Laura Bassi (icebreaker)
The Ernest Shackleton (1999–2019), now N/R Laura Bassi (2019-) | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Norway | |
| Name | Polar Queen |
| Owner | GC Rieber Shipping |
| Port of registry | Bergen |
| Builder | Kværner Kleven Leirvik A/S, Leirvik, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway |
| Cost | $27,352,000 |
| Yard number | 267 |
| Laid down | 26 November 1994 |
| Launched | July 1995 |
| Completed | 27 September 1995 |
| In service | 1995–1999 |
| Fate | Transferred to British Antarctic Survey |
| United Kingdom | |
| Name | Ernest Shackleton |
| Namesake | Sir Ernest Shackleton |
| Owner | GC Rieber Shipping |
| Operator | British Antarctic Survey |
| Port of registry | Stanley, Falkland Islands |
| In service | 1999–2019 |
| Fate | Sold to Italy |
| Italy | |
| Name | Laura Bassi |
| Namesake | Laura Bassi |
| Owner | Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS) |
| Acquired | 2019 |
| Identification | IMO number: 9114256 |
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type |
|
| Displacement | 5455 tonnes loaded |
| Length | 80 m (262 ft) |
| Beam | 17.0 m (56 ft) |
| Draught | 6.15 m (20 ft) |
| Ice class | DNV ICE-05 Icebreaker |
| Installed power | 2 x Bergen Diesel BRM 6 each 2550 kW |
| Propulsion | Thrusters : 816 Hp x 3 + 1088 Hp x 1 + 1 Azimuth 1088 Hp |
| Speed |
|
| Range | 40,000 nautical miles (74,000 km; 46,000 mi) |
| Endurance | 130 days |
| Complement | 72 (22 Officers/Crew, 50 expedition personnel) |
| Aviation facilities | Helicopter deck, max helicopter weight 10 tonnes |
Laura Bassi (formerly Polar Queen and RRS Ernest Shackleton) is an icebreaking research vessel operated by the Italian National Institute for Oceanography and Applied Geophysics, (in Italian: Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale - OGS). Between 1999 and 2019, she was the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) logistics ship, primarily used for the resupply of scientific stations in the Antarctic. Laura Bassi is ice strengthened with a double hull construction, certified Category A PC5 according to the Polar Code. She is capable of a wide range of logistic tasks, as well as having a scientific capability.