Whilst we are enjoying a mild January with temperatures well above average for this time of the year, visiting Russian shipmasters from the ports of Murmansk and Archangels are also reporting a relatively mild winter within the Arctic Circle.

Captain Valentin Pankratov, master of the ice breaking bulk carrier Vladimir Timofeyev told me that his home port of Archangels was ice free so far this year. Normally, Archangels has to be kept open for shipping by nuclear icebreakers.

Vladimir Timofeyev called for bunkers before heading north to the White Sea port to load timber for Alexandria.