Icebird (ship)

The "Icebird" is a cargo vessel which delivers supplies to the Antarctic Australian Mawson Station. The "Icebird's" maiden voyage to Antarctica began when she departed from Cape Town, South Africa in November 1984. In 1996, the vessel was renamed "Polar Bird".

pecifications

Billed by her builders as the world's first purpose-built polar resupply vessel, the "Icebird" was custom made for Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) by Antarktis und Spezialfahrt Schiffartsgesellschaft GmbH (GSS) in Germany.

Due to the large scale rebuilding program underway at Australia's stations, the Australian Antarctic Division needed to increase the cargo space available to transport building materials. "Icebird's" ability to carry containers enabled the rebuilding program to switch over to the AANBUS modular construction that is so characteristic of ANARE's continental stations today.

"Icebird's" bow was constructed to the latest ice-breaking design, which its owners claimed would allow it to break one year old ice with continuous speed, and so avoid the constant threat to Antarctic shipping: besetment (being surrounded by ice without helm control).

The vessel was also equipped with a temperature-controlled double skin for both the cargo holds and engine room, maintained by circulating pre-heated fuel around the ship. It carried a helicopter and specially strengthened flight deck. The 'tween-deck hatch covers doubled as pontoons, accompanied by an ice-strengthened pusher barge, features which would permit offloading cargo in remote areas.

"It was a standard box construction, superstructure aft with side cranes. But it gave you tremendous capability - you just opened the top of the ship ... and dropped everything in and closed it up and off you went." John Whitelaw, the Acting Assistant Director of Operations, described the ship's unique cargo facilities.

"Icebird was fitted with a detachable accommodation module which could carry 100 passengers. It was clamped to the ship in front of the bridge, and was secured with bolts..." Interview with John Whitelaw and Annie Rushton, ANARE Jubilee Project, 21 August, 1995

Decommissionment and revival

The "Icebird" remained on charter to ANARE until 1994, when it was decided that Australia's Antarctic program should revert back to a one ship option as a cost cutting measure, one which aroused considerable concern within the ANARE community.

Only two years later, during the 1995-96 season, the "Aurora Australis" was temporarily out of service, and a replacement ship was hired - the "Icebird". Reborn under the new name of "Polar Bird", and now with Norwegian owners, the "Polar Bird" has been chartered several years since by ANARE.

References

*The Heinemann Atlas, published in Australia in 1993 by Rigby Heinemann, ISBN 0-85859-641-5.
* [http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=2155 The Australian Antarctic Division Website]