Polarstern limps home after Polar breakdown

The 33 year-old ship is calling off her current expedition two and a half months early after suffering the breakdown – reportedly her first ever – in her portside propeller plant. Polarstern expedition co-ordinator Rainer Knust at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Bremerhaven, which operates the ship, said the hydraulic plant that determines propeller rotation and direction had broken down while set on ‘reverse’. The crew had restored forward movement but manoeuvrability was severely restricted, he said.

That meant that ice-shelf provisions and fuel offloading in bad weather at the Neumayer 111 Antarctic station was difficult. Once completed next week the ship was hoping to sail through ice to open water and then to Cape Town. Repairs at a yard in South America or South Africa were reported not possible.

The Motorship was told Polarstern has some 53 researchers, scientists and engineers as well as 44 crew on board. Most will leave the ship in Cape Town and she will dock about mid March at Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven (LWB) where she is regularly serviced -the last time just a few months ago,

AWI spokeswoman Sina Loeschke told The Motorship: “we cannot say at the moment just how extensive the repairs will be. Closer inspection is needed in the yard. So far only small test manoeuvering has been possible at sea to ascertain damage sustained”.

Built in 1982, the 12,600gt Polarstern has four KHD RBV 8M 540 engines each of 3,529kW/650 rpm. Her two Escher Wyss 380R pitch propellers are listed as each of 7,058kW at 182.4 rpm and she carries two shaft generators type AEG B3 of 2,500kVA 660V/380V, 50 Hz. The ship also has Frydenboe RV 2600-3 – 2 x 46.5° steering gear and two type KAMEWA 2400/AS-CP tunnel thrusters each of 1,103kW.

Polarstern is being replaced in about 2019, and she is one of several German research ships earmarked for retirement soon.