Vaygach (1909 icebreaker)
Emma Harbor , 1913
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
  Russia | |
| Namesake | Vaygach Island |
| Launched | 1909 |
| Fate | Sank 1918 |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Icebreaker |
Icebreaker Vaygach (
Vaygach and her sister ship Taymyr were built for the purpose of thoroughly exploring the uncharted areas of the Northern Sea Route. This venture became known as the Arctic Ocean Hydrographic Expedition.
The first of a series of surveys began in the autumn of 1910, when Vaygach and Taymyr left Vladivostok. They entered the Chukchi Sea with scientists on board and began their exploration. For the next five years, these icebreakers went on sounding and carrying on vital surveys during the thaw. Before every winter, when ice conditions became too bad, they returned to Vladivostok and waited for the spring. In 1911 the scientists and crew aboard Vaygach and Taymyr made the first Russian landing on Wrangel Island.
In 1914, led by Colonel I. Sergeev, Vaygach sailed together with Taymyr, whose captain was
Some of the biggest successes of the expedition were the accurate charting of the Northern Sea Route and the discovery of Severnaya Zemlya in 1913. Taymyr and Vaygach were considered the best icebreakers in the world at the time.
Fate
Vaigach struck an underwater rock and sank in 1918 in the
in 1989.See also
References
- William Barr, Otto Sverdrup to the Rescue of the Russian Imperial Navy.
- J. Niven, The Ice Master, The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk.
 | This article about transport in Russia is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a specific civilian ship or boat is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |