North Pole, 19 August 2026

How do you moor a ship to an ice floe? It is not something many captains ever need to consider. But that is exactly what Captain Erik Andersson and his crew had to do the other day when we reached the North Pole. As a long-time recreational sailor, I found it fascinating to watch – mooring is a critical operation wherever you are, and particularly at the North Pole.

To moor an icebreaker to an ice floe, you first need to find a suitable floe. It must be large enough, have no visible cracks or weaknesses, and have an edge where the ship can lie alongside. Eventually, a suitable candidate is found and the ship approaches it carefully. Once Oden is alongside, three brave sea dogs from the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat are lowered onto the ice in a personnel basket. One is the polar bear guard, equipped with a loaded rifle. The other two handle the mooring operation from the ice. They bring four sturdy bollards, a large ice drill and a sledge for transporting the heavy bollards.

The work begins by securing an aft spring line. A hole is drilled into the ice, and the bollard is then pushed about one metre down into it by their combined efforts. The top of the bollard remains above the surface, and Oden’s crew throws a heavy mooring line down to the team on the ice. The eye of the line is placed around the bollard before the line is hauled in from the ship and tightened. Every stage of the operation is directed from the bridge by radio, in communication with both the crew aboard and the personnel on the ice. The work continues with a forward spring line and bow and stern lines. It is tough work on the ice, which is covered by a couple of decimetres of crusted snow. Getting the heavy bollards into place in the snow requires considerable effort. About 45 minutes later, all four lines are taut and Oden is securely moored. Finally, the gangway is lowered, allowing us to leave the icebreaker and put some “solid” ground beneath our feet.

It is worth remembering, however, that Oden does not remain stationary. While we are moored to the ice floe, she travels several kilometres because the ice itself is moving. We do not notice it, but the navigational instruments tell a clear story.

While we are moored to the floe, there is a constant stream of people moving between the ice and Oden. To ensure that no one is left behind at the North Pole, everyone boarding or leaving the ship is carefully recorded. The ship’s doctor and I were entrusted with keeping watch and checking everyone in and out during our stay at the North Pole. We can therefore report that every participant was safely aboard Oden when we left the ice floe – which was a relief!

Text: Henrik Swärd, teacher