Kapitan Khlebnikov icebreaker

The 1981-built MS Kapitan Khlebnikov ("ледокол Капитан Хлебников") is an icebreaking vessel. The icebreaker cruise ship is regularly chartered by the travel company Quark Expeditions for tourist operations on itineraries to Russian Arctic territories.

The vessel (IMO number 7824417, Helsinki Shipyard/hull number 430) is currently Russia-flagged (MMSI 273146110) and homeported in Vladivostok.

Until 2016, the ship was owned by the Russian company FESCO Group (subsidiary "Far East Shipping Company"). Since 2016, she has been owned by the Russian Federation and managed by the state-owned corporation Rosmorport. This icebreaking vessel is generally used to supply mines and resource extraction industries and to support scientific expeditions.

The former shipowner FESCO is Russia's largest intermodal transportation company. Services include marine shipping, cargo port handling, and rail transportation. The company has over 70 sales offices worldwide and is headquartered in Moscow. FESCO is publicly traded and among Russia's largest privately owned logistics and transportation companies. Its businesses also include cargo port management, marine shipping, ferry services, rail services, and logistics. Most operations are in Russia's Far East. FESCO's fleet, along with Khlebnikov, includes the diesel-powered icebreakers Admiral Makarov, Krasin and Magadan.

The icebreaker was constructed in Finland in 1981 as one of four Kapitan Sorokin-class icebreaking vessels. In 1990, the vessel was converted into a cruise ship. Khlebnikov has 51 cruise cabins, a bar lounge/mess hall, a theater-style auditorium, and modern amenities (complimentary drinks, sauna, heated indoor plunge pool). She is also the only cruise ship with two onboard helicopters, providing opportunities for aerial sightseeing excursions.

Kapitan Khlebnikov's cruise program offers polar expedition cruises in the Arctic, departing from Anchorage (Alaska, USA), Longyearbyen (Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway) and Ottawa (Ontario, Canada).

In March 2012, the vessel retired from passenger service and returned to escort duties in the Russian Arctic. Quark Expeditions marked the occasion with special guests and itineraries. From July 10, 2011, through September 13, 2011, the icebreaker completed a full Arctic circumnavigation that lasted 66 days and featured adventure activities and helicopter tours.

Besides Quark Expeditions, the icebreaker is also chartered by the US-based company "Victory Cruises." The company generally charters Russian icebreakers and ice-strengthened cruise ships, among which are Akademik Sergey Vavilov, Akademik Ioffe, Ushuaia, Ortelius, Plancius, Ocean Nova, Polar Pioneer, Stella Australis.

Kapitan Khlebnikov icebreaker vessel details

FESCO is the largest icebreaker operator in Russia's Far East. The Russian government transferred four icebreaking vessels to the company. FESCO's fleet, along with Khlebnikov, also includes the diesel-powered icebreakers Makarov, Krasin and Magadan.

The four ships provide assistance in the ice-covered waters of Russia's Far Eastern seas and the Arctic. However, their deployment is not limited to these sectors and covers areas from the Eastern Arctic region down to the Antarctic coast.

A polar-class icebreaker that combines technology with modern comforts, Kapitan Khlebnikov was originally designed for the severity of the Arctic Ocean. She has twin decks, with the superstructure and engine room located midships, a transom stern, and an icebreaker bow. The stern area is cushioned to allow close towing of other ships when assisting through ice.

Passenger accommodations include a total of 54 cabins and suites. The icebreaker has two dining rooms and a bar lounge. Additional amenities include an exercise room, sauna, and heated indoor swimming pool, as well as a boutique shop and a theater-style auditorium. The library offers an extensive collection of polar-themed books.

The icebreaker's double hull has water ballast between the skins, with pumps that move ballast at up to 74 tons per minute to aid icebreaking. Hull thickness at the ice belt is 45 mm (25–35 mm elsewhere). Friction between the vessel and the ice is reduced via a polymer paint coating at the ice belt level. An air-bubbling system also aids icebreaking and lowers friction. Air is forced under pressure from 2 m (6.6 ft) above the keel, from the bow to about midships.

Besides Khlebnikov, other Russian icebreaker cruise ships include Akademik Ioffe, Akademik Sergey Vavilov, Kapitan Dranitsyn, and the nuclear ships 50 Let Pobedy and Yamal.

• The vessel has 2 dining rooms, a sauna, 1 swimming pool (indoor, heated), 1 elevator, and 1 helipad (helicopter deck).
• Max draft: 8.5 m (28 ft)
• Displacement tonnage: 14,917 tons
• Deadweight (DWT): 4,515 tons
• Power: Wartsila-Sulzer (six diesel engines type 9ZL40/48), each 3,040 kW (combined 18.24 MW)
• Propulsion: diesel-electric, with three shafts (5.4 MW each; 16.2 MW combined)

Note: In the event of poor AIS coverage, tracking the vessel's current location will be impossible. You can see CruiseMapper's list of all icebreakers and icebreaking research ships in the "itinerary" section of our Icebreakers hub. All states and their fleets are listed there.