Icebreaker Nathaniel B. Palmer – Interesting Ship of The Week

National Geographic also brings us this week’s Interesting Ship of The Week.  They tell us:

>> NAME: The Palmer is named for a U.S. seal hunter who sailed along the west coast of Antarctica in 1820 looking for seal rookeries. Many believe he was the first to discover the continent.

>> SIZE: Built in 1992, the Palmer is a 7,600-ton icebreaker capable of breaking 3 feet (1 meter) of ice at 3 knots. It is 308 feet (94 meters) long and has 12,720 horsepower.

>> CREW: The Palmer works year-round in the Antarctic. It has 22 crew members.

>> CABINS: Each cabin is outfitted with two bunks, a head (bathroom), a TV and VCR, a telephone, and a LAN jack for computers.

>> AMENITIES: A 24-hour mess hall provides meals to the around-the-clock researchers and crew. Several lounges have TVs, movies, and books, and there is a workout room.

>> COMMUNICATION: The scientists on board can send or receive e-mail twice a day. There are also telephones on board the ship.

Image source: davidcmartin.com