Sergey Kopytov is the Captain of the Russian tanker Renda. And he was in charge of the vessel for only six hours before setting off on a journey that would take the ship from its home port in Vladivostok, Russia, to Korea, Dutch Harbor, and ultimately Nome. But before being a part of Nome’s first winter fuel delivery through the ice, he spent four years doing winter deliveries in the ice-choked seas of the Russian Far East.

Speaking through an interpreter, he says that having ice breakers working every winter allows crews to get valuable experience working in the ice. Captain Kopytov talks about his experiences maneuvering ships in the Arctic, from routine deliveries in Russia to a one-of-a-kind delivery in Nome.

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