Icebreaker captain warns Pärnu sea ice conditions could worsen
The icebreaker Tarmo is back at work after years of mild winters, and its captain warns shifting ice in the Gulf of Riga could worsen already difficult conditions near Pärnu.
This winter has brought some unusual visitors to Saaremaa Harbor. Nearly a month ago, the icebreaker Botnica called at the port for the first time. On Friday, the Tarmo docked at the same quay to replenish supplies after working in the Gulf of Riga.
After eight years largely without work due to warm winters, the ice-heavy season has kept the 63-year-old vessel busy. Since February 11, Tarmo has been assisting ships in both the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Riga, escorting two to four vessels a day in and out of Pärnu.
Captain Heiki Mokrik said ice conditions have been challenging, with several layers forming in places.
"The ice is layered, and when we drive over it, you can see there's another layer underneath, or even a third layer," Mokrik said Friday.
Charts show ice thickness of about 10–30 centimeters, he said, though ridges can make navigation far more difficult. While assisting a vessel Thursday, the icebreaker had to ram through a ridge multiple times.
"Yesterday we had to ram five times before we managed to get through one ice ridge," he said.
Despite its age, the Tarmo has been upgraded with modern equipment.
Mokrik said the ship's radars — once decades old — have since been replaced, and the crew now relies on ice radar to navigate.
"We navigate using ice radar, which shows exactly where the ice ridges are and where we can get through more easily," he said.
What's next is anybody's guess
The crew's work is far from over. The Gulf of Riga remains about half covered in ice, and southerly winds could push large amounts of it toward Pärnu.
"We're heading back out to break more ice," Mokrik said, warning that more ice means "already difficult conditions there could become twice as bad."
What happens next will depend largely on the weather. "There could be ice there for three days, or it could last two weeks, nobody knows!" the captain acknowledged.
"We'll wait and see what the wind does," he added. "Tomorrow's forecast also calls for rain and wind, so that may break [the ice] up, or carry it away. Or maybe the waters off Pärnu will be packed with ridges."
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Aili Vahtla
