On December 15, 2023, HONG FENG voyaged northward into the Bohai Bay, setting its course for Jinzhou Port, the northernmost destination. Amidst this journey, the strongest cold snap of the winter descended upon the bay, bringing fierce winds and towering waves, plummeting temperatures to a chilling minus 20 degrees Celsius. The crew of HONG FENG will forever remember that startling morning when they awoke to find their ship encased in ice. Waves lashing against the deck quickly froze, crafting sculptures of ice in their wake—a sight many had seen but never in such a formidable thickness.
Beneath the picturesque layer of ice lay hidden challenges. The deck equipment was imprisoned within solid ice, and the ship's hydraulic systems were even less prepared for the cold than the crew. To keep the vessel operational, the ice had to be cleared—no small feat in such freezing conditions. The limited supply of hot water was far from sufficient, and even then, might only hasten the ice's formation. Swinging hammers across nearly a hundred meters of ship was a task not even a titan could complete. The daunting prospect weighed heavily on everyone's minds.
Yet, retreating was never an option.
What ensued was one of the most magnificent displays of labor in the fleet's history. Despite the bone-chilling winds, our crew braved the cold, wielding fire hoses to melt the ice, transforming into icy figures themselves as seawater froze upon their gear. The sounds of hammers striking windlasses and the relieving crackle of breaking ice filled the air. In the ballast tanks, darker and colder than any ice cellar, they fearlessly thawed frozen valves one by one. Cheeks flushed red and hands stiffened, yet the sight of ice receding, decks reemerging, and machinery whirring back to life fueled a sense of achievement and pride that overpowered all else.
There was not a single complaint—only mutual encouragement, lighthearted self-mockery, and heartfelt laughter as the ice shattered. Perhaps it is in the face of extreme adversity that true courage emerges. Still, one cannot help but admire the bravery required to wield a water hose in minus 20 degrees, or to swing a hammer at the bow against the piercing wind. Behind each ordinary voyage number lies a crew of extraordinary resilience, and to care for them is to care for ourselves.
HONG FENG was not the last to face the cold's embrace; nor was Jinzhou the only harbor to witness such resolve. Vessels like the ZI LUO LAN and BAI YANG followed suit, marking their presence in Panjin and Yingkou with similar acts of valor. As they navigated through seas dotted with ice floes, the gentle scrapping sounds against the hull whispered of serene moments in time—a reminder of the beauty and tranquility that coexists with the trials of the sea.
