Anchor watches in ice
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We are standing at the gates of the Bellota Strait all the time. If you follow our position (skiff.pl/position), you probably noticed that we have already changed a few times. This is due to the fact that ice is constantly prowling here - thin but wide ice floes (something like floating pancakes such as a playground), as well as massive junks with a draft of up to 10m.
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There are strong currents here. Through this ice packets are rushing once, back and forth. In order not to let them disperse, we have to be vigilant all the time. That's why we have anchor watches around the clock - one person is still sitting on the deck and watching if anything affects us. If it is a small piece, then we push it away with an ice pole. If it's big, then we start the engine and make a dodge. In extreme cases, we change the anchorage. And from here we are already in the fourth place this week.
September started, and that means that the end of the navigation season in the Arctic will take place in 3-4 weeks. If we do not move further west in the next few days, it is time to return to Greenland.
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Retreat to Greenland
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We moved. Unfortunately back to Greenland.
Yesterday after receiving more ice maps we decided to give up trying to cross the Northwest Passage. Further waiting meant that the risk of losing the yacht, and perhaps not only, was already too great. The weather has set the bar too high this year. According to Canadian meteorologists, the melting of ice on our route is delayed by up to 6 weeks. This means that the passage will probably not open at all, and in other parts of it strong storms and short days would prevent fast sailing to more safe waters.
We fought like lions. We got as far west as we could. At the gates of the Bellota Strait, at Fort Ross, we were the first and now - together with the French yacht Atka - we are leaving last this season. Ahead of us, 15 units sailing from the east left us. Only a 120-foot Infinity is fighting from the west. We turn back, but what we experienced, what we saw, we experienced and learned about the Arctic, as well as ourselves, is priceless.
For 4 weeks we have been in the arctic wilderness outside of any civilization. The power and beauty of nature that we experience here are amazing. We swallowed the Arctic baccalaureate all over. It should not be surprising that we already know that we will come back here one day to try our chance again.
Now, however, we must concentrate on a safe return to Greenland. Ahead of us are over 1000 miles of sailing through the Arctic waters with winter on the back of the neck. The Arctic probably liked us too, because something does not want to let us out - at the moment the ice from the north cuts off our way back. Let's hope, however, that it will not take long. So do not stop keeping your fingers crossed!
Time for recapitulation will be when we reach Greenland safely. Right now, however, we want to thank you very much:
Victor Weser for good advice and routing. Thanks to Victor, it was easier for us to prepare and find ourselves in the Arctic reality.
Przemek Karwasiecki for invaluable technical support. Przemek fishes out all the information we need from the Internet.
Maria Borkowska, who is currently looking after our fanpage and the skiff.pl website . It is thanks to her that you know what is happening with us when we are really cut off from the Internet.
Ance, Marek, Andrzej, Rysiek, Andrzej (Sklin) and Witek, our brave and durable crew, with whom we explore the nooks and crannies of the Northwest Passage.
Brubeck for thermal, thermal underwear, which is now like a second skin for us and works perfectly.
and of course ... all of you who follow our actions and send so much positive energy. Please, do more!
You probably wonder what's next?
We are just sailing to Greenland - there we say goodbye to the current crew. At the end of September, we are sailing back to Canada and sailing south to Halifax, where we will make almost two months break for work on the yacht and visit Poland. In December, we sail to the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal to the Pacific and to Mexico. From Mexico, we sail according to the original plan for 2019 and beyond. In the end, we still have over 5 years of sailing around the world! On the days on our site skiff.pl will appear updated graphics and overdue relationships, describing what has happened to us in recent days, and it was a bit.
Follow us on Facebook!
We are standing at the gates of the Bellota Strait all the time. If you follow our position (skiff.pl/position), you probably noticed that we have already changed a few times. This is due to the fact that ice is constantly prowling here - thin but wide ice floes (something like floating pancakes such as a playground), as well as massive junks with a draft of up to 10m.
There are strong currents here. Through this ice packets are rushing once, back and forth. In order not to let them disperse, we have to be vigilant all the time. That's why we have anchor watches around the clock - one person is still sitting on the deck and watching if anything affects us. If it is a small piece, then we push it away with an ice pole. If it's big, then we start the engine and make a dodge. In extreme cases, we change the anchorage. And from here we are already in the fourth place this week.
September started, and that means that the end of the navigation season in the Arctic will take place in 3-4 weeks. If we do not move further west in the next few days, it is time to return to Greenland.
Retreat to Greenland
We moved. Unfortunately back to Greenland.
Yesterday after receiving more ice maps we decided to give up trying to cross the Northwest Passage. Further waiting meant that the risk of losing the yacht, and perhaps not only, was already too great. The weather has set the bar too high this year. According to Canadian meteorologists, the melting of ice on our route is delayed by up to 6 weeks. This means that the passage will probably not open at all, and in other parts of it strong storms and short days would prevent fast sailing to more safe waters.
We fought like lions. We got as far west as we could. At the gates of the Bellota Strait, at Fort Ross, we were the first and now - together with the French yacht Atka - we are leaving last this season. Ahead of us, 15 units sailing from the east left us. Only a 120-foot Infinity is fighting from the west. We turn back, but what we experienced, what we saw, we experienced and learned about the Arctic, as well as ourselves, is priceless.
For 4 weeks we have been in the arctic wilderness outside of any civilization. The power and beauty of nature that we experience here are amazing. We swallowed the Arctic baccalaureate all over. It should not be surprising that we already know that we will come back here one day to try our chance again.
Now, however, we must concentrate on a safe return to Greenland. Ahead of us are over 1000 miles of sailing through the Arctic waters with winter on the back of the neck. The Arctic probably liked us too, because something does not want to let us out - at the moment the ice from the north cuts off our way back. Let's hope, however, that it will not take long. So do not stop keeping your fingers crossed!
Time for recapitulation will be when we reach Greenland safely. Right now, however, we want to thank you very much:
Victor Weser for good advice and routing. Thanks to Victor, it was easier for us to prepare and find ourselves in the Arctic reality.
Przemek Karwasiecki for invaluable technical support. Przemek fishes out all the information we need from the Internet.
Maria Borkowska, who is currently looking after our fanpage and the skiff.pl website . It is thanks to her that you know what is happening with us when we are really cut off from the Internet.
Ance, Marek, Andrzej, Rysiek, Andrzej (Sklin) and Witek, our brave and durable crew, with whom we explore the nooks and crannies of the Northwest Passage.
Brubeck for thermal, thermal underwear, which is now like a second skin for us and works perfectly.
and of course ... all of you who follow our actions and send so much positive energy. Please, do more!
You probably wonder what's next?
We are just sailing to Greenland - there we say goodbye to the current crew. At the end of September, we are sailing back to Canada and sailing south to Halifax, where we will make almost two months break for work on the yacht and visit Poland. In December, we sail to the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal to the Pacific and to Mexico. From Mexico, we sail according to the original plan for 2019 and beyond. In the end, we still have over 5 years of sailing around the world! On the days on our site skiff.pl will appear updated graphics and overdue relationships, describing what has happened to us in recent days, and it was a bit.
Follow us on Facebook!