Arctic Umiaq Line

Last updated
Arctic Umiaq Line
Type Aktieselskab
Industry Transport
Founded2006 [1]
Headquarters Nuuk, Greenland
Area served
Greenland
ProductsCoastal trade and passenger ferry
Decrease2.svg DKK 8.1 million (2011)
Number of employees
43 [2]
Parent Royal Arctic Line (100%)
Website www.aul.gl

Arctic Umiaq Line A/S (AUL) or Arctic Umiaq is a passenger and freight shipping line in Greenland. [3] Its name derives from the Kalaallisut word for the traditional Inuit passenger boat, the umiak, distinguished from the kayak, used for hunting. The sea connection provided by Arctic Umiaq is a lifeline for the entire western and southwestern Greenland. [4] It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Royal Arctic Line. [5]

Contents

History

Sarfaq Ittuk moored at Ilulissat port Arctic-umiaq-sarfak-ittuk-ilulissat-logo.jpg
Sarfaq Ittuk moored at Ilulissat port

Arctic Umiaq Line was founded in 2006. [1] Like many Greenlandic companies, it can trace its operations to former divisions of the Royal Greenland Trade Department [6] before its 1986 handover to the Greenland Home Rule Government.

Since 2007, Arctic Umiaq Line has been operating at a deficit, [7] with the CEO Søren Grønhøj Andersen sued for mismanagement. [8] The company carried fewer passengers for the first nine months of 2009 than in the comparable period of the previous year. [9]

The Greenland Home Rule Government has continued to provide loss guarantees to the joint owners. In fiscal 2011, this amounted to DKK 8.1 million, and Royal Arctic Line announced that loss guarantees have been secured through 2016. [1]

Ownership in The Arctic Umiaq Line was shared equally between Air Greenland and Royal Arctic Line until 2016. In 2016, Air Greenland sold its 50% stake in the company to Royal Arctic Line, and since July 1, 2016 the Arctic Umiaq Line has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Arctic Line. [10]

Operations

Map of the coastal route of Arctic Umiaq Arctic-umiaq-line-ports-of-call.svg
Map of the coastal route of Arctic Umiaq

The ferry service operates from late April until early January. [11] As of 2020, Arctic Umiaq Line employs 43 people, [2] operating one ship on the Ilulissat-Narsaq route along the coast of western and southwestern Greenland.

Ports of call

The Sarfaq Ittuk stops in the following towns on its coastal journey, with the approximate times for a southbound journey listed for illustration: [12]

NameLatitude NElapsed time (hours)Notes
Ilulissat 69°13′12″0
Aasiaat 68°42′35″04.30
Sisimiut 66°56′20″16.00
Kangaamiut 65°49′30″24.30
Maniitsoq 65°25′00″28.30
Nuuk 64°10′00″37.30The longest, 2-hour stop
Qeqertarsuatsiaat 63°05′20″47.30
Paamiut 61°59′40″54.30
Arsuk 61°10′30″61.15
Qaqortoq 60°43′20″70.00The ship turns northeast at Qaqortoq, sailing to Narsaq via Tunulliarfik Fjord
Narsaq 60°54′44″73.00Summer only

Until 2008, the service had been extended to Narsarsuaq during summer. [13] : 102 

Fleet

Sarpik Ittuk now sails as M/S Ocean Nova of Nova Cruising. Ilulissat-port.jpg
Sarpik Ittuk now sails as M/S Ocean Nova of Nova Cruising.

Current fleet

The only ship in operation is M/S Sarfaq Ittuk (IMO 8913899). [14] Built in 1992, [14] it was subsequently renovated and upgraded in 2000 in the Gdańsk Shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland. [15]

The ship has a 249-passenger capacity, with 52 2-bed cabins, and 145 [15] communal (compartment or couchette) rollout beds on the two lower decks. [15]

It has a length (overall) of 72.8 m, a Gross tonnage of 2118 t, and freight capacity (Deadweight) of 163 t.

Former fleet

M/S Sarpik Ittuk– which serviced the Upernavik Archipelago, the Uummannaq Fjord region, and Disko Bay [13] : 198–199 – was sold in 2006 to Nova Cruising, a company from the Bahamas. [16]

As of 2010 Disko Bay is served by Diskoline on the governmental contract, whereas transport services between Upernavik Archipelago and the Uummannaq Fjord region are provided by infrequent cargo/ferry ships of Royal Arctic Line. [17]

Photographs

Related Research Articles

Transport in Greenland

The transportation system in Greenland is very unusual in that Greenland has no railways, no inland waterways, and virtually no roads between towns. Historically the major means of transportation has been by boat around the coast in summer and by dog sled in winter, particularly in the north and east. Nowadays air travel, by helicopter or other aircraft, is the main way of travel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Greenland</span> Flag carrier airline of Greenland

Air Greenland A/S, also known as Greenlandair, is the flag carrier airline of Greenland, owned by the Greenlandic Government. It operates a fleet of 32 aircraft, including 1 airliner used for transatlantic and charter flights, 8 fixed-wing aircraft primarily serving the domestic network, and 18 helicopters feeding passengers from the smaller communities into the domestic airport network. Flights to heliports in the remote settlements are operated on contract with the government of Greenland.

Uummannaq Island Small island in Avannaata municipality, Greenland

Uummannaq Island is a small (12 km2) island in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. Located in the south-central part of the Uummannaq Fjord, it is home to the most prominent mountain on the Arctic coast of western Greenland and to Uummannaq, the largest town north of Ilulissat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuuk Airport</span> Airport in Nuuk, Greenland

Nuuk Airport (Greenlandic: Mittarfik Nuuk; Danish: Godthåb Lufthavn; is an airport serving Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The airport is a technical base and focus city for Air Greenland, the flag carrier airline of Greenland, linking the capital with several towns in western and south-western part of the country, including the airline hub at Kangerlussuaq Airport. With connections to Iceland, Nuuk Airport is also one of six international airports in Greenland but serves only destinations within Greenland and Iceland. International connections are made with flights to either Keflavík International Airport in Iceland or Kangerlussuaq Airport.

Narsaq Place in Greenland, Kingdom of Denmark

Narsaq is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. The name Narsaq is Kalaallisut for "Plain", referring to the shore of Tunulliarfik Fjord where the town is located.

Sisimiut Place in Greenland, Kingdom of Denmark

Sisimiut, formerly known as Holsteinsborg, is the capital and largest city of the Qeqqata municipality, the second-largest city in Greenland, and the largest Arctic city in North America. It is located in central-western Greenland, on the coast of Davis Strait, approximately 320 km (200 mi) north of Nuuk.

Narsarsuaq Airport Airport located in Narsarsuaq, Kujalleq, Greenland

Narsarsuaq Airport is an airport located in Narsarsuaq, a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. Along with Kangerlussuaq Airport, it is one of two airports in Greenland capable of serving large airliners. It is also the only international airport in southern Greenland. The settlement it serves is small, with the airport primarily functioning as a transfer point for passengers heading for the helicopter hubs of Air Greenland in Qaqortoq and Nanortalik. The airport is to be closed in 2025 when Qaqortoq Airport is scheduled to open.

Nuussuaq Place in Greenland, Kingdom of Denmark

Nuussuaq, formerly Kraulshavn, is a settlement in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is the only mainland settlement in the Upernavik Archipelago, located near the western tip of the Nuussuaq Peninsula, on the northern coast of Sugar Loaf Bay, an indentation of Baffin Bay.

Itilleq Place in Greenland, Kingdom of Denmark

Itilleq is a settlement in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland. It is located on a small island around 1 km from the mainland, 45 km south of Sisimiut and 2 km north of the Arctic Circle on the shores of Davis Strait. It had 89 inhabitants in 2020.

Sarfannguit is a settlement in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland. Its population was 96 in 2020. The settlement was founded in 1843. The town is located within the Aasivissuit – Nipisat UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2018 for its outstanding archeological sites representing the human occupation of Greenland for over 4000 years.

Royal Arctic Line A/S (RAL) or Royal Arctic is a seaborne freight company in Greenland, wholly owned by the Government of Greenland. It was formed in 1993, and is headquartered in Nuuk.

Qaarsut Airport Airport in Avannaata, Greenland

Qaarsut Airport is an airport in Qaarsut, a settlement on the Nuussuaq Peninsula in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is a primary airport with a gravel runway, capable of serving STOL aircraft of Air Greenland in all seasons. There is a small cafeteria in the tiny arrivals/departures hall. It is connected by a 4 km (2.5 mi) gravel road to Qaarsut and is 13.5 nautical miles northwest of Uummannaq.

Narsaq Heliport Heliport in southern Greenland

Narsaq Heliport is a heliport in the northwestern part of Narsaq, a town in the Kujalleq municipality, in southern Greenland.

Upernavik Archipelago is a vast coastal archipelago in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland, off the shores of northeastern Baffin Bay. The archipelago extends from the northwestern coast of Sigguup Nunaa peninsula in the south at approximately 71°50′N56°00′W to the southern end of Melville Bay in the north at approximately 74°50′N57°30′W.

Tunulliarfik Fjord is a fjord near Qaqortoq in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. It is the inner section of Skovfjord (Skovfjorden). In times of the Norse settlement in southern Greenland, it was known as Eiriksfjord.

Disko Line A/S is a passenger and freight ferry line in western Greenland. It was founded in 2004 as a small freight company.

Amerloq Fjord is a 36 km (22 mi) long fjord in the Qeqqata municipality in western Greenland. The fjord empties into the Davis Strait just south of Sisimiut, whose former Inuit name was also "Amerloq".

Port of Ilulissat Port in Greenland

Port and Harbour of Ilulissat is an atlantic port located in the Disko Bay at Ilulissat, Greenland. Accessible most of the year, it is operated by Royal Arctic Line, Arctic Umiaq Line and Royal Greenland.

References

  1. 1 2 3 RAL. "Annual Report 2011 [ permanent dead link ]".
  2. 1 2 "Annual Report 2020" (PDF). Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  3. ↑ AUL. "Arctic Umiaq Line A/S". Accessed 28 Aug 2010.
  4. ↑ Sisimiut. "Shipping [ permanent dead link ]". Accessed 28 Aug 2010.
  5. ↑ "Annual Report 2017 (page 18)" (PDF). royalarcticline.com. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  6. ↑ AUL. "About us". Accessed 28 Aug 2010.
  7. ↑ "Uvis skæbne for kystsejlads". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 27 January 2010. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  8. ↑ "Tidligere AUL-direktør stævnet for 15,5 millioner kroner". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 10 September 2009. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  9. ↑ "AUL får røde tal i 2009". Sermitsiaq (in Danish). 22 October 2009. Archived from the original on 25 October 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  10. ↑ "Annual Report 2016" (PDF). Royal Arctic Line A/S. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  11. ↑ "Timetables". AUL, Official Website. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  12. ↑ "Timetable 2009" (PDF). AUL, Official Website. Retrieved 28 August 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  13. 1 2 O'Carroll, Etain (2005). Greenland and the Arctic. Lonely Planet. ISBN   1-74059-095-3.
  14. 1 2 "Sarfaq Ittuk". MarineTraffic, Vessel Traffic and Positions. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  15. 1 2 3 "Vessel". AUL, Official Website. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  16. ↑ "Greenland cruise vessel sold to US owner". inforMARE. 21 November 2006. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  17. ↑ "Ankomster / Afgange". Royal Arctic Line. Archived from the original on 3 July 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
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