Icebreaker Thetis is heading to Luleå to start her icebreaking season. Thetis starts in the Bay of Bothnia to assist vessels bound for Swedish ports and continues towards South when ice conditions gets tougher.
Thetis has a contract with Swedish Maritime Administration, Sjöfartsverket, from 15.1. to 15.4. Captain Mikael Stude waits for an interesting icebreaking season.
– Our preparations have gone better than expected. Because of windy weather on the Bay of Bothnia, ice situation is still moderate. It will be interesting to see how the sea will freeze. Thetis starts at North and continues its way towards South according to changing ice situation and hopefully returns to North again at Spring before the end of the contract, Stude comments.
Alfons Håkans’ other icebreaker Zeus has been stand by in Turku from the beginning of January. Zeus operates usually in Bothnian Sea and Kvarken area. Zeus’ season continues until 30.4.