Svalbard

850 Miles Of Ocean Sailing

By David // Tuesday 25 Sep // 08:39:38 // 3 Comments

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There are 20 of us, eight nationalities of writers, scientists, fine artists, journalists, musicians, film crew and Marcus Brigstocke bring comedy to the tragedy of Climate Change, melting ice and threatened wild life. Ahead, even for hardened sailors, is an epic arctic journey, 850 miles of ocean sailing during which the scientists will make ocean soundings using a CTD and two thirds of the journey is expected to be made close to the ice edge as we track south. We should see whales as this is their feeding ground, maybe even the threatened fabled Greenland whale whose numbers are now thought to be increasing from a point of extinction – these whales can grow to an age of 250 years, a point charted by the age of broken harpoons lodged in there skins.

We are carefully tracking an Atlantic low as it passes westwards just off the Iceland coast – so deep in depression that force 8 to storm 10 is forecast. We should be north of such systems but this years jet stream has been notably unstable which rises concern – we do not want to encounter seas of such magnitude.

Now everyone is waking, Anna’s breakfast, a walk among the glacier and then let the sail commence.

Tags: David Buckland

3 Comments

  1. Bettina Tuesday 25 Sep, 2007 // 16:19:19

    Hi David,

    Thank you and your crew for your report and also the phantastic photos about Cape Farewell Expedition. Save the environment and save the world treasure!
    Have a great voyage and take care!

    Best regards,

    Bettina from Berlin, Germany

  2. Dorothée (Aminatou's friend) Tuesday 25 Sep, 2007 // 20:44:05

    Please someone read this message to my friend Aminatou – and please, all the members of the voyage, take care of her !
    Bonjour Aminatou, j’ai vu ta photo avec un taguilmoust, j’espère que tu n’as pas trop froid et que tout se passe bien pour toi. Est-ce que les anglais se sont mis au thé touareg ?
    Je reviens de Corse, c’était super, il faisait chaud, et il n’y avait pas du tout de glace dans l’eau.
    Je viens d’avoir Moussa au téléphone : il est au Maroc, tout se passe bien. Il a essayé de te rappeler mais ça ne passait pas.
    On veut avoir de tes nouvelles.
    Je vais suivre tout ton voyage sur internet.
    Profite bien, amuse toi bien
    agh assarat
    gros bisous
    Dorothée

  3. romain Friday 28 Sep, 2007 // 12:02:09

    Fantastic adventure!!!!
    I’m going to follow your trip virtually…
    Bon courage, et bon voyage!!!
    Romain

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