Ice Report

ref.: ice report week 12 / 2024 / min ice class restriction announcement / st.petersburg + ust-luga + vyborg/vysotsk
==
current weather: -5C / 0C, cloudy
 
it is expected that ice fields will drift to south-western part of gulf of finland
within nearest days
 
in the harbours of the port of st.petersburg and farther westward
in the sea channel up to the longitude of kronstadt dam (029 40E)
- there is very close ice 15-35cm thick,
farther westward up to the longitude of shepelevski lighthouse (029 07E) // abt 10 nm off p/stn
- open drifting ice 10-20cm thick.
farther westward up to the longitude of the island seskar (028 20E) // abt 35 nm off p/stn
- very open drifting ice 10-20cm thick.
farther westward up to the longitude of the island gogland (027 00E) // abt 70 nm off p/stn
–very close drifting ice 10-30cm thick.
farther westward up to the longitude of the vaindlo island (026 21E)
- very open drifting ice.
farther westward – mainly open water.
 
port ice breakersivan kruzenshtern’(main)  and ‘semyon dezhnev’, ‘kapitan kosolapov’
+ liner ice breaker ‘mudjug’ are on stand-by to assist
+ add liner ice breakers ‘kapitan sorokin’ and ‘kapitan dranitsyn’ on approaches to the port
 
in the top of vyborg bay –  there fast ice 15-30cm thick.
in vysotsk - there fast ice 15-25cm thick.
farther on approaches – very close compressed ice 20-35cm thick.
port ice breaker ‘kapitan izmailov’ and liner ice breaker ‘murmansk’ are on stand-by to assist
 
in the port of ust-luga- mainly open water and on approaches –  very open drifting ice.
port ice breaker ‘kapitan plakhin’ and liner ice breaker ‘kapitan nikolaev’ amd or kapitan dranitsyn’ are on stand-by to assist
 
pls note Harbour Master’s office advised ice-breakers meeting point =
convoy meeting point - CMP = buoy no 1 = buoy no 1 (in the vicinity of island Gogland), abt 77nm off p/stn of st.petersburg)
(we reckon time to reach pilot station from CMP as 8-12hrs)
 
fyi: Upon arrival at CMP the ship is to contact by VHF with ice-breaker
and act according to direction of ice-breaker's Captain.
Whenever necessary the VTS  is to assist the ships to communicate
with the ice breaker.
 
ice breakers which are on stand-by to assist on approaches from ‘ice edge’ to ports
murmansk’+ ‘kapitan sorokin’ + ‘kapitan nikolaev’(main)  + ‘kapitan dranitsyn’
 
------------
ice formation stopped recently, and it is forecasted that air temperatures slightly above zero
will be during night time and upto +10c during day time from end week 12th,
thus ice destruction will commence accly
 
by March 31st, 2024
 
in the harbours of the port of st.petersburg and farther westward in the sea
channel up to the longitude of kronstadt dam (029 40E)
- there will be close ice 10-20cm thick.
farther westward up to the longitude of shepelevski lighthouse (029 07E) // abt 10 nm off p/stn
- close ice 10-15cm thick.
farther westward up to the longitude of the island seskar (028 20E) // abt 35 nm off p/stn
- very open drifting ice 10-20cm thick.
farther westward up to the longitude of the island gogland (027 00E) // abt 70 nm off p/stn
- open floating ice.
farther westward - mainly open water.
 
in the top of vyborg bay including port of vysotsk –  there will fast ice upto 15-20cm thick.
further on approaches – very close ice 10-20cm thick.
 
in the port of ust-luga and on approaches  – mainly open water.
-----
 
The provisional forecast of the ice conditions in the Gulf of Finland for winter 2023-2024.
 
It is expected that the ice conditions during the forthcoming winter 2023-2024 will develop
according to moderate or mild type winter.
Ice growing progress and thickness will be lower than mean annual values.
but ice formation started 10-20 days earlier than mean annual values.
 
The maximum development of the ice conditions was reached in the end of February 2024.
 
It is forecasted that the eastern part of gulf of finland will be fully ice free by the mid of April 2024,
which is close to mean annual periods.
----------------------------------
 
ICE-RESTRICTIONS:
based on current and forecasted ice conditions on week 12th, with quite comfortable ice conditions
for port of st.petersburg and ust-luga, Harbour Master formally keeps min ice class restrictions announcement in force,
with very good chances to postpone again or most probably cancel min ice class restrictions on Mar 21st-22nd
when the ice traffic situation may become more clear sub to actual ice fields’ drift / air temperatures.
we will update once get news from Harbour Master’s office accly.
 
SO FAR:
 
FIRST STEP
Port of St.Petersburg from February 28th, 2024 / 00.00lt the following types of ships
will not be accepted to call the port of st.petersburg asf:
 
- tandems(tug+barge)
-------------
SECOND STEP (may be postponed or cancelled sub to actual ice/weather conditions)
Port of St.Petersburg from March 22nd, 2024 / 00.00lt the following types of ships
will not be accepted to call the port of st.petersburg asf:
 
- tandems(tug+barge)
 
- ships without ice class will not be accepted
to call the port of st.petersburg
***exception to vessels without ice class provided they use individual ice breaker assistance
 
- ships with minimal ice class RR Ice 1/ LR 1D/ BV ID will be accepted
to call the port of st.petersburg but only under ice-breaker assistance!
 
- ships with ice class RR Ice 2/ LR 1C/ BV IC will be accepted
to call the port of st.petersburg without assistance provided permission
frm ice-breaker received or under ice-breaker assistance.
 
===============================
FIRST STEP (may be postponed or cancelled sub to actual ice/weather conditions)
Port of Ust-Luga from March 22nd, 2024 / 00.00lt the following types of ships
will not be accepted to call the port of Ust-Luga  asf:
 
- tandems(tug+barge)
 
- ships without ice class will not be accepted
to call the port of ust-luga
***exception to vessels without ice class provided they use individual ice breaker assistance
 
- ships with minimal ice class RR Ice 1/ LR 1D/ BV ID will be accepted
to call the port of ut-luga but only under ice-breaker assistance!
 
- ships with ice class RR Ice 2/ LR 1C/ BV IC will be accepted
to call the port of ust-luga without assistance provided permission
frm ice-breaker received or under ice-breaker assistance.
===============================
 
FIRST STEP
Port of Vyborg from January 13th, 2024 / 00.00lt the following types of ships
are not accepted to call the port of vyborg asf:
 
- tandems(tug+barge)
 
- ships without ice class will be accepted
to call the port of Vyborg but only under ice-breaker assistance!
 
- ships with ice class RR Ice 1/ LR 1D/ BV ID will be accepted
to call the port of vyborg without assistance provided permission
frm ice-breaker received or under ice-breaker assistance.
 
-------------
SECOND STEP
Port of Vyborg from March 11th, 2024 / 00.00lt the following types of ships
will not be accepted to call the port of Vyborg  asf:
 
- tandems(tug+barge)
 
- ships without ice class will not be accepted
to call the port of vyborg
***exception to vessels without ice class provided they use individual ice breaker assistance
 
- ships with minimal ice class RR Ice 1/ LR 1D/ BV ID will be accepted
to call the port of vyborg but only under ice-breaker assistance!
 
- ships with ice class RR Ice 2/ LR 1C/ BV IC will be accepted
to call the port of vyborg without assistance provided permission
frm ice-breaker received or under ice-breaker assistance.
 
===============================
FIRST STEP
Port of Vysotsk from January 27th, 2024 / 00.00lt the following types of ships
are not be accepted to call the port of vysotsk asf:
 
- tandems(tug+barge)
 
- ships without ice class will be accepted
to call the port of vysotsk but only under ice-breaker assistance!
 
- ships with ice class RR Ice 1/ LR 1D/ BV ID will be accepted
to call the port of vysotsk without assistance provided permission
frm ice-breaker received or under ice-breaker assistance.
-------------
SECOND STEP
Port of Vysotsk from March 11th, 2024 / 00.00lt the following types of ships
will not be accepted to call the port of Vysotsk  asf:
 
- tandems(tug+barge)
 
- ships without ice class will not be accepted
to call the port of vysotsk
***exception to vessels without ice class provided they use individual ice breaker assistance
 
- ships with minimal ice class RR Ice 1/ LR 1D/ BV ID will be accepted
to call the port of vysotsk but only under ice-breaker assistance!
 
- ships with ice class RR Ice 2/ LR 1C/ BV IC will be accepted
to call the port of vysotsk without assistance provided permission
frm ice-breaker received or under ice-breaker assistance.
 
===============================
 
all above restrictions for the ports of St.Petersburg and Ust-Luga may be postponed or cancelled
sub to actual weather / wind and ice conditions
in any case ice restrictions(if any) will be officially announced by Harbour Master 14 days in advance  
 
***individual ice breaker assistance tariff, rub. per hour     The cost is calculated based on the actual time of use of the icebreaker of NW branch. Each partial hour of the actual time of use of the ice breaker is counted as a whole hour. 
i/b «VIKTOR CHERNOMYRDIN» 445 440,00
i/b «NOVOROSSIYSK» 301 440,00
i/b «MURMANSK»
i/b «VLADIVOSTOK»
i/b «SANKT-PETERBURG» 248 112,00
i/b «KAPITAN SOROKIN»
i/b «KAPITAN NIKOLAEV»
i/b «MUDYUG»
i/b «IVAN KRUZENSHTERN» 92 760,00
i/b «SEMEN DEZHNEV»
i/b «KAPITAN M. IZMAYLOV»
i/b «KAPITAN ZARUBIN»
i/b «KAPITAN PLAKHIN»
i/b «KAPITAN KOSOLAPOV»
 
pls find below ice class restrictions for st.petersburg during last years asf:
 
1999/2000 jan 26th 2000 apr 17th 2000
2000/2001 feb 5th 2001 apr 17th 2001
2001/2002 jan 1st 2002 apr 4th 2002
2002/2003 dec 9th 2002 may 5th 2003 (abnormal severe winter)
2003/2004 feb 1st 2004 apr 19th 2004
2004/2005 feb 2nd 2005 apr 15th 2005
2005/2006 jan 6th 2006 apr 28th 2006
2006/2007 feb 1st 2007 apr 06th 2007
2007/2008 jan 10th 2008 apr 04th 2008
2008/2009 jan 05th 2009 apr 06th 2009
2009/2010 dec 22nd 2009 apr 26th 2010 (severe winter)
2010/2011 dec 6th 2010 may 7th 2011 (extremely severe winter)
2011/2012 jan 27th 2012 apr 25th 2012
2012/2013 feb 20th 2013 mar 19th 2013
2013/2014 no min ice class restrictions (mild winter)
2014/2015 no min ice class restrictions (mild winter)
2015/2016 no min ice class restrictions (mild winter)
2016/2017 no min ice class restrictions (mild winter)
2017/2018 mar 07th 2018 apr 14th 2018
2018/2019 no min ice class restrictions (mild winter)
2019/2020 no min ice class restrictions (extremely mild winter)
2020/2021 no min ice class restrictions (mild/moderate winter)
2021/2022 no min ice class restrictions (mild/moderate winter)
2022/2023 no min ice class restrictions (mild winter)
 
------
local ice breakers fleet will be on standby to assist
the forthcoming ice traffic to ports of st.petersburg, vysotsk,
primorsk, vyborg and ust-luga.
 
there are 6 liner ice breakers: ‘kapitan sorokin’, ‘murmansk’,
‘kapitan nikolaev’, ‘vladivostok’, ‘viktor chernomyrdin’, ‘mudyug’
 
there are 6 port ice breakers: ‘kapitan zarubin’, ‘ivan kruzenshtern’, ‘kapitan plakhin’, ‘semyon dezhnev’, 
‘kapitan kosolapov’, 'kapitan izmailov'
------
 
for updated ice conditions report/forecast pls visit our home page
http://neva-delta.com
HM office warning:
Every ship, navigating in ice, shall have available all the necessary supplies of fuel,
fresh water and provisions for at least 20 days.
All ships proceeding in ice conditions to and out of the sea port when in ice convoy with ice-breaker
shall ensure manual mode of  the main engine control whenever necessary.
Ship’s company manual must have ice clause (instructions from Owners)
in case of its absence PSC/MoU may punish the master/vsl
should you require any further information/assistance
please do not hesitate to contact us at any time

++
 Ice Chart was taken from the site of  Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute