ARCTIC DRIFTER DIARY 2003

We arrived Tromso in daylight at 1.15am! 3 flights and a lift to our hotel from a very kind Norwegian chap whom we met on the Oslo-Tromso flight. He just happened to be the 'Provincialmester' for Tromso and his wife works for Tromso Meteo Centre.

No problems with boat storage. [4000 kroner for overwintering-approx 10 months storage] Boat was on the water within 2 hours of arrival.
Rigging is done at harbour in Tromso where we still have creature comforts such as, hotel, showers etc. Weather too hot for us high 20's! Forecast more of same.

Friday 18 July

Currently awaiting a wind shift before crossing to the tip of the Lyngen Peninsula, on which the mountains are high plus glaciated. We have just crossed 70 ° North and back again as we turned a corner. Blue sky day today and warm out of the northly breeze. Left Tromso Thursday after successful rigging and victualling. On wednesday we were visited by a reporter from the local daily newspaper who was interested in the size of our boat. A full page article appeared the following day. Left Tromso 1600 Thursday and motored north apart from 3 hours of decent broad reach at 5 knots. Late supper at 2300, not that it matters because we have 24 hours daylight. Overnighted in Hansnes, a pleasant mole harbour with facilities, shop, shower and loo.

Saturday 19 July

Now in Skjervoy 70° 02N 21°00E. The wind change never came so we motored to the Lyngen Peninsula against the wind. Within of our course allowing us to sail the wind dropped to nothing. We motored through the 'night' basking beneath the midnight sun when it wasn't hiding behind a mountain. We arrived Skjervoy 0430 and slept until midday. Tempurature now in mid 20's flat calm clear blue skies.

Saturday 19 July 1600

Left Skjervoy in a useful broad reach F3. This took us most of the 25 miles to Jokelfjordbotn where the icecap reaches the sea, after a fashion. We were able to anchor between a moraine and the ice snout, in a rather rocky pool as shown in picture 1. An impressive anchorage but rather cool with a katabatic wind sweeping off the 4000 ft ice cap. Stunning scenery, emerald green water and clear blue skies.

Sunday 20 July

A leisurely photographic morning with a short 12 mile motor to Tverrfjord. Norwegian rainfall - v wet.

Monday 21 July

Clear calm day. Motored 18 miles to the mole harbour to Seglvik were we stopped for supper at a convenient pontoon. With encouraging self discipline we left at 2230 in a flat calm and motored another 19 miles to Bergsfjord, arriving at 0300 Tuesday. Another day - 2 for the price of one. ''That's what the midnight sun does for you''

Tuesday 22 July

The down side is that when you finish late you tend to start late. It's now 1530 and we've not done much yet other than eat and dry bedding in the warm sunshine. Bergsfjord is a pleasant fishing village backed by mountains and a glacier melt water river streaming into the bay. Wherever we look we see high mountains with vast acres of unmelted snow.

When we arrived 'this morning' there was a big English Westerly called 'Norther Light'. It had gone when we surfaced so no contact was made. That's our sixth English yacht in 4 summers.

This coastline has a lot more open spots than last years: last nights swell was coming direct from the North Pole.

Current latitude 70°15' N

Wednesday 23 July

We moved to Tverfjord late Tuesday whereupon it began to rain. It cleared enough to allow us to motor through another exposed part of the Norwegian coastline late afternoon.

This experience was enlivened with a little thunder and lightning and some heavy rain. It finished in a relatively secure anchorage close to Oksfjord amidst weather forecasts of stronger winds - 'liten kulings' which can fall very quickly off the higher mountains.

Thursday 24 July

We set off early enough to avoid the SW F 7 and anchored in what would be classed as a good anchorage in Scotland - Bekkarfjord.
Another day where we travelled 32 nautical miles. We put out 2 anchors. This was just as well because the F7 arrived during the 'night'.

Friday 25 July

As the wind from the SW was here to stay we played 'chase the anchors' in what was an area which has a reputation for squalls.

We deflated the dingy after it had spent most of its time being an aeroplane.

Bob played with his tools placing a U bolt, making a hardwood support for the outboard and starting some work on cockpit sole security.

Saturday 26 July

Left Bekkarfjord intending to refuel at Kvalsund. Kvalsund was not the great metropolis reported in the pilot and we had to carry on to Hammerfest. Banks, hotels, shops, showers. (what a pity)
Most shops shut at 2pm on a Saturday in this area of Norway.

We refuelled on what was a bit of a dodgy pontoon whose walkway had detached itself. This meant Yvonne doing some gymnastics, transferring 55 litres of petrol to the boat whilst Bob filled the main tank which holds 40 litres - a 9 gallon tank .

Whilst we where doing this we spotted several reindeer walking along a pavement. A normal course of events.

The outboard (Honda 9.9 four stroke) has been consuming 1.25 litres per hour at 4.5 to 5 knots. Tied up for the night on the visitors' pontoon alongside a 50 foot yacht from Oslo called 'Polar Wind'.

Sunday 27 July

Blue sky and oppressively hot. We decided to play the tourist, see the sights and dry bedding etc, oh and 'chase' the odd reindeer. Yes, reindeer do walk the streets of Hammerfest.

Bob finished off the four tiny pieces of timber which now hold the cockpit sole boards in place. Now the frightened person with a bucket will not be fighting timber and warps too.

Current latitude 70° 40'

Monday 28 July

In bright sunshine and a rising wind we headed N to the next big gap (only 8nm, but big by our standards. About 10 nm beyond Hammerfest we dropped anchor in a small bay with a sandy beach and reindeer herd. Wind blew Westerly F6 until well into Tuesday.

Tuesday 29 July

Wind precluded movement until later in the day but we found plenty of toys on the beach, including some nice faced plywood and vast acreages of high grade fish box plastic. Later in the day we motored to Bustadham, an interesting enclosed anchorage surrounded by steep cliffs. We resisted the temptation to throw the boat through the narrow entrance to the inner lagoon where the water was showing a marked downward flow. The main lagoon being deeper than we like Bob took a line ashore to a convenient fortoeyningsbolter (mooring post). Another late finish under the midnight sun.

Wednesday 30 July

Flat calm for the first 12 nm to Havoeysund where we shopped and topped up with petrol. Started to sail NE to Gjesvaer, but were increasingly headed by the wind, so we motored to a convenient bay at the top end of Masoeya where there were some fun pieces on the tideline. Left at 9 pm and had a good sail to Gjesvaer with the wind on the quarter and up to 6 knots on the log. Fun to sail at midnight in clear sunlight. We found a lagoon beyond Gjesvaer, but the holding was poor and in an increasing wind we decided to put a line ashore and 2 anchors!!

Thursday 31 July

A late move in v hot, blue sky conditions to a pontoon at Gjesvaer, where Yvonne found showers (nothing but shops and showers on this trip). Bob started to turn fish boxes into shelves ;) A day of leisure. Rather too many passing boats.

Friday 1 August

This morning at 08.45 we rounded Nordkapp (the most northerly point in Europe) in Arctic Drifter. Latitude 71° 10' 21'' N

We left Gjesvaer at 06.30 amidst blue skies and a flat calm. Perfect conditions for a small yacht travelling in such wide open conditions where ocean swell can be a problem. We were dwarfed by the towering cliffs of Nordkapp and were able to get quite close (+ - 400 m)

Nordkapp is not desperately impressive, but has latitudinal cachet as its saving grace. Whatever, we were pleased to be round it in flat calm at 0845 as we felt somewhat exposed on the port side. Some wind on the nose or none at all gave us over 6 hours motoring to Honningsvag, where a shop sells tonic water at last! Met a man who is preparing to swim around Nordkapp. Apparently its not been done before, can't think why not. English of course. Also met a Norwegian who has rowed from Harstad (approx 250 nm) in a local faering, which makes a lugger look most substantial.

Saturday 2 August

Spent Saturday in the small boat harbour, with strong breeze from the W, which was the direction we wanted to go, and some rain. Bob finished off a bracket for the EPIRB and a very smart fish box shelf for the cameras. 30 kroner for a shower at the Rica Hotel. More shopping. We met a man who thinks his 31' Swedish Yacht is the northern most, permanently based, sailing boat in the world.

Sunday 3 August

Flat calm all day. Met the Hurtigruter again. Motored 26 nm to Havoysund. Fine all day. No wind.

Monday 4 August

Flat calm, warm & dry. Motored 32 nm to Hammerfest. Shared the pontoon with a 61' motor cruiser. Refrained from disloyal thoughts with regard to relative comfort and speed.

Tuesday 5 August

Still no wind. Shorts + T-shirt day. Laundry, dry out, more fishbox playtime. Shopping, then a short hop to Purkeholmen in Gyfjord. Glaciers at the end of the fjord and a small perfectly sheltered wild anchorage with good holding. The sort of place were one almost wants a gale!

Wednesday 6 August

Sometimes one stays in an anchorage because of the weather, but we've stopped in this one because it's so pleasant (see photo). Had short trip out to have a look at the foot of the fjord. Caught 4 good sized pollack in 5 minutes for supper and had difficulty restraining Yvonne from catching a boat load. Some rain showers in the early part of the day.

Thursday 7 August

NW fresh breeze with some wet in it. Motored to N to Karham for lunch stop and weather forecast. Heading further W against a damp westerly breeze did not seem like fun so we stayed put. A Sami herdsman cum fisherman gave us 3 pollack for supper.

Friday 8 August

Wet and windy. Stayed put on our cosy pontoon. Daytime temperature around 10°c.

Saturday 9 August

Some improvement in the weather so we headed 18 nm SW to Indre Pollen. There were some mildly splashy moments at the top end of Rognsundet. A pleasant anchorage with good holding in 3 metres, backed by high mountains capped in snow.

Sunday 10 August

A blue sky day with a decent but chilly sailing breeze from the NW which took us to the corner of Stjernsundet. This was quite wide and full of white horses on the nose, so we anchored in a convenient bay for an hour before carrying on to Oksfjord. Here we found a good pontoon berth.

Monday 11 August

Warm and sunny at last. Dried bedding and shopped. Stocked up for our final week. Waited for wind to change whilst contemplating our next move.

Tuesday 12 August

Wet and windy. Not a day for open water. Waited for a reasonable window in which to 'sail' on to Bergsfjord and possibly further. Forecast F3-5 NE wind increasing F6 from the E from Wednesday. Bob performed dental treatment (he's been dying to use the emergency dental kit for years).

Wednesday 13 August

05.45 early start in which to make up some lost time and beat an easterly F6. Some swell coming in from Soraysundet and potential wind called a stop to proceedings at 0830. Took shelter in Ullsfjord, which is much less open in reality than it appears on the chart. However, the pilot book talks of violent squalls (voldsom fallvind) descending from the mountains and glacier. Sun appeared at last so we both had shower.

Had a run ashore and continued round to Bergsfjord in fresh NE breeze which created a few precarious moments coming round the point.

Current latitude 70° 14' N

Thursday 14 August

A hot(at last) windless day. The opportunity was taken to cross the Kvaenangen Gap our last truly exposed stretch, renowned for obtuse winds and rough seas. The crossing was uneventful and we found a pleasant mole harbour in Lauksundet to finish a 30 nm day.

Total distance run 509 nm.

Current latitude 70° 07' N.

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