The only remaining large passenger ship for coastal sailing in Greenland, Sarfaq Ittuk, which sails along a route on Greenland’s west coast, between Ilulissat in the north and Narsaq in the south, has turned 33 years at sea and is no longer up to date. But there is no money to build a new ship.
The ship belongs to Arctic Umiaq Line, a subsidiary of the self-governing shipping company Royal Arctic Lines. After a failed restructuring of the sailing last year, Arctic Umiaq Line posted a massive deficit in 2024.
Now the sailing has been brought back on track, but that does not change the fact that the ferry is worn out and a replacement must be found quickly.
The financial safety net for the route consists of a service contract entered into with the Self-Government, but the service contract expires at the turn of the year, and according to the Greenlandic media KNR, there is only a prospect of a new two-year service contract.
According to Arctic Umiaq Line, this is not enough.
“If we are to get the new ship built, we need at least 15 years,” says Taitsiannguaq Olsen, director of Arctic Umiaq Line, to KNR.
Taitsiannguaq Olsen tells KNR that he would like to see coastal sailing remain an option. It takes much longer to sail, but in return, the sailing is not as sensitive to the weather as air travel is.
Sarfaq Ittuk is the only one of the original three sister ships, built at Ørskov Shipyard in Frederikshavn, still sailing coastal routes in Greenland.
-mauh
