From Caution to Confidence: My Journey into Icebreaking and 24/7 Ship Navigation

I started my journey with the British Antarctic Survey at 19. My first trip involved icebreaking, and I was instantly hooked. Now, I proudly captain the royal research ship, Sir David Attenborough. Icebreaking has become an obsession for me.

In this job, even as a junior officer, you get to master intricate ship maneuvering. We break ice day and night to reach British research stations in Antarctica. Our mission is to supply food, fuel, and essential equipment to the scientists living there. We also transport their waste and scientific samples back to the UK.

But that’s not all. We conduct marine science in freezing waters and on the ice itself. Our ship can accommodate up to 55 scientists and has 14 different research facilities. We can take water samples from depths of 10,000 meters beneath the ice and even dredge the seabed to gather mud samples to study climate change.

Currently, the Sir David Attenborough is docked next to an ice shelf, offloading cargo for a significant project focusing on the Thwaites glacier.

The ship’s bow resembles an upside-down spoon with a sharp edge. It rides up on the ice, using its weight to break through. I remember my excitement at 19, hearing the banging and cracking sounds as the ice shattered. The rush of water and vibrations made the experience unforgettable.

One thrilling aspect of icebreaking is that, during maritime training, you learn how to avoid collisions. But here, you actually aim to hit the ice, which is a unique and enjoyable challenge.

Sometimes, the ship can get stuck in the ice, a situation we call “beset.” The longest I’ve experienced this was around eight days. It can happen if winds change or if we move with too much speed, causing the ice to trap us. If that happens, we simply have to sit tight and wait for better conditions.

When we find ourselves stuck due to momentum, we can shift internal weights on the ship to create a tilt, helping us break free from the ice. We usually aim to approach the ice at around eight knots (about 9 mph or 14 km/h), which gives us the power to escape, if necessary.

Over time, I’ve learned how to read the ice. I can identify first-year ice, which is easier to break, from older ice that could damage the ship. Our ship has a tower for better visibility, and we even use drones for a bird’s-eye view of the ice ahead.

While I always wanted to work at sea, I didn’t expect icebreaking to become my main focus. Yet, it’s incredibly satisfying. Each day, I wake up eager to go to work in this breathtaking place filled with stunning scenery and wildlife. I feel truly fortunate to have this job.