What Happens When Warships Hit Icebreakers?

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]What happens when a Venezuelan gunship attacks a Penguin cruise ship? On March 30th, 2020, the RCGS Resolute was sitting in international waters off Venezuela's coast, drifting with one engine under maintenance and no passengers on board. At just past midnight, the Venezuelan Coast Guard Patrol Boat Na pulled alongside and ordered the crew to follow it to a Venezuelan port. The Resolute's captain consulted his shore office. While he was doing so, the Naguata opened fire with warning shots, then rammed the cruise ship starboard side at speed, then rammed it again. What the Venezuelan captain didn't know was that the Resolute is a purpose-built polar expedition vessel designed to break through Arctic sea ice. Its hull is ice strengthened with a reinforced bulbous bow built to withstand forces that would destroy a normal ship. The Resolute suffered minor cosmetic damage. The Niguata, an 80 m armed patrol vessel, began taking on water immediately. It sank. The Resolute contacted the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center, offered assistance, and was told it wasn't needed. The crew had to be rescued by another Venezuelan vessel.

[00:01:17]The Resolute continued to cure uso.

[00:01:20]Venezuela's response was to accuse the cruise ship of piracy and suggest it had been carrying mercenaries to attack Venezuelan military bases. The armed gunship rammed a penguin tourboat and sank itself.