Log Entry No 5 - 17th July 08. (Discoverer)

FROM THE CAPTAINS CABIN

Arrival.

The crossing of the Labrador has been our most demanding sailing to date. Conditions have been well within Discoverer’s capability but not always within the crews; one watch is now unkindly referred to as the sick watch!!! However it is a measure of those on board that the ships routine as described in the last log has continued as crew members’ work through the uncomfortable and unforgiving experience. When you pause to remember that only 3 weeks ago they had never sailed anywhere and that the Labrador Sea is not generally considered a normal training ground, it is a remarkable testament to them all.

Conditions have turned noticeably colder and the sea has a grey unforgiving look. Preparing for watch, particularly at night involves more midlayers and although generally dry our sailing jackets (known as “foulies”) add additional protection particularly from the wind. On deck brews or cups of soup are grateful received and chocolate consumption is rising. Below decks there is comparative warmth but certainly not luxury. Change is afoot!!

Iceberg Ahead.

That change came most dramatically about 15 miles off the coast as we encountered our first icebergs. Te first sighting produced a rush on deck. Slowly we encountered more until bers were all around us, not in great density but perhaps half a dozen or so in our immediate area, on the horizon more appeared. It would be wrong for a seasoned hand (and I am not one but do have some experience of ice) to get blasé about it. Bergs are relatively harmless as they are easily seen and thus avoided. More dangerous are “growlers”. These blocks lie low on the surface, are harder to spot and thus avoid. They merit the utmost respect. A third type is called “bergy bits”, these are generally too small to do serious damage but hit at too greater speed would damage the paintwork. At low speeds and if not too densely packed they are pushed aside by Discoverer’s bow wave. The ice is alive with colour, to describe it as white is as uninspired as it is misleading. Blues and greens dominate but grey and lilac abound. Sometimes it is crystal clear and rainbows appear. On other occasions I concede it is white but never just white. The ice is at one and the same time beautiful, mesmerising and potentially dangerous. There was certainly an air of the former as excited crew members grabbed cameras and snapped away. It was however short lived. Discoverer entered a fog bank and the danger became all too apparent. With visibility down to less than 200yds we slowed down and edged our way forward with lookouts posted and radar watch instigated. It was an eerie feeling and not a little nerve wracking. However a combination of the skippers skill and lady luck’s kindness held. After an anxious hour or two the fog thinned and we broke out into clear skies and visibility.

And what a revelation. Ahead no more than 10 miles lay the Greenland coast. Mountains rose majestically from the sea and sunlight glinted off the water. Ice bergs added a surreal sense of arrival and achievement. We entered our chosen Fjord, the land opened before us harsh, craggy and ancient it fore filled our expectations and only a little imagination was needed to imagine Eirikur Raude (Eric the red) and his crew arriving in this very sea and landscape a 1000 years ago. The sun was setting and cast a magical light to suit the mood of our landfall and the conclusion of this part of our journey. Shortly after 2200 local time we were alongside in the small town of Quartoq.

Richard Pattison
Expedition Leader

FROM THE FOREPEAK:

Sea, Ice & Rock.

What a sight after such a mentally and physically tiring trip from Saint Johns (and finally not on Mother Watch whilst docking to make the most of it). The arrival at Greenland allowed us to ultimately get out of the fog drenched sea, the freezing winds and the constant tilting of the boat, to the unreal vision of electric blue icebergs scattered around the yacht, whilst catching glimpses of seals and whales, all of which I had never witnessed before, especially so near to us. Seeing these was a brand new experience and probably a once in a lifetime encounter, and loved it. During our last few miles into Greenland we had to display our presentation that we were assigned, to the other watches, each based upon different areas of land, culture, history, geographical features and wildlife.

I found this interesting as we knew little previously about the subject area and gained a great deal about how to produce a piece like this. The land was shy of greenery yet covered with an eerie rolling mist on the mountain tops as the moon began to rise. We soon got to the small port in Qaqortoq, and could relate to the information previously researched, to the local facilities and ‘brightly coloured settlements’. I had the enjoyment of reminding the guys in my watch (Bonz, Mikey and Ed) of how ill with sea sickness they had been over the past few days and how pathetic a couple of them were, not mentioning names (it made me wonder how many girls were really on the yacht). We are now looking forward to going for adventures in the ‘MIB’s’, (Medium Inflatable Boats) sleeping under the stars, and keeping a keen eye for any of these polar bears, I can’t wait.

Pte Leigh Higgins
The Royal Logistic Corps.