Leveraging over two decades of expertise in polar navigation, PONANT Cruises continues to spearhead innovations in maritime safety. On September 30, 2023, Le Commandant Charcot (aka Ponant Icebreaker) played a central role in a second safety exercise conducted in the polar region at Herschel Island (on the Northwest Passage route).
This comprehensive operation received support from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre based at 8 Wing Trenton (Ontario, Canada), a collaborative initiative between the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). The exercise also involved the participation of the U.S. Coast Guard District Seventeen and Air Station Kodiak (Alaska), as well as a command unit at PONANT's headquarters in Marseille France. Notably, the exercise unfolded across 10 different time zones and required the mobilization of over a hundred individuals over a 12-hour duration. Both the PONANT teams on board the vessel and those ashore demonstrated their complete commitment during this large-scale exercise.
Captain Patrick Marchesseau, aboard Le Commandant Charcot, provided insights into the exercise, stating, “We carried out a first rescue exercise on the ice in September 2021 during the ship’s trial voyage. This time, the operation took place in ice-free water. It’s a world first that allowed us to test our procedures and equipment, as well as the coordination with the Canadian and American services. This joint exercise and sharing of our expertise is contributing to advances in safety for the entire polar maritime and tourism industry.”
During the exercise, 65 participants, including 24 passengers, were evacuated from the vessel to an island via a heated lifeboat. Subsequently, they were outfitted with specialized suits designed by PONANT. The lifeboat also transported the Ice Cube, an innovative piece of equipment developed by PONANT for transporting survival kits, which was towed to shore and raised to position polar shelters, some of which were evaluated with a heating mode. Additionally, the lifeboat served as a hospital during the initial phase of the exercise.
This joint exercise exemplifies significant international collaboration aimed at fortifying maritime safety standards, ultimately benefiting the entire maritime and tourism industry.