MSV Botnica icebreaker

MS Botnica is a Finnish icebreaking vessel originally owned and operated by Arctia Shipping (a Finnish state-owned company). “MSV” stands for “multipurpose supply vessel”. One of Finland’s major icebreakers, Botnica serves as a platform supply vessel designed to escort ships in the Baltic Sea during winter and to support offshore construction and drilling operations throughout the rest of the year.

As a design, this icebreaking vessel is similar to MSV Fennica and MSV Nordica.

Botnica was originally designed for winter escort and assistance operations in the Baltic Sea. During summer, she is used for offshore operations (mainly in Northern European oil fields) and occasionally for construction projects. The vessel is classified under the Finnish–Swedish ice class “DNV ICE-10”.

Like most Finnish icebreakers, Botnica initially worked under charter for DSND Offshore AS (half-year contract) and was employed as an escort vessel in the Baltic Sea during winters.

In 2004, the ownership and management of the ship were transferred from the Finnish Maritime Administration to Finstaship (a state-owned enterprise). Later, the company GDV Maritime AS was established as a Finnish–Norwegian partnership, in which Finstaship held a 34% share. In 2010, Arctia Shipping Oy took over Finstaship’s operations, and Botnica’s ownership and management were transferred to Arctia Offshore Oy (a subsidiary).

On October 24, 2012, Port of Tallinn purchased the icebreaker Botnica from Arctia Shipping for EUR 50 million. Following the acquisition, on November 28 the vessel (IMO number 9165877) changed flag state from Finland (Helsinki/MMSI 230904000) to Estonia (Tallinn/MMSI 276805000).

Botnica icebreaker vessel details

For better maneuverability, the bow is wider than the stern. The hull also features an explosion-welded stainless-steel ice belt to reduce friction and protect the plating from abrasion.

To assist offshore construction projects, the ship is equipped with a MacGregor heavy-lift crane with a lifting capacity of up to 150 tons. Before the 2010 refit, Botnica also carried a helicopter hangar, which was later removed and replaced with a helipad. Additional equipment includes a 120-ton A-frame (used for ploughs and trenching machines), Aquamaster-Rauma anchor, hydraulic towing winch (210-ton capacity), and a stern notch enabling the towing of smaller ships through ice fields.

At the stern, the ship features an open deck (1000 m² / 10,760 ft²) and a square moon pool (6.5 × 6.5 m / 21 × 21 ft) for underwater operations. Fuel consumption (marine diesel oil) is approx. 50 tons/day at full power, 25 tons/day at service speed (22 kph / 14 mph), 15 tons/day during dynamic positioning, and 4 tons/day in port. Botnica’s icebreaking capacity is 1.2 m while maintaining constant speed.

The vessel has 1 dining room/mess hall, a sauna, no swimming pool, no elevator, and 1 helipad (helideck).

• Max draught: 8 m (26 ft)
• DWT (deadweight): 2890 tons
• Displacement: 5880 tons
• Bollard pull (emergency towing capacity): 117 tons
• Power: 12 × Caterpillar 3512B V12 DITA high-speed diesel engines (1.26 MW each; total output 15 MW). No separate auxiliary generators. One Caterpillar 3406 emergency diesel generator (230 kW).
• Propulsion: Diesel-electric; 2 × azimuth thrusters (ABB Azipod VI1600A motors, 5 MW each, ducted fixed-pitch propellers); 3 × Brunvoll bow thrusters (1.15 MW each, variable-pitch propellers; not usable in ice).

Note: In areas with poor AIS coverage, tracking the vessel’s location may not be possible. CruiseMapper’s list of all icebreakers and icebreaking research ships is available in the “itinerary” section of our Icebreakers hub, where all states and their fleets are listed.