As we approached Honningsvag, in a sheltered area we passed a cluster of LPG tankers, plus some tugs. The nearest, in this image, is the "Vladimir Rusanov", which I assumed was Russian owned (see also PiP). A little recent homework has revealed that it is an interesting ship indeed and that it is actually owned by a Japanese/Chinese consortium.

The ship was named after a Russian geologist and polar explorer who was inspired by Nansen and, after exploring Svalbard for coal in 1911, set sail in 1912 on a tiny ship with 11 others to attempt a northern sea route eastwards across the top of Siberia. The group were never seen again, despite searches, but relics of their expedition were found in 1937.

So what is the significance of the name for this LPG tanker? Weighing some 100,000 tonnes and commencing service in 2018, it is the first of several to be built and is a self-sufficient ice-breaker. It is designed to do routinely what its namesake attempted. On its first run it took a load of LPG from a Russian production area to China, around the top of Siberia and through the Bering Sea. It also carries LPG from Russia westward to where we met it, where the fuel is transferred to normal LPG tankers such as the red ship, the "British Sapphire", for delivery to the European market. What a difference a century makes!

Explored.