Northeast Passage expedition

Being firmly in the most difficult part of the expedition with regard to sea ice, we have been spending considerable time discussing which route to take now. We receive daily updates of images derived from passive microwave radar (thanks to Georg at the University of Bremen, and DAMOCLES!) plus radio reports and imagery from a couple of Russian icebreakers in the region whenever we want them. Not that they are necessary at the moment, the sea we are travelling through has less than 10% ice cover, so it barely slows us down and just makes vigilance on our watches more important.

We have been sitting waiting for the wind to change for 36 hours now, securely anchored in a bay at Tyrtova Island. Apart from our usual activities, there has been ample time to talk about many issues including the reason I’m here in the first place: Climate Change.

Yesterday we arrived at Tyrtova Island in the Nordenskjold archipelago and found a sheltered anchorage on the western side, out of danger of drifting ice. The water temperature is about minus 1, the air a bit cooler. A strong breeze blows constantly to create a wind chill that makes it feel significantly cold.

We have experienced our first encounter with drifting sea ice, at last, almost 2 weeks after leaving Murmansk.

After lunch today we reached one of the most isolated, northernmost settlements in the world: Dixon, latitude 73 degrees 30 minutes North, 80 degrees 30 minutes East, the town at the mouth of the mighty Yenesai river. Once a town of 5000, the recent depopulation of the Russian north has left only 500 people to brave the harsh winter and decaying infrastructure. To my knowledge we are the first yacht to visit Dixon since 2002.

This summer, WWF is helping support two expeditions that will take on some of the world’s most difficult waters, to see first-hand the effects of Arctic climate change. One expedition is sailing across the top of Russia, a journey of 6000 nautical miles through the Northeast Passage, while another is attempting a west to east […]

We’re cruising now through the Kara Seas, a really arctic region which freezes completely each winter. Between Novaya Zemlya and the Yamal Peninsula, where we are now, the water temperature has dropped to 5.4 degrees and the air temperature is noticeably cooler. The weather is calm, the sea flat, and the slight breeze from NNW (which doesn’t help sailing!). No boats on the radar or radio, and few birds: a family or two of curious arctic skuas, and a lone bearded seal we passed earlier today. A seemingly empty place.

After approaching the south end of Veygach Island we anchored at 3am outside one of the very rare villages in the Russian arctic, Varnak, and slept. This is Nenets territory: the samoyeds of historical legend, an indigenous people of the region between Archangelsk and Yamal peninsula. In the morning we landed, and met with the community leader and what seemed like the entire village: visitors are exceedingly uncommon, so we (especially dressed in our bright blue goretex ‘smurf suits’) were quite a novelty.

After 3 days travelling across the south eastern Barents Sea in completely calm and windless conditions we have finally arrived at land, the island of Veygatch. Its about 200km long and is situated between the huge mass of Novaya Zemlya to the north, and Russia to the south. The passage between the 2 islands is known as the Kara Gate, as this is the main entrance to the Kara Sea.

When you go on an expedition such as this, many people ask you why you want to put up with such discomfort and hardship, a complete removal from the certainty of every day life, and even perhaps danger. For me the answer is simple: to see what is happening to the environment in this almost (to the western world) region, and to communicate this to the world.