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Slipping off the map
Today we slipped off the map … quite literally as it happens. The electronic charts we use for general navigation end rather abruptly at 79°50’N. Naturally this transition (from comfortably knowing our exact location to the somewhat daunting job of translating our position from radar bearings onto the paper chart) happened smack bang in the middle of some tricky navigation through the Svenskegattet. After a little nervous triple checking however, the idea of reverting to paper charts as the primary navigation aid is rather appealing – as we sail through these northern fjords it seems like we are not so far removed from the early whalers that once plied their trade here. Things have changed of course – the whales were hunted virtually to extinction so no blows brush the horizon, and the ice that made these waters perilous is conspicuously absent. But still there is a sense of adventure and exploration up here in the far north – Svalbard lies to our south, glaciers tumble down the valleys, our compass shifts listlessly at this latitude, and we both have huge grins on our faces.
Wind, waves and Walruses
It feels very arctic up here in Ny Ålesund. We arrived after a very long arduous voyage into a hellish headwind and a sharp swell early this morning. On the way, we did manage to stop off for a fantastic few hours with walruses hauled out on the sandy beach of Poolepynten. These leviathans were hauled out in a steamy heap with tarnished tusks all akimbo, and bloated bodies bunched into a wallow with a smell that would turn back the most ardent adventurer … but we held our nose to get some close-up quality time with these wondrous malodourous monsters. But other-wise, it has been a bit of a rough slog. The journey saw us confront some serious issues. We managed to get a rope wrapped around the propeller – the normal course of events for yachties is to blame those damn crab pots at this point. However, since we haven’t seen a single pot in the arctic we have to acknowledge that yes, it was our own rope that fell in the water and got wrapped around the prop and caused us to grind to an very abrupt stop in the middle of a sound known by the English whalers as “Foul Sound” – very appropriate as it turns out to be a very windy exposed stretch of water with dangerous shoals on all sides.
Thus began a slow tack into the wind before we finally managed to gain shelter at Selvågen where we settled in under sail and tried to get some sleep. The next morning saw me don the drysuit and dive under the yacht to untangle the offending line from the propeller, before the engine grudgingly kicked into gear and we made our exit for the north.
Again we were faced with poor weather and a long slog into the wind… also some problems due to a broken rope allowing the anchor to fly free in the fray. With a resounding series of bangs and clangs we ended up with a series of dents on our starboard side. I also happened to lose a fairly series amount of flesh from my left hand while trying to retrieve the violently thrashing anchor while waves crashed around my knees, but I guess I’m getting used to that. Not a single finger without a gash or scrape of some sort right now.
But that’s all behind now as we lie at alongside in the splendid anchorage of Ny Ålesund, with glaciers to the north and rolling green field populated by geese on all sides. The wind has dropped – not a leaf stirred, not a dog stirred …. Well actually our dog did stir for an unplanned 4:00am solo outing into the bird reserves, with me in tow screaming for him to come, come, COME! …we will put it down to puppy enthusiasm I guess, but sheesh … bloody dog!
Dropping in for a cuppa
After a dash north we anchored the yacht in Eidembukta last night and rocked and rolled ourselves to sleep in a moderate swell. Thankfully however, the wind that has been plaguing us lately could not reach us in this scenic anchorage. A long sandy beach stretches before us, opening into the lagoon that is the final resting place for the Eidembreen glacier. Landing on the beach we quickly caught the curiosity of one of the many beach-prowliong arctic foxes who gave us a cursory sniff before making for the hills. We had planned to walk along the beach to visit the trappers hut in the next bay (Farmbukta) however our passage was blocked by the roiling water pouring out of the lagoon, complete with the occasional chunk of ice. While the dog seemed keen to cross we decided that this was not really the time and place for a swim and retreated to Brad (our tender)to motor over to the hut and meet Bjørn Henningsen and his family. Here we enjoyed a cup of coffee, cake and some marvellous hospitality at the end of the earth – the cold remote regions of the world are heated with a human warmth that is often lacking in our crowded centres.
Another beaut day
After a lumpy night’s anchorage in Van Muydenbukta, Bellsund, we awoke to a grey morning with the sinister black scree slopes of Ingeborgfjellet looming out of the mist and a cold wind gusting from the west. Not enough to deter these adventurers though! Soon we were forcing Shy (our dog – who had rather different ideas of what one should be doing first thing in the morning) into our trusty tender and heading for the beach of Vårsolbukta. Here little auks nest in profusion, foxes frolic on the beach, and the remains of the Northern Exploration Company gold mining attempt (they found none) add a dash of history to the stark Arctic scenery. Soon we were sitting by a scree slope watching birds flit back and forth from their nests and enjoying the gawky approach of reindeer with a curiosity in constant conflict with their urge to flee. Then, a quick cruise through a maze of twisted rock canyons and arches (a huge grin on my face as I ride the surge) and then back to Widdershins for a cup of hot soup. Another beaut day.
Arctic Foxes at Trygghamna, Svalbard
So, as you know “two in the blue” might better be called “three on the sea” as we try to accommodate an alarmingly large husky pup on our little yacht. The sail from Lonyearbyen to Trygghamna yesterday however, went without a hitch and our new crew member seemed to handle the slight swell well. As mentioned previously, this dog (named monster by the dog farm) was not having a great time with his fellow animals and is all-over a little shy. In fact we have decided that the original name “Monster” just didn’t hit the mark and we have now dubbed him “Shy Monster” or just “Shy” for short. While Shy is still taking some time to get used to the sea, he is starting to break out of his shell. Each time we take him for a walk ashore he is just a little more curious and engaged with what is happening, and today during a long walk he began to relish stomping his huge paws through the puddles and mud.
Whilst Shy was busy accumulating a healthy layer of mud for later disposal in the yacht, Leonie and I were wandering around Trygghamna enjoying splendid scenery (and in my case also collecting mud for later disposal). Above us, birds wheeled in huge mixed flocks around the cliffs looming overhead, and threw a cacophony of sound into the grey sky. Reindeers ambled over the rolling green moss that carpeted the ground below the cliffs, and the occasional young animal would wander up to within five meters of our party to give us a long sideways stare before returning to the more important matter of ingesting more moss. 
But for us, the highlight was without a doubt the Arctic foxes we found at-play in the foothills. The family of Mum, Dad and five pups were running about playing a game of tag and we got a chance to watch them for quite a while before they caught our scent and dissolved into the rocky surrounds. There was a particular moment when the mum gazed up at us as we struggled to contain our enthusiastic puppy – at the time her own pup was busy trying to crawl onto her head – and I’m pretty sure that we shared a moment of parental empathy.
Leaping into the blue
After a couple of days of diving in the fjords north of Tromso we have finally reached our last anchorage before the big passage. Right now we are sitting in Løksfjorden (70°01’73N; 18°41’63E) while the last vestiges of a weather system thrum through the rigging and utterly perforate the entire yacht with the odour of the dried fish factory who kindly lent us their floating dock for the night.
Tomorrow is the big day – high seas will be our playground for the next week as we make way to Svalbard and the ice! Please send your best weather charms our way and hope for fair winds and following seas for us!
Posted in Norway
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Well the day has finally come!
Goodbye civilisation and hello high seas and adventure. The ship is loaded to the gunnels with provisions, fuel, water and food; all systems are functioning perfectly; and we are loaded to the eyeballs with dreams of adventure and derring-do.
We have a couple of days of diving ahead of us in the fjords north of Tromso while we wait out a weather system passing to the north of us … which is actually a bit of a relief. A couple of days away from the hustle of the port will do us both a world of good as we unwind in preparation for a long crossing where sleep will be rather hard to come by. Not to mention the fact that we are both very tired of running all over Tromso looking for someone who might just stock that essential but obscure piece of equipment – always the small part that no-one ever knows even exists until it breaks down and brings the whole system crashing to a halt!
We will continue to be blogging while under sail of course, though from now on we are dependent upon the satellite phone for uploads (I hear a collective sigh of relief at the termination of my long rambling entries). We really hope everyone does comes along for the voyage… we are saying goodbye to civilisation for a while, but it would be great to have you all traveling with us …albeit it virtually!
Posted in Norway
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Like a fish out of water
The past month has seen Widdershins either high and dry getting fitted out for the coming voyage or tied firmly to the dock whilst last minute preparations are completed. Yesterday, however we finally cast off the lines and headed out into the blue! Just a short trip this time to make sure all systems are working, but it was definitely nice to finally put to sea! We spent last night anchored in a quite bay and got in a quick dive to try out all the dive gear that is cluttering the boat.
Now we are back in Tromso again getting last minute provisions and waiting for a weather window to hit the high seas! Looks like we might not get away until Monday due to a nasty weather system passing through, but then the sails will be unfurled and we will cast our worries to the wind. Meanwhile we plan to get a few more dives in around Tromso and start our biodiversity monitoring program using ReefLife surveys.
In between the various boat related jobs we have also been meeting the locals and learning exactly how Norwegians interact and subsist off the regional 
coastal environment. Yesterday Leonie was given a fantastic tour of Halvor’s Fisk (www.halvorsfisk.no) and learned all about the uniquely Norwegian process of converting dried fish into sumptuous dishes. All this will go into a book at the end of the trip looking at how people depend upon the sea, and also a cook book exploring local cuisine. On this stop we exited with a delicious recipe for Turfisk that will definitely be added to our repertoire of on-board rations.
Posted in Norway
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Another day in the office
A long couple of days with lots of jobs done and a few disasters along the way … not least of all a fairly serious galley fire (put out before any serious damage done). Still, we are now equipped with a new radar dome, all running rigging in the mast, new boots, a working stove (again), and brand new lettering proclaiming the ships name.
Today she spied a chimpanzee – up the mast he flew,
So very high, unbound and free, though rather rank it’s true.
He clambered up and threw some tools that clattered to the ground,
He screamed out curses, lost his cool, and made god-awful sounds!
But whilst up high he happened to, fix a few foul faults,
And dragged some clobber up the pole and nailed it down with bolts.
And him he saw a spider spin – a web of silken frost.
The fine white thread so very thin, each stroke so bold embossed.
With tiny strokes she wove a work that stood out clear and proud,
But still the venom fangs would lurk to prick the pushy crowd.
And when the web was woven clear, and the sinners pricked for sin,
The silken lace spelled out a word – ‘twas written “Widdershins”.
And She, She saw a guest arrive to walk upon Her sole.
She saw her lovers work and strive to play the good host-role.
And so She fumed at her lovers slight, Her fever rose with ire,
The jealous rage it sparked a light that lit a furious fire.
The flames and smoke they drove that guest from the shelter of Her womb.
And Her hapless lovers limped back home, to scrub soot up with a broom.
What a day! We’re settled now with a whiskey in the hand.
The mast is rigged, a painted prow, and the fire doused with sand.
We’ve walked more miles with brand new boots, than does our sore feet well.
We’ve painted, tied up, scrubbed the soot, and still we have not fell.
And as the sun … well it doesn’t set … but as it spins around,
We’ll take our rest with the knowledge that: were almost arctic bound.
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