then this became an annual tradition. And the grief was still so fresh, it hurt my heart so much that Sergei Sklyanov’s father could not stand it, rushed into Baikal and swam, probably in a desperate attempt to see the silhouette of the lost ship through the water. They managed to intercept him quite far from the shore.
The summer of 1993 was unusually hot. Baikal lazily dozed on its banks. And suddenly a rumor spread that the red bottom of the ship had been seen from a helicopter; he hung near the abyss on the teeth of underwater rocks. But that was just a rumor.
Hope lives until the very last minute, but Baikal does not part with its secret, it is indifferent to human destinies.
NOTES
1.IUGMS - witnesses incorrectly name the abbreviation; follows IUGKS - Irkutsk Territorial Administration for Meteorology and Environmental Control.
2. Case No. 30508 regarding the death of the motor ship “Shokalsky” and all members of the ship’s crew, which occurred on August 2, 1983 in the area of Cape Krasny Yar. - Archive of the Irkutsk Transport Prosecutor's Office. - ld. 135-136.
Z. Ibid., ld. 138-139.
4. Ibid., ld. 123-124. 5. Probably a mistake, the witness wanted to say 2 -Zm.
b.See note 2, l.105-107.
This report is available in high definition
On December 24, 2013, the scientific vessel Akademik Shokalsky was blocked in Antarctica by iceberg fragments. Several powerful ships came to his aid at once. At first, the Chinese and French icebreakers could not overcome the 3-meter ice, and then the Aurora Australis, with which the main hopes for rescue from ice captivity were pinned, could not break through.
Report on the international rescue operation in Antarctica.
There were 74 people on board the scientific vessel Akademik Shokalsky, including the crew, scientists and tourists. It set out on a cruise from New Zealand to visit several sites off the Antarctic coast.
Expedition leader Greg Montimer. (AFP Photo | Andrew Peacock):
The Akademik Shokalsky was blocked by ice a day after the start of the journey. The distress signal came from him on December 25 in the morning. (AFP Photo | Andrew Peacock):
Ice-bound "Akademik Shokalsky". (AFP Photo | Andrew Peacock):
An international rescue operation has begun in Antarctica. Chinese and French icebreakers set out to meet the Akademik Shokalsky, but they were unable to break through the 3-meter ice.
The Chinese icebreaker "Snow Dragon" is going to rescue the "Akademik Shokalsky". (Photo by Zhang Jiansong | Xinhua | Zuma Press):
View from the Chinese icebreaker "Snow Dragon" rushing to the rescue. On the left on the ice floe silhouettes of penguins are visible. (Photo by Zhang Jiansong | Xinhua | Zuma Press):
And the scientists, waiting for salvation, were engaged in scientific affairs. (AFP Photo | Andrew Peacock):
The passengers did not lose heart either. When else will you celebrate the New Year in Antarctica? (AFP Photo | Andrew Peacock):
Passenger of the ship "Akademik Shokalsky" and a local resident. (Reuters Photo | Andrew Peacock):
Then the main hopes were placed on the more powerful Australian ship Aurora Australis, but it also failed. After this, it was decided to evacuate the passengers by helicopter.
Curious penguins are watching what is happening. (AFP Photo | Andrew Peacock):
The passengers and crew of the Akademik Shokalsky worked together to prepare a landing site for the Chinese helicopter, compacting the snow. The rescue operation was planned just for the New Year, but due to heavy snowfall it had to be postponed for 2 days. (AFP Photo | Andrew Peacock):
On Thursday, January 2, 2014, the long-awaited rescue operation in Antarctica was successfully completed. From the ice-locked Russian ship Akademik Shokalsky, a Chinese helicopter evacuated all researchers and tourists in small groups - 52 people in total. (AFP Photo | Andrew Peacock):
By the way, the Chinese helicopter is our Ka-32A11BC. (AFP Photo | Andrew Peacock):
Passengers wait their turn on the Akademik Shokalsky while the first groups are evacuated by helicopter, December 2, 2014. (AFP Photo | Andrew Peacock):
There were 22 crew members left on the Akademik Shokalsky who did not abandon the ship. The American icebreaker Polar Star, which is not hindered by many meters of ice, comes to their aid. True, he will not arrive in Antarctica until next week. There will be enough food and water for the crew members of the Russian ship for another month. (AFP Photo | Andrew Peacock):
(AFP Photo | Andrew Peacock):
The rescued 52 passengers ended up on board the Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis, but the unexpected happened and the Australian ship had to make an unplanned stop: it was prevented from moving further by the same Chinese icebreaker Snow Dragon, which also took part in the rescue operation, but in the end I got stuck in the multi-meter ice of Antarctica. The icebreaker Aurora Australis managed to find a workaround and is now heading towards Tasmania.
Chinese icebreaker "Snow Dragon". (Reuters Photo):
View from "Academician Shokalsky". (AFP Photo | Andrew Peacock):
UPD. On January 7, the Russian ship Akademik Shokalsky was freed from ice captivity. It was not the icebreakers that saved him - they were never able to get through to the ship - but the weather. The wind changed direction and a wide crack formed in the ice.
On board the ship
There is always a cozy, friendly atmosphere characteristic of a small expedition. All cabins have ocean views. Passengers have access to a sauna. There is a doctor's office and an outpatient clinic. The ship is equipped with passive stabilizers to reduce the effect of pitching, and is equipped with a satellite system and communications equipment. The fleet of Zodiac boats on board the vessel offers additional opportunities for exploration of the polar regions. On cruises to the Arctic, an optional active adventure is possible - kayaking. The hospitable board of the ship is ready to accommodate 48 passengers on cruises to the Antarctic and 46 passengers on cruises to the Arctic. There are 30 crew members on board.The spacious captain's bridge is always open to passengers. It offers stunning views of icebergs and coastal landscapes.
Services on board
Attention! Passenger decks are not served by a lift.
Cabin categories
Triple room without amenitiesair ventilation, 1 opening porthole, 1 upper and 2 lower berths, desk, chair, mirror, shelf for toiletries, bookshelves. storage space, heater, sofa, washbasin. Bathrooms with shower and toilet are conveniently located on the same deck.
Double without amenities
Deck 3. Approximate area: 9-10 sq.m.
air ventilation, 1 opening porthole, 2 lower berths, desk, chair, mirror, shelf for toiletries, bookshelves. storage space, heater, sofa (in some cabins), washbasin. Bathrooms with shower and toilet are conveniently located on the same deck.
Double room with private facilities
Deck 4 and 5. Approximate area: 10-12.5 sq.m.
air ventilation, 1 opening window, 2 lower berths, desk, chair, bookshelves, storage, sofa (in some cabins). Bathroom with shower and toilet.
Superior
Deck 5. Approximate area: 17-20 sq.m.
air ventilation, 3 windows (2 opening), 1 bed, desk, chair, clock, bookshelves, storage space, sofa. Bathroom with shower and toilet.
Amundsen Suite
Deck 5. Area: 23.2 sq.m.
air ventilation, 5 windows (3 opening), 1 bed, desk, chair, mirror, bookshelves, storage space, sofa. Bathroom with shower and toilet.
The Russian ship Akademik Shokalsky, chartered by New Zealand researchers, is stuck in the ice. Three icebreakers have already set off to help. They promise to rescue scientists from captivity within 70 hours. On Wednesday morning, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) received a distress call from the ship Akademik Shokalsky, which was blocked by ice approximately 1,5 thousand nautical miles (2,7 thousand kilometers) from Hobart, the administrative center of the Australian state of Hobart. It was initially reported that the ship, which was carrying more than 70 people, was on a cruise in Antarctica. However, then Roshydromet clarified that the Akademik Shokalsky was carrying out work on behalf of the Australian Antarctic Expedition and was conducting observations off the coast of Antarctica in the area of the D-Urville Sea. Icebreaker-class vessels XUE LONG (PRC), L" were sent to the area where the Akademik Shokalsky is located. Astrolab (France) and Aurora Australius (Australia). Roshydromet also said that the ship received minor damage to the outer plating, there is no threat to the crew and passengers, RIA Novosti reports. “On December 24, during the completion of work, due to a sharp deterioration in weather conditions, the ship was blocked by heavy ice, the movement of the ship was impossible. When inspecting the vessel, a rupture in the outer plating was discovered on the starboard side, 1.8 meters above the waterline. The damage does not pose a danger to the crew and passengers; work to eliminate the crack is being carried out by the crew of the R/V Akademik Shokalsky, Roshydromet told RIA Novosti. A representative of Roshydromet noted that a ship stuck in the ice can be freed in just two days, when other ships arrive to help it; now the crew and passengers are not in danger. “Nothing bad happened. The ship was literally a couple of miles short of jumping out of the dangerous ice drift. Now they are waiting for passing ships and icebreakers that will rescue them from there. I think they will be fine within two days. Everyone on board is safe and healthy, there is no damage to the ship, there is nothing dangerous for the crew and everyone who is there. But we just have to move on,” said the agency’s interlocutor. According to him, the ship is leased from a New Zealand company, and there is a group of scientists on board. He added that Roshydromet would not have to pay for a rescue operation if necessary: “This is the problem of the company that chartered it (the ship).” In turn, the director of the Far Eastern Regional Scientific Research Hydrometeorological Institute (DVNIHMI), Yuri Volkov, said that the ship was insured in case of unforeseen situations, but did not specify the insurance company or the amount of insurance. “It’s insured for a normal amount, it’s enough,” he said. According to Volkov, DVNIGMI specialists are in contact with the ship blocked by ice. To eliminate the risk, it was decided to contact AMSA. It is expected that in a day three icebreakers passing nearby will be able to approach the Akademik Shokalsky and take it out of ice captivity. “There are more than 70 people on board the ship, including about 50 scientists, including from New Zealand, as well as 23 crew members. Everyone on board is fine. Their lives and health are not in danger,” the agency’s source said. AMSA representative Andrea Hayward-Maher, in turn, told ITAR-TASS that the vessel “does not have any structural damage.” “It's safe, which is good news,” she said. “We are closely monitoring developments and have an action plan in place if the situation becomes more difficult.” We rely on icebreakers, but as a last resort we will carry out an evacuation.” Earlier, the head of the Australian expedition, Chris Turney, who was on board the Akademik Shokalsky, wrote on Twitter that “help is expected in about 30 hours.” Hayward-Maher said she thought the forecast was "somewhat optimistic" but she "doesn't think it's impossible because it will all depend on weather conditions." Turney also reported that the air temperature outside this afternoon hovered around minus 1 degree (it is summer in Antarctica). “Like the explorers of the past, we found ourselves in the ice,” wrote the expedition leader. - Everything is fine. Everyone is in high spirits. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas." Maritime expert Mikhail Voitenko noted that the speed of rescuing the Akademik Shokalsky depends on which ships are sent to help him. “If ships of approximately the same ice class as the Akademik Shokalsky ship are sent for rescue, then it is doubtful that they can help it in any way. Unless there are helicopters on board that can be used to evacuate people. In addition, it is possible that the ship will be able to free itself from ice captivity when, for example, the wind changes. But if he is seriously stuck in heavy ice, then for effective and quick rescue he needs a good icebreaker,” Voitenko told the Vzglyad newspaper. He noted that the process of rescuing stuck ships is quite expensive, the cost is somewhere in the tens of thousands of dollars. But the amount is calculated from the time spent on the operation and the type of evacuation vessel. The vessel Akademik Shokalsky is operated by the Australian operator Aurora Expeditions, but is owned by the Russian Federation and is registered at the port of Vladivostok. It was built in 1982 and was originally intended for oceanographic research. The length of the vessel is 71 meters, displacement is 2140 tons, speed is 14 knots. NIS fuel tanks are designed for 320 tons of oil products, water tanks - for 250 tons of fresh water. The size of the vessel allows it to go where larger ships cannot. "Akademik Shokalsky" accepts 46 passengers on trips to the Arctic and 48 passengers on cruises to the Antarctic. The ship has 26 sea view cabins (including the 23.2 square meter Amundsen Suite) and underwent several upgrades and refurbishments in 2008. On board there are two restaurants, a lecture hall, a lounge and bar, a library, an expedition doctor and an outpatient clinic, as well as satellite communications.
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