What you need to perform it
Primary qualification
- Master or chief mate holding advanced polar-waters certification (Polar Code, A-V/4-2 training) with accredited ice campaigns.
- Recognition as ice advisor by the company and, where applicable, by the route administration (e.g. Northern Sea Route or Canadian Arctic regimes — indicative per jurisdiction).
Basic STCW
- STCW basic training A-VI/1 and the officer package (A-VI/2-1, A-VI/3, A-VI/4-1) in date
- Advanced training for ships operating in polar waters, STCW A-V/4-2 (Polar Code)
Specific courses
- Ice-chart interpretation (WMO nomenclature/egg code) and satellite imagery
- Ice handling: leads, controlled ramming, ice berthing and icebreaker convoy
- Structural limits: the ship's ice class (IACS PC/1A) read operationally
- BRM in restricted waters and fatigue management under polar light
Indicative experience
Indicative: several Arctic or Antarctic campaigns in command posts before advising; operators value logged ice miles by type (first-year, multiyear, pressure).
Observations
A contractual advisory figure: the master's authority remains intact (as the Polar Code and route administrations' practice reflect). Common on expedition cruises, research ships and Arctic cargo projects.
What this role does
An embarked ice advisor for polar campaigns: reads ice by eye and on the charts (types, concentrations, pressure), recommends track, speed and passage windows, assists icebreaker or convoy operations and complements the bridge's polar certification with the practical judgement only years in high latitudes provide. He does not replace the master: he lends him judgement.
Typical watches
- Reinforced guards in polar areas or presence of ice
Key responsibilities
- Advise the Captain on ice reading, safe channels and maneuvering in polar waters.
- Interpret ice charts, satellite images and concentration/thickness reports.
- Help decide speed, course and power so as not to compromise hull or propulsion.
- Integrate Polar Code operational requirements into traffic planning.
Operational scope
- navigation bridge
- Arctic / Antarctic / ice waters
Profile reviewed by HydroAbyss (2026). Cited rules and timeframes are indicative: the final requirement is set by the flag State, the Administration and each company.