Interest in the polar regions is growing as the season for accessing these remote and hostile areas is lengthening. The nascent shipping ventures in these regions face new challenges and risks and this hard, unforgiving environment requires diligence and deliberation in the planning and execution of voyages.

Operating ships within any ice regime requires knowledge, skills and awareness beyond that of many mariners, particularly when sailing in waters affected by hard multi-year and glacial ice. Should things go wrong, little assistance is available in polar regions, so mariners must be self-sufficient.

Captain Snider brings the full benefit of his extensive experience in polar shipping and as a highly qualified ice navigator to describe the human, technical, environmental and operational challenges of transiting polar seas. This new edition has been updated to take account of IMO’s Polar Code, which came into force in 2017.