Encapsulated by Ice

On the morning of July 26th, we left Umivik on Fridtjof Nansen’s Halvoe and started to move north. We had a roughly plan on trying to go inside most of the island on our way, so we could experience the landscape and wildlife on our way. That turned out way harder then we ever could imagine.

It started out really nice. Some icebergs, some ice-sheets and some growlers, nothing we haven’t handled before.

But it would get worse, much worse. After passing thru a sound, with 3 knots of current, meaning that all the ice also did 3 knots, we couldn’t see a way forward. While trying to dodge small icebergs coming at us in 3 knots, we flew the drone ahead to scout.

With two people in the wheelhouse, one steering and having lookout to starboard, while the other keeping an eye on the port side and a last one to fly the drone, we were able to find a passage as the ice moved.

But even with all that, the ice kept getting tighter and tighter around us but there was no turning back now. We had to keep on pushing.

Although there were some intense hours, the atmosphere on board was impeccable. This is how memories for life are made.

And suddenly, after many many hours in the ice we were out. We still had 65 nm left to our anchorage for the night, and since we were satisfied with the amount of ice for one day, we kept outside the icebelt for the rest of the way