 Taymyr andVaigach coaling from a freighter atEmma Harbor, 1913 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
  Russia | |
| Namesake | Vaygach Island |
| Launched | 1909 |
| Fate | Sank 1918 |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Icebreaker |
IcebreakerVaygach (Russian:Вайгач) was an icebreaking steamer of moderate size built for theRussian Imperial Navy atSaint Petersburg in 1909. She was named afterVaygach Island in theRussian Arctic.
Vaygach and her sister shipTaymyr were built for the purpose of thoroughly exploring the uncharted areas of theNorthern Sea Route. This venture became known as theArctic Ocean Hydrographic Expedition.
The first of a series of surveys began in the autumn of 1910, whenVaygach andTaymyr leftVladivostok. They entered theChukchi Sea with scientists on board and began their exploration. For the next five years, these icebreakers went on sounding and carrying on vital surveys during the thaw. Before every winter, when ice conditions became too bad, they returned to Vladivostok and waited for the spring. In 1911 the scientists and crew aboardVaygach andTaymyr made the first Russian landing onWrangel Island.
In 1914, led by Colonel I. Sergeev,Vaygach sailed together withTaymyr, whose captain wasBoris Vilkitsky. Together, they tried to force the whole Northern Passage in order to reachArkhangelsk. Severe weather and ice conditions, however, did not allow them to cross theKara Sea and they were forced to winter at Bukhta Dika, close to theFirnley Islands. Thus they were able to complete the passage only in 1915.
Some of the biggest successes of the expedition were the accurate charting of the Northern Sea Route and the discovery ofSevernaya Zemlya in 1913.Taymyr andVaygach were considered the besticebreakers in the world at the time.
Vaigach struck an underwater rock and sank in 1918 in theYenisei Bay of theKara Sea.[1] A nuclear river-icebreaker was namedVaygach in 1989.