Those who have not been in the Baltic in winter will not be aware that, when the ice is fairly thick the icebreakers pull the merchant ships into a notch in the stern and then cut a channel through the ice dragging them behind. In order to cary out this work the KMAR808s which entered service in the first couple of years of this century can be fitted with an extension to the stern and a helideck on the main deck. The ships were designed to carry out commercial oil industry work in the summer, and then, if required to go to work for the Swedish marine authorities in the winter. Despite their versatility no further ships of this design has been built.

Main photo Bart Tronsden in 2004.

TYPE: KMAR 808 NAME: TOR VIKING II PHOTO: Vic Gibson, James Pottinger GENERAL PROPULSION DECK EQUIP Length OA 83.7 m Engines 4 x MAK Workdrum pull 400 tonnes Breadth 18 m BHP 18300 bhp Capacity 1 4100m x 83mm DWT 3000 tonnes For'd Thruster 1 x 1200 bhp Capacity 2   Deck area 603 m2 Az Thruster 1 x 1200 bhp Towdrum pull 400 tonnes Fuel 1190 m3 Aft Thrusters 1 x 1200 bhp Capacity 1 1900m x 77mm Pot water 724 m3 Bollard pull 200 tonnes Capacity 2 1900m x 77mm Mud 657 m3 DP   Sharks Jaw 2 x Karmfork Base oil 242 m3 Joystick yes Cranes 2 cranes Brine 400 m3 Year built 2000 Tank Cleaning Toftjorge Dry bulk 283 m3 Berths - Shipyard Kvaerner Leirvik Previous names   Comments   Charter ENL Available 15.6.15 Location Port Kholmsk