Icebreaker
E4. Cruise, offshore energy and auxiliary/specialised fleetsDefinition
Vessel designed to navigate ice-covered waters.
An icebreaker is a ship designed to make and keep open a navigable channel through ice, using a reinforced, specially shaped hull that rides up onto and breaks the ice by weight, high installed power, and protected propulsion. Icebreakers escort convoys through frozen sea lanes, support polar research and resupply, and keep ports open in winter. Class is set by IACS Polar Class (PC1 to PC7) or national ice-class rules, and operation in polar waters falls under the IMO Polar Code.