Log Entry No 3 - 15th August 08. (Discoverer)

FROM THE CAPTAINS CABIN

Crew of Discoverer Working as a Team.

Leaving Scoresby Sund we knew that we would have to run the gauntlet of the ice lying off shore of the entrance. We had telephoned the Danish Ice Central in Narsarsuaq (see leg 10 Log 19 July) to get the latest picture but their information from the last reconnaissance flight was too dated to be of significant help, rather we agreed to go out and look and then tell them what we found. In the event we found a belt of ice about 1 mile wide and not very densely packed. However it contained a number of growlers (see leg 11 log 2.) and in somewhat reduced visibility it made for a challenging and dramatic exit. Once through though Discoverer had, once more, her nose pointing proudly out to sea. Ice was a thing of the past. The night produced some excellent sailing and we made good progress but the following day the winds faded and progress was reduced to a mere 3.5 knots.

It is hardly surprising that sailors talk about wind insistently, it shapes our life more than any other single factor. But wind is not just wind and we are interested in two types, true and apparent. The true wind is what you would feel if you were stood still, the apparent wind is the wind that Discoverer feels as she moves. If she goes into the wind then apparent wind is stronger than true wind and if she is going downwind then apparent wind is less than true wind. There now follows a more detailed explanation for those so minded but please feel free to cut to the next paragraph! So stood still there might be 10 knots of true wind from the north (referred to as a northerly wind – ie wind is described by the direction it comes from.)

Spinniker seen from aloft.

Now of course Discoverer can’t sail directly north in a northerly wind but if she could, and was sailing at 4 knots, then the apparent wind would increase by 4 knots to 14 knots. (think of the difference between a car driving head on into a wall at 10 miles an hour as opposed to driving head on into another car driving in the opposite direction at 10 miles an hour) If Discoverer was moving south at say 4 Knots in the 10 knots wind then the apparent wind would be reduced by 4 Knots and the apparent wind (that Discoverer feels) is reduced to 6 knots. Of course this simplistic explanation is rarely found as a real situation because if Discoverer is moving east in a north westerly wind then not only does the apparent wind strength change but so too does its direction; as she moves the apparent wind will be less than the true wind strength and the apparent wind will be coming from a more westerly direction. (if she was heading west in the same true wind then the apparent wind strength would increase and come more from the north). Clear?

So although the true wind was from a favourable direction, the apparent wind was less and our progress slowing to a crawl. Under such circumstances we can do 2 things (other than hope the wind changes!!) we can change our direction slightly and we can hoist bigger sails. It was time to deploy Discoverers biggest sail, the spinnaker. The spinnaker has not been flown since at least Antigua and may be not since leg 2 (can any one from a previous leg correct me??) Normally Discoverer would have three different spinnakers but we have reduced this to make room for other expedition equipment (such as the inflatable boats and camping equipment). No mater, under Nick’s direction we prepared the one on board spinnaker and necessary associated equipment. In essence as well as hoisting the “kite” (as spinnakers are called by those in the know), it is also necessary to hoist another spar, unsurprisingly called the spinnaker pole. This pole normally stored on deck is a bit like another boom, but smaller and less complicated. Even so it is a 3 man lift (together with lifting ropes from the mast) to correctly fit and hoist it. Preparing the spinnaker itself is also a complicated job as extra ropes have to be rigged and fed correctly around the boat through pulleys and to winches. It’s an easy task to get wrong. However we didn’t and after 40 minutes of preparation we were ready to hoist. The effect was dramatic and for the next 18 hours Discoverer made good speed at over 6 knots in not much more than 9 knots of wind. In the evening the wind strength increased and at round about midnight we had to change down the sails.

Nick keeps watch.

In the early hours of the following day (10 Aug) we sighted Jan Mayen Island. This remote Norwegian island is about 300 miles north east of Iceland and 590 miles west of Tromso. The island is about 30 miles long and no more than 5 miles wide at its widest point. At its northern and southern extremities tall cliffs plunge steeply into the sea. Although their tops were shrouded in mist we could still savour their grandeur. In the south the cliffs are topped by grass banks but the north is dominated by Beerenberg, a still active volcano and at over 2000 meters capped in snow with a glacier descending its slopes. These dramatic extremities are linked by a relatively low lying central plain which is home to a small weather station. 18 scientists and support staff serve a tour of up to a year on the island. There is no harbour and landings are subject to the weather Gods. As we rounded the southern shores we were hit by a squall and landing appeared highly unlikely. Still a cruise along its coast line would be some consolation. A few moments later we were joined by a pod of whales, blowing and surfacing a few hundred yards away. We sailed along the north along the coast and as we did so increasingly came into the lee of the land.

This gave us the opportunity to anchor in the bay nearest the station. As we mulled options and chatted by radio to the base staff two factors played on our minds, wind and outboards. Whilst wind conditions had eased considerably, any increase could be problematic should the engines fail. However after due deliberation we concluded that landing would be possible. Stepping ashore we were warmly greeted by our Norwegian hosts and shown back to their base accommodation. There we were introduced to the base commander, Commander Kristian Rubach of the Royal Norwegian Navy and Gunn Haugualdstad the chief Meteorologist ( or as she was unkindly described by her colleagues “the chief liar”). Commander Rubach explained the bases purpose and philosophy – If your Norwegian is up to it see the photograph opposite, if not then its based on the coming together of theory and practical to create harmony and understanding? We chatted away easily and Gunn offered to take us across the island to the weather station to get the latest forecasts and 5 day predictions. The weather station was a short drive away on a dirt track that ran beside the airstrip (for C130 Hercules resupply flights every 2 months). Not only did we get the weather but it also afforded the opportunity to see a little more of this beautiful and unique island. Back at the accommodation, Anne-Torin Lynne, the station nurse and shop keeper opened up for us. A shortage of money precluded a major shopping spree but postcards and other souvenirs accompanied us back to Discoverer. The MIB trip back was marred by the outboards reluctance to start. And thus we resorted to paddle power. However at our hosts’ insistence a second party returned and this afforded all of Discoverer’s crew who wanted to the opportunity to set foot on our most northerly and remote landfall.

The Base Commander.

It was a warm welcome to Norway as not for the first time LTTA participants were treated to and enjoyed the privilege of meeting extraordinary people who have enriched our journey and given us insight into issues and events beyond our normal experience. Having learnt more about the history, geography and potential future for the island (visit www.jan-mayen.No to read more) we were treated to the most generous hospitality and soon British soldiers (and sailors) were trading songs and music with our hosts. (Whether or not my piping counts as music is a matter of conjecture, but it seemed to be appreciated.) There was no doubting the gusto and skill of our host’s harmonica as he played traditional Norwegian folk music, but all too soon though it was time to return to Discoverer. On route we paused briefly at a memorial to a Norwegian research base worker who in an attempt to help an injured fisherman had been drowned as he attempted to land the hapless sailor for medical treatment and evacuation. Both men perished. There can be no better illustration of the dangers faced not only by our crews but also of our hosts. The bond that unites and defines those seafarers, scientists and workers who live out their lives in these remote places is one that we have been privileged to glimpse and in a small way share.

We leave Jan Mayen enriched by both its beauty and our hosts’ generosity that perhaps inadvertently have helped deliver the very experience that we sought to find.

Tussen takk and ha det.

Richard Pattison
Expedition Leader

FROM THE FO’C’SLE

CPL LOU LOHMAN QUEEN ALEXANDRA’S ROYAL ARMY NURSING CORPS, RED WATCH LEADER WRITES:

Beerenberg ahead.

Dominating the skyline Beerenberg rose majestically above the desolate Artic island of Jan Mayen. This active volcano, Norway’s highest peak, last erupted during the last century and fortunately there was no repeat performance whilst we ventured ashore, although a rise in the temperature would have been welcomed by all.

Arriving in Jan Mayen I was expecting a bare rock with a few rugged inhabitants, somewhat abandoned to fend for themselves by the Norwegian Military. Instead we were greeted by a high tech, geological weather station, which constantly monitored the weather systems transmitting data back to Oslo daily. After alighting on the shore, we were welcomed by the station commander and given a basic tour of the community and island set-up. From a weather station to a fully equipped medical/dental suite, bars with walls adorned with polar bear skins to an outdoor swimming pool and saunas in wooden huts. The 18 occupiers of Jan Mayen both military and civilian, used all the island had to offer to ensure their ‘tours’ were as comfortable as possible.

Jan Mayen, what can I say? A truly stunning island in its own unique way. The imposing landscape, harsh and unforgiving, with remnants of the last eruption all around from lava rocks to burnt out tree trunks. The locals say there is only one tree left standing on the island – though we never saw it. Whale bones lay littered amongst the Siberian drift wood adorning the black beaches. Rugged outcrops of black rocks covered in a thin layer of bright green moss added colour to an otherwise bleak landscape. And rising above it all surveying her kingdom Beerenberg, with her snow capped peak.

What truly struck me with the inhabitants of Jan Mayen is their sense of solidarity and their drive. Specialists, selected for their skill, knowledge and personality in order to maintain an isolated weather station throughout the year. Some even staying as long as a year others merely 3 months.

Although our time in Jan Mayen was short, the warm welcome we received is one I will not forget; and as we sailed onward, the clouds parted, allowing us a truly magnificent sight, Beerenberg, lit up by the suns rays, shining with a dazzling brightness.

Lou

TPR BADGER GRIFFITHS - THE QUEENS DRAGOON GUARDS WRITES:

Discoverer and Rememberance.

Arriving at Jan Mayen, with the mist covering the top of the hillside, thoughts that we had ended up at a Jurassic park in the north Atlantic seemed quite possible. A giant flying asuras would not have looked out of place swooping down through the clouds! So it’s fair to say I was immediately drawn to the island, not hesitating for a second when asked who would like to go ashore.

We were met by a couple of the inhabitants, each with their own part to play within the community. At first I found it hard to concentrate on what they were saying, I was too busy trying to take in as much of the scenery as I could. The landscape was like nothing Id ever seen before, with the desolate area of black rock sitting below a misty hillside covered with dark green vegetation. All this looked over by the snow capped volcano, sitting above the clouds.

We were very kindly taken into the living compound, where we met the island chef, mechanic, nurse, scientists and the commander of the station there. To just turn up on someone’s doorstep like that then be treated with the kindness they showed was very refreshing. They were more than happy to show us round offering us food and drink.

My time on the island defiantly flew by. Thanks to our hosts we gained a good idea of life on the island, but there is still much more to explore. The fact that I may never return to see this place again is a shame, but it is somewhere I will never forget!

Badger