0700 UTC 21st JULY
N69 57 E 035 37, PRESSURE 1019mb, water temp 14c, sky 4/8, batt 13.7, bearing 019, speed over ground 6.1k
Well after a hive of activity left Murmansk. We were all ready to leave Murmansk. We have all have had our own experiences here. Its started dull and rainy then became warm and sunny over our time here. Like the people, you could say that the people, were a bit like the buildings, dull seeming at first, but once you got past the exterior, they were warm, very friendly, kind and with that lovely northern attitude.
So, our journey begins. Its been never a dull moment with the red tape, and it continues, I am so pleased we have friends in Moscow. Nikolai was on the radio to the equivalent of port authority or coast guard, we didn’t have pilot boat allocated to us, but they kept an eye on us with radar, as we passed the rusting ice breakers of yesteryear; what tales they could tell.
Down the river further and past the navy frigates. A massive base, that we stayed well clear off. The fjord was as flat as a mirror. Beautiful scenery, not dissimilar to Norway.
Then into the Barents sea. a slight swell, and a change in the colour of the sea to deep blue. The sun was still high and warm and Babs and Constance did a mean pasta with Bolognese sauce. Ros has thought of everything, and we must be the best equipped sailing vessel to leave these waters. we had three types of cheese to go with our pasta !
My watch is 8 to 12. first two hours with Ben and second 2 hours with Babs. “Slowly going north east my son, where the sun rises”. Except the sun at the moment is still in the sky and not setting, and the moon was high and full. it looked fantastic.
And then our first sighting of a whale. No idea what type, but definitely a whale and not a submarine !
And then I went to bed after a long, long day. It was too hot to sleep down below, and too many things going on in my head, but we are now on the North East Passage. Woooohooooo.
A lot of people from all skills and experiences have helped us get to this point WE all thank you.
Hempie
2 Comments. Leave new
What a daring journey!
Your note reminded me of the poem by Ben Jonson
Evening: Barents Sea
The trawl of unquiet mind drops astern
Great lucid streamers bar the sky ahead
(bifurcated banners at a tourney)
light alchemizes the brass on the bridge
into sallow gold
now the short northern
autumn day closes quickly
the thin coast
(of grey Norway is it, or of Russia?)
distinguished only as a formal change
in the pattern of clouds on our port side
on the deck the strung lights illuminate no
movement but the sullen swill of water
in the washer, but the unnatural way
dead starfish and disregarded dabs swim
in the strict seas surging through the bilges
and out. A fishgut hangs like a hank of
hair from the iron grill in a pound board
brighter now that the sun, the fishfinder’s
green bleep catches the skipper’s intentness
and the trawl is down, is out, is catching
Well done and keep up the great work!!! Happy saling
Adrian mccay