Wilson-Maas

To maintain shipping, the Waterways and Shipping Authority has deployed Germany's most powerful Baltic Sea icebreaker, the 'Arkona' as the ice cover on the coastal waters of Western Pomerania was getting increasingly thick. The goal was to keep the important shipping lanes open for commercial shipping. The ice was around 15 centimeters thick, and even thicker in some areas. On the morning of Jan 31, 2026, the 'Wilson Maas' got stuck in the ice enroute from Szczecin to Vierow. The "Arkona" broke the ice around it and escorted the ship to its destination. The eastern approach to Stralsund was particularly affected by the ice, where the ice cover was significantly thicker in places. Experts from the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency expected the ice to thicken further in the coming days. The "Arkona" can handle ice up to half a meter thick. In the Greifswald Bodden, the "Arkona" was keeping the shipping channels clear and simultaneously checked the navigational markers. The icebreakers would remain in operation as long as weather conditions require. A nighttime sailing ban is currently in effect for freighters intending to call at the ports of Stralsund, Lubmin, and Greifswald. However, daytime traffic continued to be possible, supported by the deployment of icebreakers. Report with photo and video: https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/mecklenburg-vorpommern/dauerfrost-eisbrecher-arkona-raeumt-kuestengewaesser-frei,eis-302.html