Polar Class 1-7

The Polar Classes are seven ice-class notations defined in the IACS Unified Requirements for Polar Ships, from PC 1 for year-round operation in all polar waters down to PC 7 for summer and autumn operation in thin first-year ice. The class sets the ice-strengthening of the hull, the power and protection of the propulsion, and the machinery requirements for each level, and it underpins the assignment of categories A, B, and C ships under the IMO Polar Code, which adds operational and environmental requirements for voyages in Arctic and Antarctic waters.