Hey look, it's my friend, Mike Brady, from Oceanliner Designs

Yermak must be awesome at a party. Nothing like a good icebreaker to start a conversation.

FYI: nuclear also uses steam. Nuclear is just the heat source just as coal used to be. They use turbines now instead of reciprocating engines and convert that to electricity (for electric motors) for more flexibility than a straight drive shaft. Canadian ice breakers use the same principle minus the nuclear and steam and using diesel generators instead.

Great to see you do a video regarding the history of icebreaker ships. And how they were designed and built throughout history.

I have been to Antarctica 3 times on the old South African research vessel SA Agulhas, which was called "ice reinforced", but had the same sloped bow and 2MW diesel engines. We sometimes got sttuck in the ice and had to do the reverse and foreward technique to get through. We also made use of images downloaded from satellite to plot a course through the weaker parts and channels through the pack ice. Another time, I went down with the Russians on their Akademik Federov icebreaker, which was about 3 times bigger and more powerful and went through the ice like butter. The South African Navy also aquired an ex Russian icegreaker for their supply ship, the SAS Outeniqua, which was also about the same size and power. Interestingly, the superstructure is very far forward, looking very front heavy, but this is to get the weight forward to crush the ice with the same sloped bow.

I was watch officer on icebreaker Tarmo (built in 1963) for allmost 6 years... Totally I have been working on 3 icebreakers (one was museum icebreaker Suur Tõll built in 1914) and last one was finnish icebreaker Sampo (built in 1960)... I did find one little mistake... Arktika does use STEAM because nuclear reactor is literally one large steam boiler. Steam runs turbines that run generators which makes power for azimuth thrusters... Otherwise I do agree with you 😉

Mike, thank you for throwing light on this piece of maritime history. Since you touched Russia, I would suggest to look at a yet another relatively unique technology widely used in USSR: the hydrofoil. It would be interesting to hear your story about it. Cheers.

As a sidenote, about hundred years ago there was an icebreaker named "Stepan Makarov". Built by "Swan Hunter Wallsend on Tyne" shipyard in England in 1916, it was originally named "Kniaz Pozharsky" and renamed after the revolution in 1921. Ship was lost in the end of 1941, probably sunk by germans.

I had no idea how these vessels operate. Thanks very much for such a well put-together video.

Canada uses icebreakers in innovative ways: In our summer, they work in the arctic to open shipping (each community gets hige shipmenst of non perisheable items during short seaon by ship) but in winter and sping, those aide breakers work on the St-Lawrence river to keep the shipping channel to Montréal open (St Lawrence Seaway used to be hard closed all winter, but with climate change this is more variable). Montréal is year round. relevant videos titles: Documentary : ARCTIC Experience & Operations (the Louis St Laurent in Arctic) CCGS Terry Fox 15 Aug 2015 The Terry Fox in the Arctic showing the back and forth needed and clearly showing how it rides up on the ice till ice breaks. Note: the bubble making on side in front of ship. This makes for turbulent surface which breaks up ice around the hull and makes it easier to ship to advance. Another vehicle used for ice breaking is less known: the hovercraft. It's weight over ice as well as pushing air under ice cause the ice to break up (with air under ice, there is no water to support it). One in action near montreal: "Coast Guard Hover Craft Breaking Ice" "Hovercraft Operations" by Canadian Coast Guard (french with english subtitles). "How a hovercraft helps Canada combat spring flooding" (Weather network) The hovercraft has worked on Lac St-Louis west of Montréal to help break up ice to open St Lawrence seaway early (with locks closed, ice breaker ship don't have access). It also works in a number of rivers to help prevent ice jams and breaking up ice there allows it to flow downriver. The extreme maneouvrability and small size allows it to reach areas that a real ice breaker can't reach. BTW, even the Louis St-Laurent has to do back-forth to pickup speed to rise over the ice (the Teryr Fox is smaller so understandable). Wonder if the massive Soviet ice breaker can truly push forwrad all the time or if it also needs back and fort on thick ice. Difference with Titanic: Ice breaked don't travel at > 20 knots. And ice breaker is far thicker and stringer ice than surface ice.

Адмирал Макаров прославился не только как полярный исследователь и отец ледоколов. Но и как выдающийся флотоводец, предвидевший многие аспекты современной войны на море.

They have Leader class planned after Arktika class. They will be more powerful. Maybe some of those will get Ermak or Makarov names. Maybe not. There was already a diesel Ermak class in the 1970s, including Admiral Makarov, which still exists. There was also a Ermak icebreaker itself from that era in same class, which is being disassembled for parts to maintain same class Krasin, which was slightly newer. My understanding is Admiral Makarov and Krasin still working there out of Murmansk.

Let’s hear it for the ingenuity, and fearlessness of the men who went on those trips

Ships in a navy cannot share a name when both are active. And the Russians already have the cruiser Makarov so the only choice is Yermak.

Yermak was such a cool ship! Love these videos that discuss a technical problem and the progression of the technological solutions that followed.

Fascinating stories! A humble request from a fellow Aussie for an epic video on the ocean liners of Isambard Brunel please. Likewise revolutionary to these mighty icebreakers in their time.

I've always been fascinated by Russian icebreaker paint schemes. Just like passenger ships of old, they use a lot of red partly to counter corrosion.

It could be argued that nuclear power plants are still technically steam engines. That's how we get the energy out of the reactor. Steam turbines, to be precise. It's just a lot more convenient from an engineering (and operational) standpoint to stick generators and motors between the turbines and propeller shafts. Makes for a much looser coupling than mechanical gearboxes, which can be very beneficial, especially when dealing with this much power.

It was nice to see pictures of the Swedish icebreaker Atle. When I was going to school to become an electrical mechanic, I was lucky enough to do a study tour of this impressive ship. Thanks for another great episode!

The icebreaker Sankt Erik (namned after Stockholm's patron saint) is preserved as a museum ship near the Vasa museum. It was delievered in 1915 and remained in service until 1977. It has a huge reciprocating steam engine that is in working order. She was docked last year and did a couple of sea trials afterwards. Ship nerds should not miss her when/if visiting Stockholm.

Technically nuclear engines use steam power too. The steam runs turbines, which generate the electricity, but it is still steam powered.

4.00 . Nice picture of the Finnish icebreaker "Jääkaru". Her almost identical sistership "St. Erik" is, as mentioned in another answer, still preserved in running condition as a part of the "Wasa" exibition" . As always; thank you for the video and regards from the other side of the world (Sweden) ! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%A4%C3%A4karhu

Mike, if you want to impress us more by a unique vessels, you should browse another Russian (Soviet, to be accurate) type of a ships - ekranoplan [экраноплан]. It's amazing thing, despite the similarities with a airplanes, but they were used in the Caspian Sea only.

Anyone interested in icebreakers might also wish to look up the career of the USCGC Mackinaw (WAGB-83). Served on the Great Lakes from 1944-2006. She's now a museum ship.

While originally designed and built as an icebreaker, the largest one ever was the oil tanker SS Manhattan. In 1968 she was equipped with a special icebreaker bow. As converted, she was 1005 ft in length, and displaced 115,000 tons. In 1969 she was the first commercial vessel to traverse the Northwest Passage.

Don’t stop bringing us top tier content. Loved this video! And am excited to see more in the future. Great work, Mike! You and your team deserve an applause 🙂

Just started watching in the last month or two. REALLY enjoy the engineering aspects you address (my son a Mech. and my dad an Apollo propulsion eng.). Don't know if it's intentional, but you your "look" is that of a Cambridge grad of a bygone era, perfect for the channel.😎😎

I'm glad to have a friend like Mike Brady, from Oceanliner Designs.

I've been fascinated by icebreakers since I was a kid, but for some reason never looked into the principles behind them. Thanks for a very informative video.

love your vids Mike - very entertaining and informative. Good Work!

I find it a bit sad you did not mention the previous Arktika class of Nuclear powered Ice-breakers in service with the Russian Maritime forces. the class to which the famous ships Arktika and 50 Let Pobedy (50 years of Victory) belong. The Class I mean was handled as Project 10520 nuclear-powered icebreaker.

A city and several naval universities in Russia are named after Makarov, don't worry, he's remembered. Great video!

That was a great Mr. Brady. One of you best yet! I agree on the naming as well.

This is top tier content for me. You are always professional and you do your homework, which reflects in your videos. Thank you Mike, Keep up the great work!

I found your channel a few weeks ago and i honestly didn't know how much my life was missing my friend, Mike Brady from Oceanliner Designs :) love your stuff, keep it up.

I've always been a fan of Ice Breakers and ships in general. Thank for all of your content and knowledge you create and share. Happy New Years

Awesome vid. Very informative!I was wondering about their history. Thank you.!

Great video - I've always wondered how these magnificient machines worked! I'm also looking forward to the Scharnhorst video when it comes out!

Fantastic work, as always!

Thank you, friend! Interesting and wonderfully presented as always!

Your channel brings me back to my childhood. I grew up operating my grandfathers 42 foot wood Grand Banks Classic Trawler yacht. Watching your videos brings me back to those early days. Learning the maritime industry.

Awesome video Mike. Thank you

Keep up the great work mike!

Thank you very much for this video, I feel like I understand more about Icebreakers now and you are always good at making me feel that by the end of each video I have indeed learnt something while watching - you're a good teacher Captain Mike! 👍😊❤⚓🚢❄🌊

Wonderful exploration Mike. You guys do excellent and fascinating work. Thanks for sharing

Hi Mike - nice job as always and I agree with you on the naming of the follow-on icebreakers.

I never knew I’d had such an interest in ocean liner history. Great work.

Until following Mike I never knew that I needed to know how Icebreakers work! But now I know so thank you sir!

Gentle correction. Nuclear powered ships are steam. It's just a much more efficient way of boiling water to run a steam generator.

Icebreakers are honestly such cool ships.

Wooow I’m super early, good morning from Louisiana Mike 👍🏽👍🏽 love all your videos man, quality is always on point.

You've done it again, Mr. Brady! If only the designers of Titanic had taken the time to watch your videos before building the ship. Then they would've known where they went wrong. 😁

I came here to learn about how to start an awkward conversation but instead was treated to a detailed and well presented lesson by Mike Brady on the development of ships that could break through ice.

I absolutely love this channel ❤ Thanks Mike

Fun fact there is one Icebreaker afloat at the moment ship located in Estonia and called Suur Tõll, it was build in 1914 and its pretty similar to Ermak.

Love your work Mike.

Totally agree regarding name of icebreakers. Excellent presentation.

Another very interesting and very informative video. The first Canadian ice breaking ship was the Chief Justice Robinson built in 1842 at Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario. It was built for Lake Ontario. The ship was featured on a stamp many years ago.

Great highly informative video Mike . Love your channel broski . Mike ever thought about doing some videos on ww2 wrecks and the dangerous they still pose despite 70 odd years in the drink . In many if not all i think their ticking time bombs with some of stuff/ chemicals/ oil on board still and will be a hazard to marine life in future. Keep up the awesome work and happy new year 💯🍻🤜🤛

Great video and very informative in an area most might not consider.

Hello Mr. Brady, I highly enjoy your videos. When it came to the Ice Breaker film, I just couldn’t resist the urge to write in about the origins of the technology. All this development occurred right in my backyard (though a century before I was born). The technology behind the Russians' icebreaker was pioneered in the United States in 1887 by Capt. L. R. Boynton of Saint Ignace, Michigan. The first train ferry to employ this scheme of one propeller forward, was the Saint Ignace. She was employed ferrying railroad cars across the treacherous Straits of Mackinac. This is a five-mile waterway separating Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas and a large barrier for the carriage of freight between the two Peninsulas. Saint Ignace was so successful at her job that all subsequent Straits ferries (Saint Marie {I&II} and the famous Chief Wawatam) employed the same system. Then, in 1891, the Toledo Ann Arbor and North Michigan Railway pioneered ferrying railroad cars across Lake Michigan from Frankfort to Kewaunee, Wis. Their ferries, Ann Arbor 1 and 2, like the Saint Ignace and Saint Marie (I) were constructed of white oak. Ann Arbor 1and 2 were equipped with two propellers aft, making them the first triple-screw ships in the American registry. Eventually, this train ferrying extended to two more companies and effectively covered Lake Michigan in cross-lake routes. Back to the Straits ferries. British trade journals touted the success of these ships; and the Russians took notice. In 1900-01, the Russians were constructing the Trans-Siberian Railroad and came to Lake Baikal (the largest freshwater lake in the world). Seeing that the lake froze over in the same manner as the Great Lakes do, Vice Admiral Stepan Makaroff ventured to Michigan to observe the Staits ferries in operation. (The weather wasn’t much different in the Upper Peninsula than that of Siberia). The Russians were very impressed with what they saw, and ordered a ferry (named Baikal) very closely patterned after Saint Marie (I) from Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth, & Co. Ltd., only in iron.

Your videos are of such great quality they could be on the Tv. Always interesting. Always well presented and produced.

5+! Приятно посмотреть!

Nicely done. Yes, a new icebreaker should be named after Mr. Macarov (sp?). One of my favorite stories is “Endurance “. I am sure you know this story. I appreciate you including both feet & metric measurements. All the best, Pete 🌞

I always wondered what kind of engineering went into ice breakers. Excellent work!

Great stuff! I have subs to maaany channels…yours is one of my faves! Thanks!

Love these videos

Great as always - thank you very much

My boy looks straight outta the 1910s. Class act Mike!

My husband was stationed on the USCG Polar Star icebreaker back in the day. He sure had some stories.

Good video. You may want to keep on top of this topic of a northern shipping route as a way to avoid the Suez Canal/Red Sea and the drying up of the Panama Canal. Both of which I believe are temporary but who knows for how long.

Very informative and interesting.

Brilliant material. Saw one of these in Helsinki like 15 years ago you could feel the weight just standing on the dock

Excellent vid.

I really like your voice. This was my second video of yours. Loving this format.

Truly inspiring.

Very interesting, thank you Mike

Wow this was great content. I thought Icebreakers just plow through ice. But they're actually shaped with a bulbous hull. Not only does that make them structurally stronger with an arch, but it allows the ship to slide above the ice to crush it with the ships weight. Simple but ingenuous.

Its topical you're releasing this video now because they just launched an ice breaker in the city I live in last month. There's a lot of ice breaker construction that's in progress and planned in Canada. The navy and coast guard have/getting about 25 of different sizes, including what will be the most powerful non nuclear ice breaker in the world. Exciting time for ship nerds.

Thanks for the uncommon history lesson, Mike. With the many problems that the Panama Canal keeps facing (along with the overall global rising temp.'s), I can once more foresee the Northwest Passage becoming increasingly more important to global shipping in the coming years. 🤔

I learned something! Thank you 🙏

Another quality video Mike! Also, I like the haircut

Great to see the “Orange Roughy” in there a couple of times! She was a familiar sight here in Hobart for decades. I got to go onboard for a tour in the early 90s. And I know it’s already been said, but nuclear power is steam power. The only difference is the method of boiling the water. In this case it will be using steam turbines rather than the piston engines the original icebreaker had. The turbines generate electricity to power the electric motors. A seaborne hybrid, if you will.

6:55 Never heard of it, you should do a video about this small unknown ship.

Pretty cool stuff. Thank you for the video! Bit unfortunate when one considers these amazing ships will not be necessary in the near future.

This deserves more views this was a cool video! Icebreakers are super interesting I’ve never seen a video on them before

Very interesting this topic

Watching this in the midst of a blizzard seemed fitting to me :)

I Didn't know there was another Port Arthur, fascinating info 👌💖🇦🇺

i know you feel stuck doing titanic content because of how many more clicks it gets but i rlly love seeing your knowledge on all kinds of naval topics.

AWESOME VIDEO!!!!

Stellar!

Thanks, that was interesting!

Nick the Naval Architect did a video on this a few weeks ago. He mentioned tech such as azipods make it possible to enlarge the cleared cha nels made by the ice breaker.

They all look awesome and interesting.

I really like ice breakers. I got to take a tour on the u.s. coast guard ice breaker. The Mackinaw. It was really fascinating.

Amazing engineering!! I never realized the kind of problems russians deal with living so close to the artic pole. Great video. Cheers!

Early breakers tried to slice ice with horsepower and reinforced bow. Already 100 years a go many had props on front plus back. Propeller waves eased friction between hull and ice. Nowdays hull form are like the breaker climbs over ice and breaks it with ships weight. Today front props are often replaced with air spraying system into waterline through holes in hull, driven by thousands horsepower plus computer controlled active ballasting. Modern icebreaker can make all Disco Fever moves to beat ice.

Bitchin' doco there Oceanliner D. Thanks for the upload.

For anyone wondering the ship who’s bow is shown @10:03 is the U.S. Navy’s Amphibious Command Ship USS Blue Ridge.