Icelandic Ice-Breaker

Hey, I'm trying to learn about this vessel. Can some of you Europeans help? Richard? The story I got was that the Icelandic CG saved a Prince Albert (Monaco?) and the vessel was a gift of appreciation. It doesn't add up to me and I can find nothing online. It's about 37 meters long. Thanks.

The Albert

 

Thank-you. I pulled my boat over there and looked and that is but a scrape forward of the fender. I don't know about the square plate welds. I don't know what is good and what not. Funny, the cabin is riveted.
How long can this thing sit there without changing zincs? Can zinc be attached to the hull and hung over the side as an alternative? Any idea of this boat's history?

 

The engine is a Nohab Polar, A caretaker thought 1250 HP at 720 RPM. There is no gearbox. An engineer hired to run it in '95 said you get 7 direct reverses then run out of air (don't jockey too much while docking!) The thing was built in the Mid 50s probably in England. 120' x 23' x 9' draft (36.5 x 7 x 2.74). There is blue and red paint in the correct area under grey that does match the ICG. I found a diver that has been regularly updating zincs. Most plumbing was frozen one winter but engine survived. Lloyds paid to have engine repaired in '95. The boat has been sitting since it was brought for the oil spill in '89. I like the cut of this boat's jib and think it deserves another chance at life.

 

Looks very rugged and stable. But was for sure no Icebreaker. But when built to operate in high Latitudes she will be icegoing! And all those boats were built to operate around Greenland and Iceland. The Nohab is another hint that she was not built as a Icebreaker, she would need a fast responding engine (or a CPP) to operate in ice! And seven starts is not much. But seems to be a bargain? Yes I agree looks like she would deserve to be brought into life again.

 

I may be getting ahead of myself but do you think she is a reasonable candidate for CPP? thanks

 

Why not? All displacement boats are! Though not a new one, the cost would be too high. But just recently TAD pointed towards a Danish Shipbreaker I will find the link and post.

They have almost all CPP´s in Scandinavia, so one should find a good second hand one for a few dollars.
the link
http://www.fornaes.dk/english/engines.php

But there is another problem you will have! You have to remove the gearbox and replace it with the CPP mechanism! (and possibly a reduction)
It will get hard to find the right CPP, shaft and gear to fit in that boat! Just a thought.

 

the titanic broke some ice

 

I think the bartender did the only ice breaking on the Titanic.

 

Another thought:

Why changing anything? Leave it as it is, it is a proven arrangement and will probably live longer than both of us.
The air vessels are gone I assume, she is so long out of service and the salty air lets the bottles corrode inside. And you will need either some larger bottles or a additional one to give her a better maneuverability. We had a separate Compressor, that would be nice too. You only need that darn thing when docking, but then it´s a great help. But much more than ten starts are uncommon anyway, and when thats not enough, one should learn handling a boat. We never had to drop anchor for running out of air.

To icegoing again.
These North Sea boats are capable of handling ice floes to some extend but cannot go in drift ice, piled floes or pack ice. They cannot "break" ice.
And "icegoing capability" in the merchant fleet means just, that the ship is able to follow a Icebreaker. The more power the ship has, the thicker the "sludge" of floes can be before it gets stuck even behind a icebreaker. So "iceclass" means primarily Power. (and some reinforcement of course)
This one has Power.

 

She looks like a converted Side trawler, probably a veteran of the cod war. Most had direct reversing engines. Not many left now.

 

You´re right. This IS a side trawler or beam trawler. And the engine is a gearless direct reversing (reduction gear she will have).

Richard

edit:

just read she has NO gear Mark mentioned above. But I am not sure about that, 750 rpm is a bit uncommon, usually they go up to 500 only without a red. gear.

And yes Mark, you can hang some zinc.s overboard to give her some additional protection, but it is by no means a good solution.

 

Is it worth to switch the light off here? Or will there be a further comment?

 

Actually, you are right. I had been told by a watchman that it was 750 RPM. I was just informed by a more knowledgable source that it is 420 RPM and the HP is now in question, as well, as I got the numbers from the same unreliable source. Thanks for the help, I'm calling the owner when I secure the money and make an offer - better physical assets right now than anything else, especially a physical asset that I can take most anywhere, live on and fish from. It was in the cod wars, BTW. It actually tangled with the Coventry City off the Westfjords. Thank-you, again.

 

Offer them a good stable Euro € and have it! One I meant! Then we discuss it further. Such a boat is not worth more than ....O N E... EURO! Dollar or Turkish Lira.......
Docking and securing it is a pain in the , well you know.........

The engines they came from 550 to 1200 at that rpm, so your assumption may be right. But it does not really matter.

 

Sorry to delve into history but this is a new area to me and I find it quite intriguing - the pluck of the Icelanders and the cocksuredness of the Brits. It seems the thing that solved the territorial dispute was the Icelanders' threatening to withdraw from NATO and kick the American base out. I have found mention, many times, of the Albert but only the one photo. It may have relied heavily on beam trawl design but appears to have only been an ICGV.


Coventry city and Albert


The tool of choice.

I was going to offer him his cost of the new crane forward, Richard, but I will resharpen my pencil. Thank-you
As far as docking and securing... Since going primarily single screw in 1984 (excepting tugs and a research ship) I'd NEVER want to go back. The calling of engine controls to the engineer, I could do without and will have to modernize.