Ben, crew 15 September 2015 10:34 UTC
It’s over! We’re in Upernavik! A total of ninety days, eight thousand and forty one miles and we are now the first British boat to have done the North West and East Passages in one season! Things have been difficult at times, seasickness, having to be tidy and a teenager, but it was without a doubt worth it. The Baffin Bay was horrid. Headwinds all the way and the worst swell we’ve had since the Chuckchi Sea. The last twelve hours have been steadily better. The swell slowly got smaller and I finally saw the Northern Lights, true they were kind of sad and pathetic but they counted. The last hour into Upernavik was amazing. Huge icebergs everywhere and islands in-between. Just before we tied up Johan fished a piece of ice out of the water for our celebratory coke/vodka(depends how old you are). We tied up and were met by the man who owns the guesthouse Dad and I are staying in tonight. His name’s John, or Jon, don’t know which, he’s been watching us on AIS so he turned up just as soon as we tied up. The place is curious. A small settlement built on a slope on a smallish island with an airstrip above it. In the winter it’s surrounded by ice and in the summer it’s surrounded by icebergs. On that note, the North West Passage has already frozen behind us. So as it turns out we went through a very short window. The V Strait closed almost as soon as we went through, the same was true of Barrow. So despite the very obvious melting that’s been happening we were lucky to get through. The plan from here on in is fairly simple. We are now confidant that we’ll get home. So first Barbara David and Constance get off and the Greenland Crew get on. We then sail on down Greenland to its capital, Nuuk. Then the Greenland Crew and Nikolai get off, and the Atlantic Crew get on. I don’t know anyone on the Atlantic crew yet so that last leg will be an experience. Dad gets off a couple days later in Quatorq and then it’s back to Bristol after aquick jaunt over the North Atlantic in Autumn, easy. In the meantime I’m going to enjoy being on land. See you soon, bye.
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Hope we soon get an ETA for Bristol so that I can keep my diary clear to see you arrive.
PS I like the look of all the different coloured houses there.
See you next week in Nuuk, Ben. We have met – briefly – in the Cumberland Basin, when you brought Northabout back to Bristol from Sharpness. I was the Thornbury crew who didn’t make it after failing to cut off my thumb. Looking forward to the last leg!
Well done all, from all at Sharpness Shipyard!
What a proud moment!!
So proud of you Barbara, and all the crew. What an incredible achievement. Incredible. Naomi xxx
Fascinating and inspiring adventure! Congratulations on successfully sailing the NW passage. May the gutsy boat and her crew(s) have a safe return to UK.
Ben. What an interesting update – well done. Look forward to being part of the Atlantic Crew next week. All the best for a quiet jaunt down to Nuuk!
I just started following you and now you’ve finished! But I guess there are still some hurdles to get over before you arrive back in the worlds best city (Bristol).
Enjoy your brief time on dry land
Your main page has “1 EXP CREW NEEDED NUUK TO BRSITOL”
Perhaps what was intended was ‘BRISTOL’ instead of ‘BRSITOL’
Thankyou for the correction
Been fabulous watching your progress. Can’t wait for the photos. Safe journey.
Well done Benji boy. So pleased you made it through the ice. Hope you’ve given a bit of thought about suffragettes on the way! See you in Bristol Annie and John xx