A South Korean icebreaker berthed in New Zealand set sail last Saturday night and is due to reach the troubled Russian-flagged Sparta in Antarctic ice on Sunday afternoon,
The Sparta’s owners have chartered the RV Araon, a South Korean icebreaker, to aid the stricken ship
The RV Araon is a 6,950-ton icebreaker operated by the Government of South Korea, designed for operation in one-meter-thick-multiple-year ice condition (KR PL-10) with 3 knot speed per hour and will be equipped with twin Azimuth propulsion units driven by diesel-electric propulsion plant. She will accommodate up to 85 persons, including 25 crew members. The name is derived from Korean words “Ara” for Sea and “On” for All and represents a project to cruise around the world. She supplies the King Sejong Station and will supply a South Korea’s second planned antartcic research station. She underwent her sea trials in January 2010, in the Ross Sea.
