METHOD FOR THE TRANSPORT OF GOODS WITH A SHIP FROM AN ARCTIC HARBOUR TO AN ICEFREE HARBOUR AS WELL AS A TRANSPORTSHIP

摘要

A method for transporting goods by freighter over a route from an arctic port to an ice-free port, using ice-breaking freighters, the route including an ice-edge, the method characterized in that the ice-breaking freighters are used only for the route run between the arctic port and the ice-edge, the location of which varies according to the time of the year and wherein ice-strengthened freighters are used for the route run between the ice-edge and the ice-free port, the goods being transshipped, in the ice-edge area, at sea, from the ice-breaking freighters directly to the ice-strengthened freighters. Also disclosed is a ship, more particularly an ice-breaking freighter, adapted to be coupled in tandem to at least one other ship, the freighter comprising a substantially spherical convex surface constituting the stern thereof and a bow comprising a substantially vertically disposed concave channel having a substantially arcuate cross-section, the radius thereof corresponding to that of the spherical surface, thus making it possible for the bow of the freighter to be cooperatively coupled flexibly to the stern of a further ship, having the spherical convex surfaced stern or the stern of the freighter to be cooperatively coupled flexibly to the bow of a further ship having a bow compressing the concave channel.