MacArtney Technology Equipment Part of the Synoptic Arctic Survey

MacArtney supplied and fitted a containerized MERMAC winch to Oden, the Swedish Maritime Administration's icebreaker and research vessel, for an expedition to the North Pole.

The company was chosen as a supplier due to system flexibility and a vast experience in solution customization rigged to customer applications.

The Synoptic Arctic Survey 2021 expedition is now part of MacArtney's history as it did not only have MacArtney technology and equipment on board. The company's Sales Director for Ocean Science, Hans-Jørgen Hansen, participated as a fully-fledged crew member.

The data and samples collected during the voyage are currently being studied, documented, and cataloged for further or concluding research on the Arctic ecosystem—including data acquired from the water column via the bespoke MacArtney MERMAC winch.

MacArtney on board

Before and until the departure, the world was still toiling with the pandemic, which delayed equipment installation. Hans-Jørgen recalls:

"MacArtney was to supply the containerized winch for Oden's Arctic cruise, but due to Covid-19, post-installation testing had to be severely curtailed, and we ended up installing the gear just six weeks before she sailed."

The short testing window led the Swedish Maritime Administration to inquire if a MacArtney technician could join the ship. Hans-Jørgen was the ideal choice as, apart from being intimately familiar with the mechanical aspects of the winch, his scientific background provided unique insight into operating the instruments.

Scope of supply

System flexibility and a vast experience in solution customization were essential to the choice of MacArtney as a supplier.

With deep-sea CTD profiling and water sampling being the primary deployment, the chosen solution was based on a standard winch system and fitted to the Swedish Maritime Administration's applications and operations in the Arctic.

The scope comprises a MERMAC winch integrated into a 20' container. It includes a right-angle level wind and a 7,000 m fiber optic cable solution with MacArtney's TrustLink stress termination and a custom-built NEXUS Multiplexer.

Both the Chief Scientific Officer and Captain of the Oden agreed that MacArtney had not only supplied high-quality equipment but had gone above and beyond the call of duty by supplying a senior executive able to give qualified input to the expedition.

The Oden continues using the customized solution for water column profiling and revealing data from the depths of the ice-covered Arctic Ocean.

Oden facts:

The polar-classed icebreaker Oden is one of the world's most powerful non-nuclear icebreakers. Over time, Oden has been upgraded and furnished with advanced scientific equipment, and at present, the vessel is one of the leading research platforms in the polar oceans.

Oden has been to the North Pole 10 times so far.