Position: Peirsonhamna ( ou Ny London ) 78°58N/12°02E
It's already been over two months since we left Vannes, nearly 3000 miles covered...
This week we coasted along the west side of Spitsbergen up to Ny-Ålesund, still with Blue Benda. They sailed back south last night (due to a starter motor issue) with the English yacht Atlantis (stern gland problem), heading to Longyearbyen for repairs. High latitudes are tough on equipment, but so far everything's fine aboard. We also met Sarah's friends who were heading back to go climbing in Lofoten. Now we're truly alone...
Arctic wildlife is gradually revealing itself to us: at Poolepynten we encountered a peaceful walrus colony on the beach, while exiting Forlandsundet we were surprised by the blows of a pod of belugas (white whales). Hiking toward the stunning Blomstrandbreen glacier, we came face to face with a curious Arctic fox. Not to mention the many seals, reindeer, and birds (Arctic tern attacks are all the more surprising as these are the smallest birds...) that have become part of our daily life. Only the Ursus Maritimus is missing...
Summer is truly here in the Arctic! Glaciers are calving, giving us the chance to sail among our first icebergs, snow is melting, saxifrages are blooming.
The captain of the steel schooner "Noorderlicht", which has been doing charters in Spitsbergen for about ten years, told us this year's ice is particularly abundant. However, the latest ice chart from June 27 is rather favorable with pack ice receding to 7-9/10 along the northern coast.
Next stop Magdalenafjorden...