Adventure is a form of bad planning. At least, according to Roald Amundsun… I don’t always agree with this great explorer. I also enjoy not knowing everything and exploring the fast amount of possibilities that are at hand. It is like that with sailing in general. Nobody can force the wind to blow from a certain direction at any moment. If there would be such a person, he or she, would be very well of. We nowadays have Extremely good weather forecasts. I can normally find one that suits my purpose! Of course, there are occasions when the wind gods leave me struggling, but that is only to show us we are but humans.
Winds and weather evolve around the earth in a somewhat predictable pattern. On some latitudes, this happens in the form of monsoons. On others, it happens in the form of seasons. One thing is for sure they are all dominated by high and low pressures. When we plan a sailing season in a part of the world that is new to us, we have a great set of books to refer to, to find out when is the best time to go and what can we expect.
The ocean passages of the world is the first one. And then follow the pilot charts with a more detailed description of the area we are wanting to visit. The last couple of years we have another thing to deal with! Ice!!! Ice comes in many forms and shapes. And for us it is vital to know where it is and how much of it.
"ADVENTURE IS A FORM OF BAD PLANNING" -
ROALD AMUNDSUN
The first picture shown here shows the arena for the next month or so. Greenland! On our next trip we will set of from Isafjordur Iceland, to Nuuk, Greenland. Passing along the East coast of Greenland before we round Cape Farval in the far South. East and West Greenland are completely different when it comes to ice. The ice flows that come from the North of Svalbard, pass along the East coast and make this an important habitat for seals, and the bears that hunt them. It also keeps the East coast pretty much in-accessible for most of the year. And when it does open in August it is not long before the bad weather returns.
We hope to visit the East coast of Greenland next trip. But as the ice chart shows it is not at all certain if we can and where. The West coast is a different story. The warm water that branches of the gulf stream keeps the West coast clear of ice in most parts. This makes it a lot easier for navigation. When we start our second trip in Greenland we aim to cruise along the fjords and end in Illillusat. The West coast is by no means free of ice! There are always big ice bergs calving of the many glaciers we pass.
When we start our second trip in Greenland we aim to cruise along the fjords and end in Illillusat. The West coast is by no means free of ice!
In Illillusat our attempt on the North West Passage begins. By this time, it is August the first and the window in which we can traverse this fabled passage begins. The ice charts shows a lot of the color red and this means it is absolutely no go for the Tecla. There is another chart I have added. This is an ice chart of the 10thof June. It shows the ice is broken up along the North coast of Alaska. This means that the second part of the North West Passage is open. 6 weeks earlier than normal.
The Canadian coast guard states on the website that the ice in the heart of the Passages is 3 weeks ahead of what is normal. I have also included a download of a somewhat long explanation of the egg code. This explains how to read the ice charts and find if your ship is capable of the conditions given in the different parts of the chart This winter we have done a lot of preparation for our big season. To me it is still an adventure and we will see how far we will come.
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