Arctic Umiaq Line
Encyclopedia
Arctic Umiaq Line A/S
or Arctic Umiaq (AUL) is a passenger
and freight line in Greenland
. Its name derives from the Greenlandic word for a traditional Inuit
boat, the umiaq
. The sea connection provided by Arctic Umiaq is a lifeline for the entire western and southwestern Greenland. It is a subsidiary of Air Greenland
and Royal Arctic Line
.
colonial authorities as a state monopoly, thus sharing its origin with Royal Greenland
, the largest fishing company in Greenland, and with KNI
, the largest trade and commerce company in the country.
Annual subsidies from the Government of Greenland amounted to 5 million Danish krone
r (DKK). Air Greenland, the owner of half of the company, announced plans to divest its stock. The forecast bankruptcy may take place; the operations were guaranteed until the end of 2010, with the government guarantees further extended into 2011.
-Narsaq
route along the coast of western and southwestern Greenland.
Until 2008, the service had been extended to Narsarsuaq
during summer.
). Built in 1992, it was subsequently renovated and upgraded in 2000 in the Gdańsk Shipyard
in Gdańsk
, Poland
.
The ship has a 249 passenger capacity, with 52 2-bed cabins, and 145 communal (compartment or couchette) rollout beds on the two lower decks.
, the Uummannaq Fjord
region, and Disko Bay
−was sold in 2006 to Nova Cruising, a company from the Bahamas.
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.
Aktieselskab
An aktieselskab is the Danish name for a stock-based corporation. An aktieselskab can be both publicly traded and private.-Liability:...
or Arctic Umiaq (AUL) is a passenger
Passenger
A passenger is a term broadly used to describe any person who travels in a vehicle, but bears little or no responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination....
and freight line in Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
. Its name derives from the Greenlandic word for a traditional Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
boat, the umiaq
Umiak
The umiak, umialak, umiaq, umiac, oomiac or oomiak is a type of boat used by Eskimo people, both Yupik and Inuit, and was originally found in all coastal areas from Siberia to Greenland. First arising in Thule times, it has traditionally been used in summer to move people and possessions to...
. The sea connection provided by Arctic Umiaq is a lifeline for the entire western and southwestern Greenland. It is a subsidiary of Air Greenland
Air Greenland
Air Greenland A/S is the flag carrier airline of Greenland, jointly owned by the government of Greenland, the SAS Group, and the government of Denmark...
and Royal Arctic Line
Royal Arctic Line
Royal Arctic Line A/S or Royal Arctic is a freight company in Greenland, formed in 1992 and headquartered in Nuuk. It has 650 employees and is owned by the Government of Greenland...
.
History
Arctic Umiaq Line was founded in 1774 under the name Den Kongelige Grønlandske Handel (The Royal Greenlandic Trade) by the DanishDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
colonial authorities as a state monopoly, thus sharing its origin with Royal Greenland
Royal Greenland
Royal Greenland A/S is a fishing company in Greenland. The company operates in a number of towns and settlements in Greenland, with 20 fish processing plants and ship bases of local subsidiary units...
, the largest fishing company in Greenland, and with KNI
KNI (Greenland Trade)
KNI A/S is a state-owned trade company in Greenland. Led by Søren Lennert Mortensen, the company is based in Sisimiut.- History :KNI was founded in 1774 as Den Kongelige Grønlandske Handel by the Danish colonial authorities as a state monopoly, thus sharing its origin with Royal Greenland, the...
, the largest trade and commerce company in the country.
Financial troubles
Since 2007, Arctic Umiaq Line has been operating at a deficit, with the CEO Søren Grønhøj Andersen sued for mismanagement. The company carried fewer passengers for the first nine months of 2009 than in the comparable period of the previous year.Annual subsidies from the Government of Greenland amounted to 5 million Danish krone
Danish krone
The krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre...
r (DKK). Air Greenland, the owner of half of the company, announced plans to divest its stock. The forecast bankruptcy may take place; the operations were guaranteed until the end of 2010, with the government guarantees further extended into 2011.
Operations
The ferry service operates from late April until early January. As of 2010, Arctic Umiaq Line employs 40 people, operating one ship on the IlulissatIlulissat
Ilulissat is a town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in western Greenland, located approximately north of the Arctic Circle. With the population of 4,546 as of 2010, it is the third-largest settlement in Greenland, after Nuuk and Sisimiut....
-Narsaq
Narsaq
Narsaq is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. The name Narsaq is Greenlandic for "plain", referring to the beautiful plain on the shore of Tunulliarfik Fjord where the town is located.- History :...
route along the coast of western and southwestern Greenland.
Ports of call
Sarfaq Ittuk stops in the following towns on its coastal journey, with the approximate times for a southbound journey listed for illustration:| Name | Ilulissat Ilulissat Ilulissat is a town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in western Greenland, located approximately north of the Arctic Circle. With the population of 4,546 as of 2010, it is the third-largest settlement in Greenland, after Nuuk and Sisimiut.... | 69°13′12″ | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aasiaat Aasiaat Aasiaat is a town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in western Greenland. Located in the heart of Aasiaat Archipelago at the southern end of Disko Bay. With a population of 3,005 as of 2010, it is Greenland's fifth-largest town.-Etymology:... |
68°42′35″ | 04.30 | |
| Sisimiut Sisimiut Sisimiut is a town in central-western Greenland, located on the coast of Davis Strait, approximately north of Nuuk. It is the administrative center of the Qeqqata Municipality and the second-largest town in Greenland, with a population of 5,460 people as of 2010. The site of the present-day town... |
66°56′20″ | 16.00 | |
| Kangaamiut Kangaamiut Kangaamiut is a settlement in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland, with a population of 357 as of 2010.- Geography :... |
65°49′30″ | 24.30 | |
| Maniitsoq Maniitsoq Maniitsoq is a town in the Qeqqata municipality in western Greenland. With 2,784 inhabitants as of 2010, it is the sixth-largest town in Greenland... |
65°25′00″ | 28.30 | |
| Nuuk Nuuk Nuuk, is the capital of Greenland, the northernmost capital in North America and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord, the city lies on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea and on the west coast of Sermersooq. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in... |
64°10′00″ | 37.30 | The longest, 2-hour stop |
| Qeqertarsuatsiaat Qeqertarsuatsiaat Qeqertarsuatsiaat is a settlement in the Sermersooq municipality, in southwestern Greenland, located on an island off the shores of Labrador Sea. Its population is 235 as of 2010. The Greenlandic name of the town means 'the quite large island'.- History :... |
63°05′20″ | 47.30 | |
| Paamiut Paamiut Paamiut is a town in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland. The name of the town means "they who reside by the mouth" in Greenlandic.- Geography :... |
61°59′40″ | 54.30 | |
| Arsuk Arsuk Arsuk is a village in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland. It had 156 inhabitants in 2010. The name of the settlement means the beloved place in the Greenlandic language... |
61°10′30″ | 61.15 | |
| Qaqortoq Qaqortoq Qaqortoq is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. With a population of 3,230 as of 2011, it is the most populous town in southern Greenland, and the fourth-largest town in the country. The name is western Greenlandic and means "[the] white [one]".- History :The area around... |
60°43′20″ | 70.00 | The ship turns northeast at Qaqortoq, sailing to Narsaq via Tunulliarfik Fjord Tunulliarfik Fjord Tunulliarfik Fjord is a fjord in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. In times of the Norse settlement in southern Greenland, it was known as Eiriksfjord.- Geography :... |
| Narsaq Narsaq Narsaq is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. The name Narsaq is Greenlandic for "plain", referring to the beautiful plain on the shore of Tunulliarfik Fjord where the town is located.- History :... |
60°54′44″ | 73.00 | Summer only |
Until 2008, the service had been extended to Narsarsuaq
Narsarsuaq
Narsarsuaq is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. It had 158 inhabitants in 2010. There is a thriving tourism industry in and around Narsarsuaq, whose attractions include a great diversity of wildlife, gemstones, tours to glaciers, and an airfield museum...
during summer.
Fleet
Current fleet
The only ship in operation is M/S Sarfaq Ittuk (IMO 8913899IMO ship identification number
The IMO ship identification number is made of the three letters "IMO" followed by the seven-digit number assigned to all ships by IHS Fairplay when constructed. This is a unique seven digit number that is assigned to propelled, sea-going merchant ships of 100 GT and above...
). Built in 1992, it was subsequently renovated and upgraded in 2000 in the Gdańsk Shipyard
Gdansk Shipyard
Gdańsk Shipyard is a large Polish shipyard, located in the city of Gdańsk. The yard gained international fame when Solidarity was founded there in September 1980...
in Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
The ship has a 249 passenger capacity, with 52 2-bed cabins, and 145 communal (compartment or couchette) rollout beds on the two lower decks.
Former fleet
M/S Sarpik Ittuk−which serviced the Upernavik ArchipelagoUpernavik Archipelago
Upernavik Archipelago is a vast archipelago of small islands in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland, on the coast of northeastern Baffin Bay...
, the Uummannaq Fjord
Uummannaq Fjord
Uummannaq Fjord is a large fjord system in the northern part of western Greenland, the largest after Kangertittivaq fjord in eastern Greenland...
region, and Disko Bay
Disko Bay
Disko Bay is a bay on the western coast of Greenland. The bay constitutes a wide southeastern inlet of Baffin Bay.- Geography :To the south the coastline is complicated with multiple waterways of skerries and small islands in the Aasiaat archipelago...
−was sold in 2006 to Nova Cruising, a company from the Bahamas.
As of 2010 Disko Bay is served by Diskoline
Diskoline
Disko Line A/S is a passenger and freight ferry line in western Greenland. It was founded in 2004 as a small freight company.- Complementary transport services :...
on the governmental contract, whereas transport services between Upernavik Archipelago
Upernavik Archipelago
Upernavik Archipelago is a vast archipelago of small islands in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland, on the coast of northeastern Baffin Bay...
and the Uummannaq Fjord
Uummannaq Fjord
Uummannaq Fjord is a large fjord system in the northern part of western Greenland, the largest after Kangertittivaq fjord in eastern Greenland...
region are provided by infrequent cargo/ferry ships of Royal Arctic Line.