# Passenger ship runs aground near Kugaaruk, Nunavut



## Stoker (25 Aug 2018)

We practiced a scenario several years ago similar to this in York Sound. I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner as charts for the Arctic are sparse.


[size=24pt]One Oceans Expeditions confirms its ship, Akademik Ioffe, has run aground[/size]

CBC News · Posted: Aug 24, 2018 4:58 PM CT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

The Akademic Ioffe has run aground in the western Gulf of Boothia. No injuries have been reported. (Instagram/Oceansensing)

Two Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers are en route to assist a passenger ship that ran aground near Kugaaruk, Nunavut.

One Ocean Expeditions has released a media statement saying its ship, the Akademic Ioffe, ran aground in the western Gulf of Boothia on Friday morning.

"All passengers are well taken care of. There has been no report of environmental concern," One Ocean Expeditions wrote in the statement.

The Akademik Ioffe, a Russian vessel, is listed as a cruise ship with approximately 160 people on board, a spokesperson with Search and Rescue Region Trenton said in an email to CBC News.

The ship is currently taking on water, but the vessel is in stable condition and not in any immediate danger, the spokesperson said.

Kugaaruk, Nunavut is located on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. (Google)


One Ocean Expeditions said it has sent another one of its vessels, the Akademik Sergey Vavilov, to provide support and assistance.

That ship is expected to arrive Saturday morning, according to Search and Rescue Region Trenton, which added that the plan is to have people on the Akademik Ioffe moved over to the Akademik Sergey Vavilov.

The Canadian Coast Guard tweeted on Friday afternoon that CCGS Pierre Radisson and CCGS Amundsen are on the way to assist the ship.

A number of Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft have also been dispatched to the ship, including two Hercules planes and two Comorant helicopters with extra crews, as well as helicopters on board the Coast Guard icebreakers.

According to One Ocean Expeditions' website, Akademik Ioffe can carry up to 96 passengers, with 65 staff and crew.

The ship offers a Jacuzzi, massage room, pool and sauna. It was launched in 1989. 

The price for the Pathways to Franklin expedition through One Ocean Expeditions — the trip the ship is purportedly on right now — starts at $6,795 US, with a charter flight starting at $1,995 US. The price of 

the suite can go up to $12,995 US.






http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/kugaaruk-passenger-ship-1.4798750


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## Underway (25 Aug 2018)

HMCS Charlottetown is in the arctic right now.  Probably too far away to assist.  We can't get the AOPS out soon enough IMHO.


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## Stoker (25 Aug 2018)

Underway said:
			
		

> HMCS Charlottetown is in the arctic right now.  Probably too far away to assist.  We can't get the AOPS out soon enough IMHO.



We have two ships up there actually and yes they are doing other things right now. Fuel expenditure is a consideration I would imagine. That is a potential situation that AOPS will be suited for.


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## MarkOttawa (25 Aug 2018)

Looks like CCG is getting things under control:



> All passengers, crew transferred from Akademic Ioffe to its sister vessel
> _Sister vessel Akademik Sergey Vavilov now en route to Kugaaruk_
> 
> All passengers, crew and luggage have been taken off the 117-metre-long cruise ship Akademic Ioffe, operated by One Ocean Expeditions, and transferred to its sister vessel, the Akademik Sergey Vavilov, which is now en route to Kugaaruk, One Ocean Expeditions said this afternoon.
> ...



You can follow CCG tweets @CoastGuardCAN

Mark
Ottawa


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## chrisf (25 Aug 2018)

Chief Stoker said:
			
		

> We practiced a scenario several years ago similar to this in York Sound. I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner as charts for the Arctic are sparse.



It has happened before...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/cruise-ship-clipper-adventurer-nunavut-judgement-1.3973937

There's been other grounding incidents in the past few years  with passenger vessels, plus fishing and cargo vessels. There was at least one grounding incident in the last few years with a Canadian coast Guard ice breaker.

It's a somewhat common occurrence now.

Decreased ice coverage, and longer Arctic shipping season are resulting in more traffic in an area that's poorly charted.


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## Stoker (25 Aug 2018)

Not a Sig Op said:
			
		

> It has happened before...
> 
> https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/cruise-ship-clipper-adventurer-nunavut-judgement-1.3973937
> 
> ...



Probably why we had that exercise in 2014.

http://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/65674op_nanook_scenario_preps_nunavut_for_cruise_ship_mishaps/


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## Underway (25 Aug 2018)

Not a Sig Op said:
			
		

> Decreased ice coverage, and longer Arctic shipping season are resulting in more traffic in an area that's poorly charted.



Well the chart's going to be updated now.  Keep hitting rocks and the coast guard won't need to do any surveying!


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## Colin Parkinson (25 Aug 2018)

We were using one chart that was mostly blank with a line of soundings to a Pingo called "the admiral finger" Apparently the admiral broke his finger when they hit it, that's the story anyways. I was on nightwatch on a arctic trip as the quartermaster on the Pearkes, the mate was doing chartwork, ship on autopilot, my job was lookout, check mag against gryo and to watch the depth sounder. All of sudden I see the depth shot up from 120' to 60' and getting shallower, turn off autopilot, call the mate, engines to neutral and then astern and full astern. We stopped with 2m under the keel. 120' to 6' in a couple of minutes if that.


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