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The ''Icebird'' is a cargo vessel which delivers supplies to the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) bases, principally Macquarie Island, Mawson, Casey and Davis Stations. The ''Icebird's'' maiden voyage to Antarctica began when she departed from Cape Town, South Africa in November 1984. In 1996, the vessel was renamed ''Polar Bird''. ==Specifications== Billed by her builders as the world's first purpose-built polar resupply vessel, the ''Icebird'' was custom made for Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) by Antarktis und Spezialfahrt Schiffartsgesellschaft GmbH (GSS) in Germany. Due to the large-scale rebuilding program underway at Australia's stations, the Australian Antarctic Division needed to increase the cargo space available to transport building materials. ''Icebird's'' ability to carry containers enabled the rebuilding program to switch over to the AANBUS modular construction that is so characteristic of ANARE's continental stations today. ''Icebird's'' bow was constructed to the latest ice-breaking design, which its owners claimed would allow it to break one year old ice with continuous speed, and so avoid the constant threat to Antarctic shipping: besetment (being surrounded by ice without helm control). The vessel was also equipped with a temperature-controlled double skin for both the cargo holds and engine room, maintained by circulating pre-heated fuel around the ship. It carried a helicopter and specially strengthened flight deck. The 'tween-deck hatch covers doubled as pontoons, accompanied by an ice-strengthened pusher barge, features which would permit offloading cargo in remote areas. "It was a standard box construction, superstructure aft with side cranes. But it gave you tremendous capability - you just opened the top of the ship ... and dropped everything in and closed it up and off you went." John Whitelaw, the Acting Assistant Director of Operations, described the ship's unique cargo facilities. "Icebird was fitted with a detachable accommodation module which could carry 100 passengers. It was clamped to the ship in front of the bridge, and was secured with bolts..." Interview with John Whitelaw and Annie Rushton, ANARE Jubilee Project, 21 August 1995 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Icebird (ship)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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