tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45868574909818892822024-02-16T04:39:17.229-08:00Adrenalena AdventuresExtreme adventures, breathtaking expeditions, specialized guide services - by Lena Wilderäng, a professional adventurer based in Sweden.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger211125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-75364662471164354912024-02-16T04:38:00.000-08:002024-02-16T04:38:30.499-08:00Book release: Solroseffekten<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Mo_POZyq7qA9eoYJIChxSnGTkIVQo9M1o_NpZ4DrfXzjwi9DPEEkFxlSDjz8jp4cwJeR59_OEa3ka0kutYSeVvdF7UWk5xIoO_5m7SMndq96Q6JkeiAmKEK1_go4wsHBonJY6vqbBhgqN-HqDuij0HdiGbq0J_YtMGavZDP0kPjcUATnlmvX8t1xcXKJ/s4624/triad.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="4624" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Mo_POZyq7qA9eoYJIChxSnGTkIVQo9M1o_NpZ4DrfXzjwi9DPEEkFxlSDjz8jp4cwJeR59_OEa3ka0kutYSeVvdF7UWk5xIoO_5m7SMndq96Q6JkeiAmKEK1_go4wsHBonJY6vqbBhgqN-HqDuij0HdiGbq0J_YtMGavZDP0kPjcUATnlmvX8t1xcXKJ/w640-h284/triad.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solroseffekten, Lena Wilderäng, 2024 Mondial</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Boom! On February 24 2024, two years since the start of full scale occupation war in Ukraine, my book "Solroseffekten" will be released. The translation is "Sunflower effect". <a href="https://mondialshop.se/products/signerad-solroseffekten-lena-wilderang" target="_blank">A signed copy of the book can be pre-ordered from my publiching house Mondial</a> - at the moment, it's still possible, but after 24th of February, it will be wildly available in book stores.</p><p>It is an account of the journey that took me from the warm and safe bed at home, to the frequently shelled firefighting station a couple of kilometers from the front line in eastern Ukraine. At the same time, the story is about the inner journey, from trying to find out how to help in the best way - to the deeper question of why we help altogehter, and what drives and motivates us in difficult decisions in life.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>It is a story about war, about those who managed to escape and those who stayed behind. About soldiers, children and babushkas. But it is also about courage, morality and humanity. The metaphor of the sunflower, with its profound symbolism, is the red thread throughout the narrative.</p><p>I wrote the book to be able to tell about my own life and what I've done over the last two years, but also to tell about other people who have been there along the way. It is never possible to tell everyone's story. But I hope to give other fellow human beings - volunteers, firefighters, and just occasional helpers - an opportunity to smile in recognition. Also, I hope to give a voice to the Ukrainians I have met. I want to be able to open the door into Ukraine in order to give a glimpse at the beauty that lives side by side with the horror. I also open up my private door and show what has happened behind the scenes. Finally, I hope to share a little of the excitement, suspense and action that often arises when travelling within Ukraine.</p><p>By buying the book, you support my continued work to help war-affected Ukraine. And by buying and giving away a copy as a gift, you can contribute to opening up that world even to those who don't follow the development. It is needed, I believe.</p><p>The books that are <a href="https://mondialshop.se/products/signerad-solroseffekten-lena-wilderang" target="_blank">pre-ordered</a> are sent as soon as the book is printed and signed.</p><p>I have been writing at home, in the car, on buses and planes, on a sailing boat, on trains and Ubers. It's been quite a lot of work - and a lot of work is left. There are a lot of interviews at the moment - both with the large media companies, Swedish television, Swedish Radio and major newspapers and magasines. At the same time, there are more nisched papers, such as the firefighter's magasines, that are covering this. It will be exciting to see how the book is received.</p><p>I will be <a href="https://gamlastansbokhandel.se/events/boksignering-med-lena-wilderang/" target="_blank">signing the newly released book in Gamla Stans Bokhandel</a>, the bookstore in central Stockholm (Old City), on the release date 24/2 2024 at 14-15.</p><p>There be a <a href="https://gamlastansbokhandel.se/events/forfattarsamtal-med-lena-wilderang/" target="_blank">writer's interview and a book talk</a>, freely available to the public, at the same place (Gamla Stans Bokhandel), 1/3 at 17-18. Hope to see as many as possible there, will be awesome to receive questions and feedback about the book!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-79330283389122733792024-01-05T05:17:00.000-08:002024-01-05T05:17:09.895-08:00Sydney to Hobart 2023<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdnhL91VW_ILoVnpvCE5TDh-mA04n0obWIARE9KcQqORxGPDBgjYAf-m7dvA4BXpPNzFa6F0Nyrv6GrSP5sT6cITtWJeuKBXTDofrgsseImaQmUBBRhZRGdu7mL4VWj9rqUMsLFHuqS8aGx5RSked6ibqn3a7FcJSvYzr1ZR5mj8xNy00M9l40YxH8Ce_/s4032/20231226_130331_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2249" data-original-width="4032" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdnhL91VW_ILoVnpvCE5TDh-mA04n0obWIARE9KcQqORxGPDBgjYAf-m7dvA4BXpPNzFa6F0Nyrv6GrSP5sT6cITtWJeuKBXTDofrgsseImaQmUBBRhZRGdu7mL4VWj9rqUMsLFHuqS8aGx5RSked6ibqn3a7FcJSvYzr1ZR5mj8xNy00M9l40YxH8Ce_/w640-h356/20231226_130331_small.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race start: RSHYR 2023</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Just flying home from Hobart after having finished this year's race, I'd like to share the highs and lows of this adventure. This was my fourth Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, and by far most eventful. Just the first day or two were more dramatic than all of the earlier races put together...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBp1kHZdBaE-gVC1i4Ms534OZMSxGefcieTFQIVObsIXcQtXCxpwzJggUB90V-W_PK_IfJtHMeLJENY9wxwnV0fxdWaMX7OEBiRSy-zuqke0k45rXwFcf33RrjfEO0-b_9rD0lERvTTBOUBty5brmJyu0r8qHpUjti3sjIeF7kmcZ8TY18gZxkOcbOCd0/s3648/20231225_091253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBp1kHZdBaE-gVC1i4Ms534OZMSxGefcieTFQIVObsIXcQtXCxpwzJggUB90V-W_PK_IfJtHMeLJENY9wxwnV0fxdWaMX7OEBiRSy-zuqke0k45rXwFcf33RrjfEO0-b_9rD0lERvTTBOUBty5brmJyu0r8qHpUjti3sjIeF7kmcZ8TY18gZxkOcbOCd0/w640-h480/20231225_091253.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Rolex race village before the start</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I was racing on the yacht called Silver Fern, skippered by David Hows. I love sailing with him and I've sailed all of my previous races together with him on his boats, twice on Ocean Gem and now twice on Silver Fern, a 72 ft steel yacht. Silver Fern is a comfortable and robust expedition yacht. I've sailed a couple of legs of the Australian Circimnavigation on this boat - <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2023/09/end-of-great-barrier-reef-cairns-to.html" target="_blank">Cairns to Darwin</a> and <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2023/11/melbourne-southwest-tasmania-southport.html" target="_blank">Geelong-Tasmania-Southport</a>. I've also done the <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2023/12/southport-to-sydney.html" target="_blank">Southport-Sydney</a> delivery and <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2022/12/sydney-to-hobart-2022.html" target="_blank">Sydney-Hobart 2022</a> on Silver Fern. The boat takes on paying crew and it's possible to book a trip on Silver Fern or any of her two sister boats, <a href="https://oceansailingexpeditions.com/sailing-calendar" target="_blank">check the sailing trips available here</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs352uBsjypL_XRyHS4MAs5qNN7FiC8otOn8FsModj6YSIS7L7uv-q207Fp9BLUB0LVpkrFZ091_hQh9U97WSTUOzrfa_AhykpzfWFb-NFP5r9Rxdv0uRHVJbmNO2RkxiiCnv3kQrkapclJBSVELYITzglaxSmguIF_LmwaHT_adnTkjdsq0XeZAGv_nGA/s4032/20231225_092639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs352uBsjypL_XRyHS4MAs5qNN7FiC8otOn8FsModj6YSIS7L7uv-q207Fp9BLUB0LVpkrFZ091_hQh9U97WSTUOzrfa_AhykpzfWFb-NFP5r9Rxdv0uRHVJbmNO2RkxiiCnv3kQrkapclJBSVELYITzglaxSmguIF_LmwaHT_adnTkjdsq0XeZAGv_nGA/w640-h480/20231225_092639.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Fern as listed for the race in the official Rolex yacht race catalogue. The numbers in brackets are the numbers of previous Sydney-Hobart races</td></tr></tbody></table><p>During the last races, I've mostly been on the helm, and had the position of watch captain. This time, there were several crew that managed the helm, and there were three watch captains appointed: Natalie, Sarah and Jo. This gave the core crew of the boat a possibility to float: skipper David, first mate Liam and myself could interchange and support all the teams.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweb5Q4lWrjdrlo8hXqhVcwFjkCMOiPnvOzWU8d_rWfEA_bL5aet2sKcrSKNDsxkm8pSCvIHEAOsBNt_hyQ65HUdW3XfAyEJdr7f8DQDMSJPjMEoPiK2lVPWmcRFdj0yAyXZZdPyccfPi20ncXGZSklSxh8ukO0-khC2nLipizXN2JeSsuDoA5YWiBMfFt/s4032/20231225_082722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweb5Q4lWrjdrlo8hXqhVcwFjkCMOiPnvOzWU8d_rWfEA_bL5aet2sKcrSKNDsxkm8pSCvIHEAOsBNt_hyQ65HUdW3XfAyEJdr7f8DQDMSJPjMEoPiK2lVPWmcRFdj0yAyXZZdPyccfPi20ncXGZSklSxh8ukO0-khC2nLipizXN2JeSsuDoA5YWiBMfFt/w640-h480/20231225_082722.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa at the CYCA marina. We all arrived on Christmas Day</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The weather briefing before the race was a bit worrying. The first days would present variable winds, with thunderstorms developing along the way, possibly forming right above the sailing fleet. There were warnings of sudden squalls, as well as rain and hail and low visibility. This meant that the winds could go from zero to gale force without a warning. Normally, you would see a storm approaching, visually or on the radar, and could change to the right set of sails - but not with the storm forming right on top of the boat.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5Y0eRPBFJskyzo2FwuLFZfajSmyTAk2OjoswK7DqZlA6sTiAxIwYtbpayGQnw8Npz29Y4EfRhTn4g5x6udj6SJrrnUvotYcc0MCxM7qBCP4O8j_SdmpnczErYnHdJxacGWC2EhUhFz8RvPvJNPImXbdAMR4SiPf8iHXEaMW0vKUigVZd0SdCmAzSeWsK/s4032/20231226_114401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5Y0eRPBFJskyzo2FwuLFZfajSmyTAk2OjoswK7DqZlA6sTiAxIwYtbpayGQnw8Npz29Y4EfRhTn4g5x6udj6SJrrnUvotYcc0MCxM7qBCP4O8j_SdmpnczErYnHdJxacGWC2EhUhFz8RvPvJNPImXbdAMR4SiPf8iHXEaMW0vKUigVZd0SdCmAzSeWsK/w640-h480/20231226_114401.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing the storm sail for the inspection. This time, we got to use it</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The second part of the race promised strong Antarctic winds. Westerlies in the Bass Strait mean high, choppy waves. Southerlies along Tasmanian coast mean beating hard into the chilly wind. Rounding Tasman Light, there would be 5-6 meters waves and smack on head winds once again. Top wind speed in the squalls south of Tasmania was to be 60+ knots. The density of the air at these latitudes makes it hard on the boat. This is Roaring Fourties for you!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqqxt6lIyGOCXwipowCU6h_5dl-xjKZiZjpOm750vhg4eRUIq0OMZwuEeJrcmaboqMQRIWnyo97XCbMEZKqeeWqBHh3Q4C54OfST8iRi5acMtkWBjd-jv2Q1pz6G-qUURuNAYgHHMNIGgUx6hgljJugdiLMP9fgyyxwC7IMx3RNoxiMWuu27Zg8HE1INP/s4032/20231226_144316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqqxt6lIyGOCXwipowCU6h_5dl-xjKZiZjpOm750vhg4eRUIq0OMZwuEeJrcmaboqMQRIWnyo97XCbMEZKqeeWqBHh3Q4C54OfST8iRi5acMtkWBjd-jv2Q1pz6G-qUURuNAYgHHMNIGgUx6hgljJugdiLMP9fgyyxwC7IMx3RNoxiMWuu27Zg8HE1INP/w640-h480/20231226_144316.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thunderstorm over Sydney Harbour</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Already lining up at the start line, we had the first thunderstorm rolling in. The heavy rain drenched Sydney Harbour and rolled out, but several more thunderstorms were on the way. We chose the sails conservatively, and made sure to navigate safely among all the competing boats. We was a few close calls in the harbour, a bit nerve-wrecking. Apparently, the leading boats also had the problem, Scallywag doing a penalty turn off Bondi beach.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EEy4HoOISW4u6rIt62Dn86NkQNHWzp6UGEqqutJf-QaEowarKGxqQUtPyxFnHx_z1ITYZ0p4KCixbZLTQHivgQLR9k6Ndfa_6tPtsbEwiAz88xoTS1FT0YppRAFTkDNRc2HhZewOh2yq0RcxlmnNG53r340sHV0H-ESdMKdW1KrozTkq7kYkQAEkpr1U/s4032/20231226_123455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EEy4HoOISW4u6rIt62Dn86NkQNHWzp6UGEqqutJf-QaEowarKGxqQUtPyxFnHx_z1ITYZ0p4KCixbZLTQHivgQLR9k6Ndfa_6tPtsbEwiAz88xoTS1FT0YppRAFTkDNRc2HhZewOh2yq0RcxlmnNG53r340sHV0H-ESdMKdW1KrozTkq7kYkQAEkpr1U/w640-h480/20231226_123455.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The thunderstorm hit just before race start, and this would continue on and off for the rest of the race</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Since there were several more people who could handle the wheel, I was not locked on the helm, and could do a lot more on the boat. One of the positions I love is on the bow, and I've never done as much bow work as this time. You get thrown around and drenched in sea water, there is a fair bit of heavy physical work, and it's just perfect - makes you feel alive. The only thing is that I did not have technical knee-pad leggings for the bow work, and did not want to wear my bibs because it was just too hot for that, so I stuck to the shorts. The result was red and very sore knees, later swelling from the salt water. But it was all worth it! Loved every minute of it. As for the helm, I took it as often as I could, mostly at night. Here's a <a href="https://fb.watch/pnJDt9gloZ/" target="_blank">short video from the first day</a>, more to come. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcYW-BBkRGHZiO3aex2kQQK9MfQntZ7H2eXJt5E8WJ8CujK4Iq_4bsSY0a4dDrV3PLMpo3lHABXizqVJWuNpYEbdVrEInKVReA8QLFxGrbj3bmZsC1MNizhdNxrDpQJtVW3kPER6_5Som_HZypkMCqPDWg8v6lGTxp8SS4A7Sai_KAYnlH2jhPfmFZdm8/s4032/20231226_131735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcYW-BBkRGHZiO3aex2kQQK9MfQntZ7H2eXJt5E8WJ8CujK4Iq_4bsSY0a4dDrV3PLMpo3lHABXizqVJWuNpYEbdVrEInKVReA8QLFxGrbj3bmZsC1MNizhdNxrDpQJtVW3kPER6_5Som_HZypkMCqPDWg8v6lGTxp8SS4A7Sai_KAYnlH2jhPfmFZdm8/w640-h480/20231226_131735.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter on the bow, watching the fleet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqaORUTm1HH3gUB4SN5zRs3hppw5LqNiK3PsRWbEG5T60BGY4ZuxVa_6utPS9QWblGukYH-6wdacHMATTdONFMPF-HFbVJ-rpZ-niAGvybUfTx3JjMkexczXTMwBGMBUbXcU7LzLSH5yuqARmNDZoi6PSUZtkOyRf7Qs42erZocnwYu1KCzS3b_TlRm60/s4032/20231226_130216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqaORUTm1HH3gUB4SN5zRs3hppw5LqNiK3PsRWbEG5T60BGY4ZuxVa_6utPS9QWblGukYH-6wdacHMATTdONFMPF-HFbVJ-rpZ-niAGvybUfTx3JjMkexczXTMwBGMBUbXcU7LzLSH5yuqARmNDZoi6PSUZtkOyRf7Qs42erZocnwYu1KCzS3b_TlRm60/w640-h480/20231226_130216.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo trimming the sails</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtcf0n2Imu8P5kCVSqAvhyphenhyphenoKLPFRiDhm9ycxggqI9bhyphenhyphenaF9M8rFvcaIGVD6C4k8b9xd7DTyBqnwS3btU6e3wy4ozo4DxDWeoiOImEbSF2EC0wwofOcV5geYEjf1qUZGE9ZaUB9IbrwgH3FTKzcd62C0PR8zk6dgvupUJShxDr9v6bgt8xfZ8H3JNG4tVn/s4032/20231226_130307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtcf0n2Imu8P5kCVSqAvhyphenhyphenoKLPFRiDhm9ycxggqI9bhyphenhyphenaF9M8rFvcaIGVD6C4k8b9xd7DTyBqnwS3btU6e3wy4ozo4DxDWeoiOImEbSF2EC0wwofOcV5geYEjf1qUZGE9ZaUB9IbrwgH3FTKzcd62C0PR8zk6dgvupUJShxDr9v6bgt8xfZ8H3JNG4tVn/w640-h480/20231226_130307.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a bit crowded around the start...<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mKr22EST6SbsbrDLf5L9SsU-1NUlcDqmsNTfShyGACO8xDgVyJbnV4CLcXnIAJrA936x224TkqkjXuoSOSSION9wi4zNK2lvHDZ11rVufZdWL5E32GqiPJ1-f7ADwU9aPtskyZ6OxzIzI3vUN2rrr9ivYVsWXgXLEHChXRDLmhXsasH9cQZYjFwTI3Fu/s4032/20231226_133439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mKr22EST6SbsbrDLf5L9SsU-1NUlcDqmsNTfShyGACO8xDgVyJbnV4CLcXnIAJrA936x224TkqkjXuoSOSSION9wi4zNK2lvHDZ11rVufZdWL5E32GqiPJ1-f7ADwU9aPtskyZ6OxzIzI3vUN2rrr9ivYVsWXgXLEHChXRDLmhXsasH9cQZYjFwTI3Fu/w640-h480/20231226_133439.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salt Lines getting right in front of us just outside the Heads<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCC5WAB8mKzqU2QYwY0zE6CpMTYktIYowQ9Ibg0hPO8geGlQExjzDipnRMQy3gFmuM-usASxSVWLKdn8ZMfUPHXCLKLCYkgwpGWATXlwwFJP4hUTonnab2oJRJisQLHEUtKtSFA0asPkS9PbqoSaqtJxo-ER4uQDsmfp9U5mOywG4oFBW6sqHUfJgRNQh/s4032/20231226_133116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCC5WAB8mKzqU2QYwY0zE6CpMTYktIYowQ9Ibg0hPO8geGlQExjzDipnRMQy3gFmuM-usASxSVWLKdn8ZMfUPHXCLKLCYkgwpGWATXlwwFJP4hUTonnab2oJRJisQLHEUtKtSFA0asPkS9PbqoSaqtJxo-ER4uQDsmfp9U5mOywG4oFBW6sqHUfJgRNQh/w640-h480/20231226_133116.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team work</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Usually, we'd finish the race in about four days. This time, however, it came to be something completely different. We either had too little wind to get the boat speed up - or very much wind. Already after passing Sydney Heads, the wind disappeared and we had a frustrating wait for the clouds to roll in and bring the squalls to get us moving.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdpRZgnMC2rbFnA5TZ6KVsOcBhVgl9OeSw5r1NZiW5cRiNtO-e2tK6kKoqFEp52ZSJ9vCLgkXiC4AqI6LTd-WcsK2a_MTxoQIinKm8hPqiXwJtWixCLtVwGlko9CKpyagcIHfRUzHGih_RXKxtHz2B1yZc3ZMBagRXykDWIyUMcMzIXUNItRsMGs4fpTU/s4032/20231226_144623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdpRZgnMC2rbFnA5TZ6KVsOcBhVgl9OeSw5r1NZiW5cRiNtO-e2tK6kKoqFEp52ZSJ9vCLgkXiC4AqI6LTd-WcsK2a_MTxoQIinKm8hPqiXwJtWixCLtVwGlko9CKpyagcIHfRUzHGih_RXKxtHz2B1yZc3ZMBagRXykDWIyUMcMzIXUNItRsMGs4fpTU/w640-h480/20231226_144623.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No wind - or all the wind. You don't get to choose...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiPsoKAP-XHyN_CZ4euF4jL7KpTaq6vNDi81Xj66TUX8rXlLff8Pv2sybo0QfNRygXA-zmC-GY0s1MOS-OmdK_pEU_dhemPu-CO0WPeK23lD59gxU6MneMR1Xi3JxNRBDaTKf8IrKprEpsvYEzcSg7q1HKYj1PVuX5NWJvbgxpXhau1z7QlP07a8QBHOSs/s3888/20231226_164312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2859" data-original-width="3888" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiPsoKAP-XHyN_CZ4euF4jL7KpTaq6vNDi81Xj66TUX8rXlLff8Pv2sybo0QfNRygXA-zmC-GY0s1MOS-OmdK_pEU_dhemPu-CO0WPeK23lD59gxU6MneMR1Xi3JxNRBDaTKf8IrKprEpsvYEzcSg7q1HKYj1PVuX5NWJvbgxpXhau1z7QlP07a8QBHOSs/w640-h470/20231226_164312.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thunderstorms building off Sydney<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNSfzxA7TXaw7RLf3vbHOT3p8AnopGDE5mGY4xUuZi5acXb8EX9hUnD1x9KqGqoe9fUoQWz-dmWluyVF0VcO2ZKqb2hxc06SZsC1taRPfwXLYZ1brtoILgSD9CYI5mfpvGK8AFqbtmDjJozGKE2JdHKV8rJ1_wW4TxsFa_eezuXm8bSSDUinXgWt6h44T/s4032/20231226_151714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNSfzxA7TXaw7RLf3vbHOT3p8AnopGDE5mGY4xUuZi5acXb8EX9hUnD1x9KqGqoe9fUoQWz-dmWluyVF0VcO2ZKqb2hxc06SZsC1taRPfwXLYZ1brtoILgSD9CYI5mfpvGK8AFqbtmDjJozGKE2JdHKV8rJ1_wW4TxsFa_eezuXm8bSSDUinXgWt6h44T/w640-h480/20231226_151714.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sailing away under the Rolex battleflag</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The trouble with a large steel boat is that it's heavy, so it requires a bit of wind to get moving. If the wind is too light, the boat speed is lost and in the end there is no steering speed. Normally, you could out up light wind sails to catch the lightest breeze. But in this kind of weather, you have to be careful - the winds may go from none to very strong, and simply overpower the boat.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEino6nkOWjPbWxv3EwjcZavSBeztywCFEUGzOfO3bc1GPOjuQz9eype2OfhG-e5WGL5C2ndVTtUM8JX7On4OG7WkC7U3GbFZBFd6G_MkzgWSFz3Cx5HX5G0YY8ahS6Wcoh6OGfX7B8GPNUIgiH7LSDA9Eds_uo7J59WyB3L_nGct6kWq92IjERkwcqFwrGe/s4032/20231226_181236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEino6nkOWjPbWxv3EwjcZavSBeztywCFEUGzOfO3bc1GPOjuQz9eype2OfhG-e5WGL5C2ndVTtUM8JX7On4OG7WkC7U3GbFZBFd6G_MkzgWSFz3Cx5HX5G0YY8ahS6Wcoh6OGfX7B8GPNUIgiH7LSDA9Eds_uo7J59WyB3L_nGct6kWq92IjERkwcqFwrGe/w640-h480/20231226_181236.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading into trouble</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebrxn2i2uSwxkdd-Y6CPHkNQkPsCwtqCk1hO2sc0bqNC4QtJd2e3m9iOrlexTd2s8uoxH8Sku6ezZugjKDqlt61F6Fh8BeSBpZM91teBpsyJhWQuvBO7aspwEN-2LwAd1aNCqWYod6UjD70ZSk-tUmDFQqAlM3TPBb_gsAvzifvvF6BoafB65DFZqP-jC/s4032/20231226_183608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebrxn2i2uSwxkdd-Y6CPHkNQkPsCwtqCk1hO2sc0bqNC4QtJd2e3m9iOrlexTd2s8uoxH8Sku6ezZugjKDqlt61F6Fh8BeSBpZM91teBpsyJhWQuvBO7aspwEN-2LwAd1aNCqWYod6UjD70ZSk-tUmDFQqAlM3TPBb_gsAvzifvvF6BoafB65DFZqP-jC/w640-h480/20231226_183608.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ill-promising skies</td></tr></tbody></table><p>And that was precisely what happened that first night. The idea was that we'd change sails, but all maneuvres took longer time than expected. The crew had done some training on the boat, but most were far from fully skilled when it comes to changing sails, and there were a few hold-ups which is understandable. As opposed to boats with a crew that frequently sail together, it just takes a bit more time. And sometimes, there is a mistake or two. Normally, it can be resolved pretty quickly. But not in case it's about ignoring safety rules.</p><p>We got hit by a squall in the middle of the night. I was on the helm, noticing the wind direction change, a sure warning that the squall is coming. I woke up the skipper and he took over the wheel, while four or so of us got onto the deck, getting ready to gybe and drop the genoa which was too large for the growing wind speed.</p><p>Once on deck, we realised that the preventer was not attached as it was supposed to. This slowed us down. The wind speed was rising quickly now. Three of us got onto the low side to fix the problem. But now, the squall hit us with the full force. The boat got overpowered and heeled almost 45 degrees, dipping the low side into the water all the way to the top windows.</p><p>The water rushing on deck kicked the crew off their feet and plunged them into the waves. I was to the armpits in the sea water, holding on to the shrouds. As I withstood the first pull, I quickly climbed onto the high side not to be washed overboard - even when tethered, you can never be 100% sure. Another crew got himself figured pretty fast. But the third one was in trouble.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2RUg0YagvPtSPl-JL9dQ-rRj0RvQAfNHgpoZWXns9ovhWS81bX-ugq9cc8J6OuAiIfyPLSRRkE_2Zz8B9kOvA5BQETL9pS6lXlwZ8SrgcAhvkMsL69s3KeXVqLYJ-UBUf_-zPKAUaK6PPrwETR67uLv2Hu3vZd8kmKh5Wn4H7S0VN88tFNM5bEeK08z4/s4032/20231226_145323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2RUg0YagvPtSPl-JL9dQ-rRj0RvQAfNHgpoZWXns9ovhWS81bX-ugq9cc8J6OuAiIfyPLSRRkE_2Zz8B9kOvA5BQETL9pS6lXlwZ8SrgcAhvkMsL69s3KeXVqLYJ-UBUf_-zPKAUaK6PPrwETR67uLv2Hu3vZd8kmKh5Wn4H7S0VN88tFNM5bEeK08z4/w640-h480/20231226_145323.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing in this position during daylight, settled seas and tethered - all good. During night time, boat heeling over, and untethered - not just as fine...</td></tr></tbody></table><p>He hadn't clipped on, and was only attached to the preventer line he was holding in his left hand. As he held on to the boat, he was submerged under water. He held his breath for what felt like about half a minute, but the boat was still submerged and dipping lower. So he found himself being washed over the rails.</p><p>In this kind of conditions, it's impossible to get back on board by yourself. A line wrapped around your arm is not a safe option, worst case is that your arm gets broken and the line gets untwirled. The crew's automatic life jacket went off in the water, but that is not guaranteed to save your life either. Even with a personal locator beacon set off, it would take us a good 15-20 minutes to get the sails down in this wind and to turn around, then another amount of time to try and get back to the position where the person was lost. Finding a person in this kind of sea state, at night, is virtually impossible. And for the crew, it's just a question of ingesting a bit of water to cause drowning. It can definitely happen while the person is attached to the boat and being dragged alongside - as you try to open the mouth to call for help, or even breathe, you'll get liters of sea water literally poured down your throat.</p><p>The skipper saw this happen, dropped the helm and hurried to the rescue. This saved the crew's life, as none of us saw or heard him get washed overboard. As I saw David on deck, I understood there was something serious going on, and ran to him. There, I saw the crew hanging onto the rail. As David was holding on to his arm, I grabbed the other. I tried to get a better grip on his life vest, looking frantically for the tether with was not clipped in. We pulled and pulled, but could not overwin the pulling force of the waves. I yelled for more help, and other crew came over to lift him. Finally he was on the deck, bruised, wet but otherwise unharmed. I was worried about secondary drowning, but he reported no water ingestion. I quickly checked him for any other injuries, and then he was sent down below to dry and rest.</p><p>The rest of the night was spent changing sails to smaller and then even smaller. We chose to run with the wind to make the process safer, which caused us to be sailing back towards Sydney. But at this point, we could not allow more incidents. As the morning came with more stable winds, daylight and someone relieving me, I realised I had both sunglasses and a head torch on my forehead. I've been awake ever since the last evening. My body was aching and I think we all were still in a bit of a shock. That night, we could have lost a crew, an irrepairable loss. I just hope this is a good reminder for everyone to wear their life vest and clip on at all times.</p><p>Here's the skipper talking about the man over board <a href="https://fb.watch/pnJzC_6Ptq/" target="_blank">after that happened</a>, and <a href="https://fb.watch/pnKoezDd3P/" target="_blank">another walk through after the race was over</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizChqPcwWhVO_3EFD6wbIUWB43F62b9s3NUBj-rLbG-BZe-jrArbZP3mehIaFu2sRovSkfiF7EgspVOL6Xpxpi6KuLnkno8FjgIimRdGBkk6y1w2oZqMKqUE-fqrmRcKi_57P95ToXPRYNXnUi6qpG5rJKMr_STiuMAjJ-kUK8QoDValdA7cfpEx3ZdMPP/s4032/20231226_203421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizChqPcwWhVO_3EFD6wbIUWB43F62b9s3NUBj-rLbG-BZe-jrArbZP3mehIaFu2sRovSkfiF7EgspVOL6Xpxpi6KuLnkno8FjgIimRdGBkk6y1w2oZqMKqUE-fqrmRcKi_57P95ToXPRYNXnUi6qpG5rJKMr_STiuMAjJ-kUK8QoDValdA7cfpEx3ZdMPP/w640-h480/20231226_203421.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sail changes at night</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXt8Qya7EALLO40UQgajvuAOw8cGG5aK0Dmjn7u0UZ0FUdhwapgyc7ZWBw5jiD_XK9Yg_Od5m4HpPcQgKF13Ynes4b0_U4jZ132akuk7ShGPV7j9_AJbGZ-Ah_MrQ0qfL_-OXdomalw6lusYk51nE3LdjNYegp-R0YGTQmp_v9UVCUl5j4qOM_KFa9MPa/s3648/20231227_080716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXt8Qya7EALLO40UQgajvuAOw8cGG5aK0Dmjn7u0UZ0FUdhwapgyc7ZWBw5jiD_XK9Yg_Od5m4HpPcQgKF13Ynes4b0_U4jZ132akuk7ShGPV7j9_AJbGZ-Ah_MrQ0qfL_-OXdomalw6lusYk51nE3LdjNYegp-R0YGTQmp_v9UVCUl5j4qOM_KFa9MPa/w640-h480/20231227_080716.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Realising I had been awake and working throughout the day and night, because I both had sunglasses and head torch still on...</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The next few days had everything. Sailing right under thunderstorms, being becalmed and frustrated in beautiful sunny conditions, and then the Bass Strait with gusting about 45 knots with waves of 4 to 6 meters. The spray was flying through the cockpit, the boat heeling quite a bit, and the sailing was exhilarating. This is what it looked like sometimes: <a href="https://fb.watch/pnJRRa41eJ/" target="_blank">me at the helm at night in Bass Strait, 40+ knots and up to 6 m waves</a>, and <a href="https://fb.watch/pnJqLdOorx/" target="_blank">Mark at the helm during a rainstorm</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUjdiO2gkHvzfEjSuhzEjYlCB4L-YCaZgc2qD-Leczp3P_uCFMQdgFD0B4o1jcdD4PxCe1QdKkXB3FUJNC5kuF6kDAkEpLlVRrBrw8oE58Ko0G9IIGwq20q5SQnAdzz4zEDFkXYeMtclE5lrRlOl-gjMpgpE1nc1TSZAHlsge8eo7HBO5e_De6nYECpHt/s3929/20231226_170105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2946" data-original-width="3929" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUjdiO2gkHvzfEjSuhzEjYlCB4L-YCaZgc2qD-Leczp3P_uCFMQdgFD0B4o1jcdD4PxCe1QdKkXB3FUJNC5kuF6kDAkEpLlVRrBrw8oE58Ko0G9IIGwq20q5SQnAdzz4zEDFkXYeMtclE5lrRlOl-gjMpgpE1nc1TSZAHlsge8eo7HBO5e_De6nYECpHt/w640-h480/20231226_170105.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The squalls roll in</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Altogether, we were becalmed for almost 3 days altogether, in different locations. During these moments, it was important to contain frustration - it's not like we could do anything about it anyway - and try to rest and raise the morale. A personal mission was to look after the crew, keep everyone hydrated, caffeinated and fed. At one occasion, someone jokingly asked for a chocolate croissant with their coffee - and of course I made sure to make one with whatever means we had on board!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyNaO2_Ei2jvWPXDH9KiUsyXmturWrrMVd-jY-gmc2gvHwOYJKCgRYzPMgqqbz4mIIqAjTB5RDZWji2F1IHeSTMPdGeuPTCxJfYOqI3MCslS7FPSZ3dXsJISXcUE_tBu6uArWBKegfWeyDp_5dVLHEoaD-d65toy4tEM9tyNEjBTEbsZ2Y9e35BTMlRG7/s3743/20231231_170946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2959" data-original-width="3743" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyNaO2_Ei2jvWPXDH9KiUsyXmturWrrMVd-jY-gmc2gvHwOYJKCgRYzPMgqqbz4mIIqAjTB5RDZWji2F1IHeSTMPdGeuPTCxJfYOqI3MCslS7FPSZ3dXsJISXcUE_tBu6uArWBKegfWeyDp_5dVLHEoaD-d65toy4tEM9tyNEjBTEbsZ2Y9e35BTMlRG7/w640-h506/20231231_170946.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suddenly - no wind, no waves, no movement</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75Q41jc_i4TIZNaf5DlOmf5SYSb2Ylytk-zUqiGbgTHAMcgO2ClANcQxBPfDazHsnGeaF6dsCRMKBZvkYNDkwmg7DU-u0SQDj_ehR3FFuYV2ypTy5gR0CWGf4pNbuo6aY-4wgLxFjmttN_tbpLotely4j8mEyOn8KaZWwtaHyL0-jYQ73KwXkbP5zfp1D/s4032/20231228_104419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75Q41jc_i4TIZNaf5DlOmf5SYSb2Ylytk-zUqiGbgTHAMcgO2ClANcQxBPfDazHsnGeaF6dsCRMKBZvkYNDkwmg7DU-u0SQDj_ehR3FFuYV2ypTy5gR0CWGf4pNbuo6aY-4wgLxFjmttN_tbpLotely4j8mEyOn8KaZWwtaHyL0-jYQ73KwXkbP5zfp1D/w640-h480/20231228_104419.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting the best of the situation by opening up "Lena's Café" and getting everyone coffee, cakes and getting those smiles on their faces!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The trip took a few more days than expected, so instead of celebrating the New Year on the dock in Hobart we celebrated on board. Already in the afternoon we played music and had some snacks, and then a dinner. The athmosphere was festive despite no wind! <a href="https://fb.watch/pnJPLz01YQ/" target="_blank">Here is a video</a>. In fact, I had celebrated many New Years on adventures, for instance <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2014/01/spending-night-in-volcano-crater-solo.html" target="_blank">this one inside a volcano crater</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXU7UHdvgsnDjBgvcPSnCbn_AB5kq2NLZ2YDvkmyEFM9tPJ6pkXRqHzUqaYUp77T9F2qShOchiC4kXUXBemh3-kjAE_q_XVWQcC0h8fyOsZeuNHFWrSTHRnm3xVpUd5md8tQSLI2Ti06d3kX2TUkNuB58IwmU2LXienWv1FwrfLEmcqTBe9ZGnvPkB_Gzp/s4032/20231231_204050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXU7UHdvgsnDjBgvcPSnCbn_AB5kq2NLZ2YDvkmyEFM9tPJ6pkXRqHzUqaYUp77T9F2qShOchiC4kXUXBemh3-kjAE_q_XVWQcC0h8fyOsZeuNHFWrSTHRnm3xVpUd5md8tQSLI2Ti06d3kX2TUkNuB58IwmU2LXienWv1FwrfLEmcqTBe9ZGnvPkB_Gzp/w640-h480/20231231_204050.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The New Year's sunset</td></tr></tbody></table><p>For the twelve o'clock celebration, I had planned to prepare a few platters of finger food, and we would have some cold non-alcoholic drinks to celebrate. However, the wind arrived just an hour before som we flew the gennaker, and I spent the New Year's at the helm. We sounded the ship's horn twelve times and cheered - well, at least those of us that were on watch. I had to focus on the kite helming, so there was not much of a celebration at that time. I got to bed at around three.</p><p>The day after however, I had some more time to prepare. As the time neared the Swedish New Year, I changed to my evening dress, high heels and accessories, and came up to helm. That was a good laugh with cheers from the team mates. Getting out of the wet gear for once was fun!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcu4v3s2QW0HLFh4OMSQmxLIXdhJgNrdZsWwzCyWlmQ7-p00IFOGvsmYeMNepLpU7QyhjSDGMtrmP5uyXVx2S-7977JlRACdZMjRJNGNurqixRM1iyTO_HAePk3DMU9vMg6_BNYV-k_hMKUHAuaZhOkqy7ZfGaNuRS0k5nyQzdcZVT6xoVgSn5mQFevXHS/s4032/20240101_110445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcu4v3s2QW0HLFh4OMSQmxLIXdhJgNrdZsWwzCyWlmQ7-p00IFOGvsmYeMNepLpU7QyhjSDGMtrmP5uyXVx2S-7977JlRACdZMjRJNGNurqixRM1iyTO_HAePk3DMU9vMg6_BNYV-k_hMKUHAuaZhOkqy7ZfGaNuRS0k5nyQzdcZVT6xoVgSn5mQFevXHS/w480-h640/20240101_110445.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, heels are great even if the boat is heeling</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Now, to the challenges. A few crew were experiencing sea sickness, especially during the first days. We have sea sickness bags on board, and I lost count of how many I've emptied overboard... I was getting seriously worried about two of the crew who were getting seriously dehydrated because of prolonged sea sickness, where the medication did not work at all. I applied a 4-fold cure consisting of four independent remedies, and in both cases it worked. That moment when somebody goes from hardly conscious and feeling so horrible they just want to finish it all - to smiling and making small talk is what makes me tick. They all recovered fully and got on with their duties perfectly.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioD2aM4xENl-rJxUjxf5LjOHC9BsJbEFIl_vWOuZO-QEk_VJn3aM02YyeNwuWy1qvmDHbzhmmkBVNRk8-D4aJUiPlH_DYzmFmX1_88eq_zQMsqF0pdMLeREolbaqi62rR6QkLEsGOhrZIKrBBf3u0OC7ka8rcB1qC4C1DlWANpeRzT8CvYoE0fd-GRR2hQ/s3648/20231226_130250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioD2aM4xENl-rJxUjxf5LjOHC9BsJbEFIl_vWOuZO-QEk_VJn3aM02YyeNwuWy1qvmDHbzhmmkBVNRk8-D4aJUiPlH_DYzmFmX1_88eq_zQMsqF0pdMLeREolbaqi62rR6QkLEsGOhrZIKrBBf3u0OC7ka8rcB1qC4C1DlWANpeRzT8CvYoE0fd-GRR2hQ/w640-h480/20231226_130250.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of the female crew gathered for a photo: Jo, Sarah, Linda, myself and Nat! Missing Marzena in the photo.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The knockdown during the first night caused the sea water flooding over to the fuel tanks, fouling our fuel. This meant we could not start the generator or the engine to make power. Sailing without engine made it even more important to follow all safety rules. Equally, it made us manage the power consumption carefully. We could no longer rely on all systems. The wind power could only be made when the wind was the right strength, which was not often (it was either none or too strong). The solar panels only produced during the day, and as the cloud cover thickened we could not rely on them either. And the hydro power gave us a few amps too, but only when we had a good speed through water, which was not a given. We crosslinked the available battery banks to make the best of them. But even after doing that, we only had power for a finite amount of days. This meant that we had to save energy at all times.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOAmbNkZFPoNwtovlhlKoN5BxSsayfeh4xv6Fyyq2IBMZn5_1zzlEKHYax66PFU7beePlCG1_yrv2OHxQEkRAqKdtjsvfoCaxfE9X7kOF_SrLorhIHVrvBvcCMOKAGjca9BwMTyV3DwaosQCSqC-QJE1rXuVSHJRS9UFHXxtL0a8sARDjAdifHOA0RKq6/s3937/20231226_182221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2953" data-original-width="3937" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOAmbNkZFPoNwtovlhlKoN5BxSsayfeh4xv6Fyyq2IBMZn5_1zzlEKHYax66PFU7beePlCG1_yrv2OHxQEkRAqKdtjsvfoCaxfE9X7kOF_SrLorhIHVrvBvcCMOKAGjca9BwMTyV3DwaosQCSqC-QJE1rXuVSHJRS9UFHXxtL0a8sARDjAdifHOA0RKq6/w640-h480/20231226_182221.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbows after the storm</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Without generator, we could not make water - and the water tank was finishing fast. We had to cut all fresh water usage except for drinking and necessary cooking. Everyone was covered by multiple layers of salt and sweat. Some hand sanitizer and we were set. It was definitely more survival mode than comfort. But that's racing for you.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_2AKJgLS6qUHc-bCfdtUONCti-bCi4ao9IM7H5eUmTas0et-VMj1Os3iEAHdr-TGkwKGE9ADQ0RE4uZFPzl29WQ1NzYhLSxvE31fyGHceqk9A0WHwdkqPh4Zs6XC5u8rAH8renZechqxvdA10v4MYkbLPJ3wwK4IFXl9Vgb7tPd3IDgNLaHRIOctyEak/s2944/20231226_133131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="2944" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_2AKJgLS6qUHc-bCfdtUONCti-bCi4ao9IM7H5eUmTas0et-VMj1Os3iEAHdr-TGkwKGE9ADQ0RE4uZFPzl29WQ1NzYhLSxvE31fyGHceqk9A0WHwdkqPh4Zs6XC5u8rAH8renZechqxvdA10v4MYkbLPJ3wwK4IFXl9Vgb7tPd3IDgNLaHRIOctyEak/w640-h480/20231226_133131.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salty, tired but very happy!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The weather had caused quite a few breakages. We had three torn sails, the rails for the bimini had come off, we almost lost the boom due to gooseneck damage so we could not use main sail during the last day. The crew toilet seat cover was ripped out, probably by someone sitting on it without holding on properly. And a few more smaller breakages. When it comes to crew, there have been a few bruises and hits. And myself, I'm covered with cuts, bruises and rope burns, blisters on hands and feet, and my hands are swollen to the point where it's hard to clench a fist, all due to intensive deck work.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMmP2xy-zQ_bokhFgO5tpNAp_csZOOJj8C67ITSFxXi1yG5IRtsslKj7dXUC_Ia-6zLmN68H-Aw91UGMVvNHI-W8Q-pBPfprNLPeIV0Q_8ORyoLrWigl09lggS3-OTttKcOtXwSgHRKZ1KZ5e96IxlgzXzATzuzfnt1lPgd4BfIH6Rod_jnP85iwUfgKm/s4032/20240101_203213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMmP2xy-zQ_bokhFgO5tpNAp_csZOOJj8C67ITSFxXi1yG5IRtsslKj7dXUC_Ia-6zLmN68H-Aw91UGMVvNHI-W8Q-pBPfprNLPeIV0Q_8ORyoLrWigl09lggS3-OTttKcOtXwSgHRKZ1KZ5e96IxlgzXzATzuzfnt1lPgd4BfIH6Rod_jnP85iwUfgKm/w640-h480/20240101_203213.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearing Tasman Island. Finally!<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtc72VVTVcFM0Rtoi1VPLgVz4kCKlFksqeiMULF0Ps-VwerEWcuIN1RVsP63_Tq1H3Yqv_6YzYnjCZyd8EHiK50bwDy2vKxtRF51R1FJS_c5j2ybMwdi381LH6evcym33dF3uftc9YBB6ZSeZIUW3_CnzL6wmcug_JO5JXjgM-AuyidGymiSX6-ELrviUE/s4032/20240102_171927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtc72VVTVcFM0Rtoi1VPLgVz4kCKlFksqeiMULF0Ps-VwerEWcuIN1RVsP63_Tq1H3Yqv_6YzYnjCZyd8EHiK50bwDy2vKxtRF51R1FJS_c5j2ybMwdi381LH6evcym33dF3uftc9YBB6ZSeZIUW3_CnzL6wmcug_JO5JXjgM-AuyidGymiSX6-ELrviUE/w640-h480/20240102_171927.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting to that finish line!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>he Derwent welcomed us with fog and very light winds. We flew the gennaker and worked our way up, <a href="https://fb.watch/pnJn2Bm9Mt/" target="_blank">cheered by other boats</a>. We spent an agonising hour in a wind hole, and I almost thought the current would spit us right back past Iron Pot. But then the breeze filled in, and we crossed the finish line. This was the second of January. Most boats had finished and sailed off, but there was still a lot of people cheering us in. Since we had no engine, we had to be towed in to the marina.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvrZxqE8Kwy80aPS4sC7zyJvOye68gmyb6Bmxl0y9uLfX5epJGuTrLx_GqA_Ss0WZmYPFbpt11R-uBOGbcthT1NUOpmaIEM4gPSud3AgK-iR8Oot-KEJ0-9GE6-_7oWs3UTKzG5-9aWycJ5ZPPKDu0avEGxUr3vEWDGBu5EJaB1kg5BfdIkdxf21wAYUl/s4032/20240102_174952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvrZxqE8Kwy80aPS4sC7zyJvOye68gmyb6Bmxl0y9uLfX5epJGuTrLx_GqA_Ss0WZmYPFbpt11R-uBOGbcthT1NUOpmaIEM4gPSud3AgK-iR8Oot-KEJ0-9GE6-_7oWs3UTKzG5-9aWycJ5ZPPKDu0avEGxUr3vEWDGBu5EJaB1kg5BfdIkdxf21wAYUl/w640-h480/20240102_174952.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Over that finish line - preparing to get towed in...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_L2DkZTyJooQYfHvlfMbFcTlDIxuuBSZkpvLEUApdbO7qTFunsFiL-qJbUpuhxi1bDusqjAWZ-Usy6eGnYTNtZ55JAnX0f-ScfCBIHdfopyfRWWQKPwUj8VmnQPD-PVWqEyYwrKszVpsp6ds6uunKoJhh64xU-Tx_o402sXZSyXkBwjqQQ9c6wUNqMKUs/s2944/20240102_181832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="2944" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_L2DkZTyJooQYfHvlfMbFcTlDIxuuBSZkpvLEUApdbO7qTFunsFiL-qJbUpuhxi1bDusqjAWZ-Usy6eGnYTNtZ55JAnX0f-ScfCBIHdfopyfRWWQKPwUj8VmnQPD-PVWqEyYwrKszVpsp6ds6uunKoJhh64xU-Tx_o402sXZSyXkBwjqQQ9c6wUNqMKUs/w640-h480/20240102_181832.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That beer on the dock is priceless...</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Friends and relatives met us on the dock. After a few beers, we hit the showers and then headed to Customs House for the celebration dinner. We had a few strangers buy us drinks to celebrate, which was amazing. They knew who we were, and wanted to celebrate and support us. We felt like absolute rock stars.</p><p>This has been a real adventure, with a lot of lessons learned. We've had a bit of everything, but I'm happy that we managed all situations in a good way. It cost us a lot of extra time and extra miles, and we were second to last to come in through the finish line - despite being first in our division on estimated time during an occasion. The important thing for me is that we finished the race. It was not a given - some twenty boats withdrew already before the start, and 18 boats retired during the race. One of the ones that retired was our sister boat, Salt Lines. They had some serious structural damage involving batteries, and also crew that were very unwell. I remember seeing them sail back from Bass Strait, passing us on our port side in the dark. We called them on the VHF and they told us they were retiring. There was a moment of silence. This is not a decision taken easily. But it's also important to keep the boat and the crew safe. They came to Hobart a bit later, and we had a celebration together. And what a celebration!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Iguqeoed-FKtDbx43WTb4B7Fy1mmnJh_Ge-7P7gwMk28U6Ub8MtTKAzfR2weBb04MZKElyq2qo9IDBX5IWwXLnJ-_hwApijpfJQ6pzVBfZ19dPQDT9WkCmQ1Nzki6C_i5SPte9v9J9-qApwzcierE-KD5FJhSwJUz66kXsefhCkZjfpA1piOMISoOfuz/s4032/20240103_022832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Iguqeoed-FKtDbx43WTb4B7Fy1mmnJh_Ge-7P7gwMk28U6Ub8MtTKAzfR2weBb04MZKElyq2qo9IDBX5IWwXLnJ-_hwApijpfJQ6pzVBfZ19dPQDT9WkCmQ1Nzki6C_i5SPte9v9J9-qApwzcierE-KD5FJhSwJUz66kXsefhCkZjfpA1piOMISoOfuz/w640-h480/20240103_022832.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The grand party at Salt Lines, legendary! Heard there was pole dancing at the mast...</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We also had a race between ourselves. Since Salt Lines retired, Silver Fern got the medals for both Line Honours and for the Handicap. Two medals for everyone on Silver Fern - well deserved!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JPFTjzgQDrI4SKGRUlsj1mtFwq3Mo4Qp1fl1c2UP5lFh9c1fpiDdgG2COz_Ua0rGVXx3bn7_SaDLwpKVf5sagDsIh3eMbPjAXdN2KyyR_a6FPEg0Kdrt3T-O6AHSXkcFITElZWZMRtJQiFaijffgbTnMVrCBBV0zcipk8BLxcxz-a1BvTZf73ji10Ajq/s2944/20240102_235204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="2944" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JPFTjzgQDrI4SKGRUlsj1mtFwq3Mo4Qp1fl1c2UP5lFh9c1fpiDdgG2COz_Ua0rGVXx3bn7_SaDLwpKVf5sagDsIh3eMbPjAXdN2KyyR_a6FPEg0Kdrt3T-O6AHSXkcFITElZWZMRtJQiFaijffgbTnMVrCBBV0zcipk8BLxcxz-a1BvTZf73ji10Ajq/w640-h480/20240102_235204.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medals to bring home</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>At the moment of writing, I'm coming back home. It's a trip of over fourty hours, but I've been sleeping lika a baby on the plane. I must have been a bit tired... I still have land sickness, everything around me is rocking, and I would be waking up wiondering who's at the helm, and whether they need help gybing. I guess it will take me a couple of days to get back into the land crab life. Until the next sailing trip. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you are considering sailing or racing - <a href="https://fb.watch/pnKDFOHeBz/" target="_blank">check out this video of Matt</a>, one of the crew members, just before the finish line. And you'll understand why we do it.</div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-12622557828124091442023-11-23T11:10:00.000-08:002023-11-23T11:14:23.919-08:00Melbourne - Southwest Tasmania - Southport<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqP31o6RJlUBnBj3i6KPuv-ISp0ZGPT8ygxAJSaZWcfn45JyGfeXtWHwzgeu2fWWsdD9F5GldiwVM4di3JoPUU7z9m-Dz6nHaXqcqxcQQIb04d1sozj9SsD_7qkOb3umA3wUs5BXqZkRBA-gflHSH2mddaI_SaQUziaR0i2qEWQrfyYd-8vE4yy26KdGME/s2861/dolphin%204%20sea%20australia%20circumnavigation%20leg%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1376" data-original-width="2861" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqP31o6RJlUBnBj3i6KPuv-ISp0ZGPT8ygxAJSaZWcfn45JyGfeXtWHwzgeu2fWWsdD9F5GldiwVM4di3JoPUU7z9m-Dz6nHaXqcqxcQQIb04d1sozj9SsD_7qkOb3umA3wUs5BXqZkRBA-gflHSH2mddaI_SaQUziaR0i2qEWQrfyYd-8vE4yy26KdGME/w640-h308/dolphin%204%20sea%20australia%20circumnavigation%20leg%205.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dolphins along the way</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The expedition yacht Silver Fern was continuing the circumnavigation of Australia together with its sister yacht Salt Lines. I had joined for the <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2023/09/end-of-great-barrier-reef-cairns-to.html" target="_blank">second leg, between Cains and Darwin</a>. Now, I was to join for the last leg, number five, between Melbourne and Southport, including around Tasmania.<p></p><p>I was joining as Chief Mate, sailing together with skipper <a href="https://oceansailingexpeditions.com/sharon-ferris-choat" target="_blank">Sharon Ferris-Choat</a>, and the eight paying crew. I was also responsible for updating the boat's blog, so here I will link to the blog posts!</p><p>We started in Geelong right outside Melbourne, and prepared the boat for departure. <a href="https://www.sailing.blog/silver-fern/dh2m97l2w4g5r03ov3dobr8nvfsp4k" target="_blank">See the blog post here</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEe0f0eaHIuqAdf37hkP2wVIuTnjwa-yY3PiPnEh-wrRyH5YKHHxyrMabVENsEn6n53MMrvPljMMaEtTWx56MBzZtl2PHzWP-HUSBLukM3lEvQP2uF36mKGCbLbB0_gxE72-eYIIW3lpZIBJr5jlQYF9ahtR0OvTp4f3xpsOuAxtkvYvqKq2qYQhbNEPO/s1024/Lena%20at%20the%20helm%20australia%20circumnavigation%20leg%205.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEe0f0eaHIuqAdf37hkP2wVIuTnjwa-yY3PiPnEh-wrRyH5YKHHxyrMabVENsEn6n53MMrvPljMMaEtTWx56MBzZtl2PHzWP-HUSBLukM3lEvQP2uF36mKGCbLbB0_gxE72-eYIIW3lpZIBJr5jlQYF9ahtR0OvTp4f3xpsOuAxtkvYvqKq2qYQhbNEPO/w640-h480/Lena%20at%20the%20helm%20australia%20circumnavigation%20leg%205.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here I am, once again as Chief Mate at the helm of Silver Fern</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>We sailed off and crossed the Bass Strait southwards right away, sending a few crew right into the valley of sea sick. They recovered eventually, and were doing quite OK really given the sea state.</p><p><a href="https://www.sailing.blog/silver-fern/southbound-across-bass-strait" target="_blank">See the blog post here</a>.</p><p>First stop was in Strahan, where we needed to pass through the dreaded Hell's Gate. How did it go? You can <a href="https://www.sailing.blog/silver-fern/through-hells-gate" target="_blank">read here</a>. And also see all the amazing photos.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjboGf-eAFf_9dD_R4NLbl0Lqpkh5tkeqYMZUJb06HCc2tnKHZqfU81JeboLS051Ai1KQbxAnzVt-pY5ccY2lJuLHoWJqTR46Gg9A5r5ZyY_9I-1Jlz6n-Rntf8-KrE2zHB4NU8NswW-WIWWYGZr-enJRn4bgz0rohp2EU_yKusnysptdwy-H0dliKWkdyd/s2016/hells%20gate%20australia%20circumnavigation%20leg%205.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjboGf-eAFf_9dD_R4NLbl0Lqpkh5tkeqYMZUJb06HCc2tnKHZqfU81JeboLS051Ai1KQbxAnzVt-pY5ccY2lJuLHoWJqTR46Gg9A5r5ZyY_9I-1Jlz6n-Rntf8-KrE2zHB4NU8NswW-WIWWYGZr-enJRn4bgz0rohp2EU_yKusnysptdwy-H0dliKWkdyd/w640-h480/hells%20gate%20australia%20circumnavigation%20leg%205.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance of Hell's Gate, with its tricky waters and horrible convict history</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>After the stop in Strahan, we sailied off to the remote wilderness of Southwest Australia. We entered Bathurst Harbour and anchored in Clayton's Corner.</p><p>Here is the <a href="https://www.sailing.blog/silver-fern/southwest-tasmania-bathurst-adventure" target="_blank">blog post on Bathurst Harbour</a>.</p><p>Our team on bord consisted of 40% women, 60% men. The youngest crew member was 18, and the oldest 67. I was very happy to see how well this worked.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kSxnZ9EdzorrSAdyW_7ekKzv2_kPyhBzyDvDR9vXhbnzziv9pVwLXChohU6N6Ul1E5TsHkpG4MQMvsPK4Uctp1GvWIgDtG06gFxYduLXorzZasVhknreJH6LQF71dc6LlH-0O39lP_qi9gxPktk56YN59DqSQf8yhrnRyHyNmOjScgXHI5-GH189BzbK/s4032/Beth%20preparing%20the%20anchor%20approach%20to%20bathurst%20australia%20circumnavigation%20leg%205.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kSxnZ9EdzorrSAdyW_7ekKzv2_kPyhBzyDvDR9vXhbnzziv9pVwLXChohU6N6Ul1E5TsHkpG4MQMvsPK4Uctp1GvWIgDtG06gFxYduLXorzZasVhknreJH6LQF71dc6LlH-0O39lP_qi9gxPktk56YN59DqSQf8yhrnRyHyNmOjScgXHI5-GH189BzbK/w640-h480/Beth%20preparing%20the%20anchor%20approach%20to%20bathurst%20australia%20circumnavigation%20leg%205.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beth, your youngest crew member, at the bow preparing for anchoring</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>This corner of the world is remote and very beautiful. We took a few walks, taking us to the top of local summits. It was great to move the legs a bit after many days of sailing!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2iAJGCHH17YUvZiWUAXMhe3dRCFE40eRGN5iK-bbWexmiVtDSA737rrQ6jlFKAr-SVwk_MeJZk6IcIep47hMMOGsBl0GDJGAUvYCY1X6CGMi5fDQvu8asstEEc8FzAjDKzUDuvYWOQNmG533mNcf7iMiJuDs2YEC_QJSpHea2tHuM_GSn71JSuTnbZNX/s4032/mountains%20near%20bathurst%20approach%20to%20bathurst%20australia%20circumnavigation%20leg%205.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2iAJGCHH17YUvZiWUAXMhe3dRCFE40eRGN5iK-bbWexmiVtDSA737rrQ6jlFKAr-SVwk_MeJZk6IcIep47hMMOGsBl0GDJGAUvYCY1X6CGMi5fDQvu8asstEEc8FzAjDKzUDuvYWOQNmG533mNcf7iMiJuDs2YEC_QJSpHea2tHuM_GSn71JSuTnbZNX/w640-h480/mountains%20near%20bathurst%20approach%20to%20bathurst%20australia%20circumnavigation%20leg%205.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The steep coastline near the approach to Bathurst Harbour, a natural refuge that is uninhabited.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>It was also here we had a lot of things that needed to be repaired on the boat. Why is it that the breakages always happen in the most remote locations? Here is <a href="https://www.sailing.blog/silver-fern/fixing-the-boat-in-remote-south-tasmania" target="_blank">the blog post about that</a>.</p><p>After this beautiful stop, we sailed on to Hobart. Here is <a href="https://www.sailing.blog/silver-fern/hobart" target="_blank">the blog post about the sailing and the stopover</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpXNUIThbeqCBfoz5ZMPk4lxdXV-Y0Nramh3dPYyW9PzaTIh_YVPFv_24Lil6Go2C7uglHZ5yZlV2PyiD4Gb9YmqnIu6DFld2KriHikuDMMYBiR0DV3CRVQKf-vGTYFtuf25dbB0H9hZl5OKe65_eyD4lxr9w-Ncq3dG99T_05mWFsz-bcEkE3Twy-XSg/s4032/cockpit%20Australia%20Circumnavigation%20Leg%205.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpXNUIThbeqCBfoz5ZMPk4lxdXV-Y0Nramh3dPYyW9PzaTIh_YVPFv_24Lil6Go2C7uglHZ5yZlV2PyiD4Gb9YmqnIu6DFld2KriHikuDMMYBiR0DV3CRVQKf-vGTYFtuf25dbB0H9hZl5OKe65_eyD4lxr9w-Ncq3dG99T_05mWFsz-bcEkE3Twy-XSg/w640-h480/cockpit%20Australia%20Circumnavigation%20Leg%205.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crew in the cockpit, sailing happily</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After that, we took on the Bass Strait once again, to sail between Sydney and Hobart - but in the opposite direction of what I am used to. <a href="https://www.sailing.blog/silver-fern/leaving-tassie-hobart-to-sydney" target="_blank">Here's what we did</a>!</p><p>Coming in to Sydney by night was just amazing. Here is <a href="https://www.sailing.blog/silver-fern/sydney-by-night" target="_blank">the blog post with all the photos</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqw_g5zudLqCfrk-G_AvAZjMG1nUZPt7bSoRs_Z6B-rh-mUks8Hr10vHkrCj3dyqMrb0dke0SaxvOgNiiyTjla3dNOk1mstWECvBKFMi5F_nnOLniv2ScGzEtSAOQxF-dCAwt4kxO1KYb3UHEkZYOAyX9Ijin__-JfDPOUGM4cwCM3YkeHofinXWR4G85U/s4032/sydney%20opera%20house%20australia%20circumnavigation%20leg%205.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqw_g5zudLqCfrk-G_AvAZjMG1nUZPt7bSoRs_Z6B-rh-mUks8Hr10vHkrCj3dyqMrb0dke0SaxvOgNiiyTjla3dNOk1mstWECvBKFMi5F_nnOLniv2ScGzEtSAOQxF-dCAwt4kxO1KYb3UHEkZYOAyX9Ijin__-JfDPOUGM4cwCM3YkeHofinXWR4G85U/w640-h480/sydney%20opera%20house%20australia%20circumnavigation%20leg%205.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opera House by night - from the water</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The last part of this sailing trip was to get from Sydney to Southport. I did the same leg in the other direction last December, as a preparation for Sydney to Hobart, and it was a bit shakey beating against the wind, in choppy seas. This time it was different - see <a href="https://www.sailing.blog/silver-fern/if-this-wont-make-you-fall-in-love-with-sailing-nothing-will" target="_blank">this blog post for the full description</a>!</p><p>Finally, we were in Southport, thus concluding the circumnavigation of Australia. <a href="https://www.sailing.blog/silver-fern/circumnavigation-of-australia-complete" target="_blank">Full blog post here</a>. For me, this trip meant passing the southernmost and easternmost points of mainland Australia and Tasmania, in addition to the last leg where I sailed past the northermost cape. Also, just as I was passing my southermost point ever, south of Bathurst Harbour, I passed 30,000 nautical miles in my log. T>he whole leg was 1653 miles in total. We crossed Bass Strait twice in a week, and faced a lot of challenges in remote locations. A memorable leg with a lot of Type II fun.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIYlj2Xmp-2SP330M-fHto4_lOcDvrE_eos49mNkZ92pl5kPct9KYUe2Q_cnRo9pkvGoIdeoeUuvRwUGD_85rK_IB-mVvKgIlSUKf-sbOhW98ijC4Qbws4lvQhdLXQz41bz-8pbjyP-Tmf3ixH8fEdI-NvEQW2JYIzbfyaeZflOLVVH0M1qdVitUiN_Lm/s4032/sunset%20hobart%20to%20sydney%20australia%20circumnavigation%20leg%205.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIYlj2Xmp-2SP330M-fHto4_lOcDvrE_eos49mNkZ92pl5kPct9KYUe2Q_cnRo9pkvGoIdeoeUuvRwUGD_85rK_IB-mVvKgIlSUKf-sbOhW98ijC4Qbws4lvQhdLXQz41bz-8pbjyP-Tmf3ixH8fEdI-NvEQW2JYIzbfyaeZflOLVVH0M1qdVitUiN_Lm/w640-h480/sunset%20hobart%20to%20sydney%20australia%20circumnavigation%20leg%205.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of sunrises and sunsets along the way</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I will be getting ready for the next offshore sailing, which will have our Sydney to Hobart team trained and qualified. And of course, for this year's Sydney to Hobart!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-81924480716013143832023-09-22T01:58:00.002-07:002023-09-22T01:58:05.637-07:00Boat rescue mission, and arriving to Darwin<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-Nzru1DCmC_RdZWDFn3IM99QjxWqIDtVorNS6cWRDfsCR8XI84iXH65xgFBd4vmZ4ReWbdwBawC90lYAVlE3YW1JNBj95ThfdbufR0CknPNrv5_NbhGDs6JX-XxB0X0XPcRWON3FMpVPv94jw6uW10OMpnz2-12u6gDDl5jksZZ1NYvMvq5xnc7Qc3O5/s4031/20230827_180539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2105" data-original-width="4031" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-Nzru1DCmC_RdZWDFn3IM99QjxWqIDtVorNS6cWRDfsCR8XI84iXH65xgFBd4vmZ4ReWbdwBawC90lYAVlE3YW1JNBj95ThfdbufR0CknPNrv5_NbhGDs6JX-XxB0X0XPcRWON3FMpVPv94jw6uW10OMpnz2-12u6gDDl5jksZZ1NYvMvq5xnc7Qc3O5/w640-h334/20230827_180539.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some anchorage somewhere along the way...</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">We were on the final part of the passage towards Darwin from Cairns, anchored in Adams Bay (SE </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Van Diemen Gulf)</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">. As we all were </span><a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2023/09/arafura-sea-to-timor-sea-and-gugari-rip.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">relaxing on anchor after our lovely dinner</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">, listening to classical music, photographing the Blue Moon, and drying the laundry in the windless heat... the VHF spoke up.</span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span><p></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">It was a boat trying to get through to sea rescue. They could not, and now they were wondering whether their radio worked. They had just had an engine failure. And they were right by that narrow channel near Vernon isles, where the currents were strong and tricky, and where there were plenty of rocks and shoals.</span><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE4LVaLS0IaVwaUDL3xjAhgGeOBXmuOQ_JeR21-gOwki5i3Q4mcRlPgVhR0E6BfBYKkUAdwJDyWvqX67zImjDwB92G8Rqf-wXOM8fpmi5hvcH6mnJz3AgbYF5Q7Lw8IxcM36qgb16oCjyoiuHRIXvDJoKvQqX8BQZcbyKHao1Ow0Mi8ORjnzuiectYONZ/s4032/20230831_191334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE4LVaLS0IaVwaUDL3xjAhgGeOBXmuOQ_JeR21-gOwki5i3Q4mcRlPgVhR0E6BfBYKkUAdwJDyWvqX67zImjDwB92G8Rqf-wXOM8fpmi5hvcH6mnJz3AgbYF5Q7Lw8IxcM36qgb16oCjyoiuHRIXvDJoKvQqX8BQZcbyKHao1Ow0Mi8ORjnzuiectYONZ/w640-h480/20230831_191334.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's called "Blue Moon" when a second full moon falls during the same month. In this case, actually not so very blue - at least not during the moonrise.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">As we realised they needed help, we got moving. The change of pace that happened was very distinct. Everyone was on it, from starting the engine, retrieving the anchor, preparing fenders and lines, removing plates from the cockpit, communicating with the boat on the radio, or tidying up.</span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">The boat in distress was a metal fishing boat of 1,5 tons, and had two people on board. They had anchored while waiting for us, so they would not drift onto rocks.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">It took us less than an hour to get to them. By this time it was pitch dark. There was a strong current, and they needed to retrieve the anchor first before getting attached to our lines. They struggled for a while, and then they were free and we could get alongside them.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsLdULaKZeDxngOSej1s62U_MG5k9g8opQWHp0VE-36fSUAAC5TL6MNHG-QE5kb8e_ws52LSDe_2tInROIVSI1SKUsvbN33Rmke625CO0sAexVsbhJaOcmyRaqERpjB1GwCA2P0GzetqvGdLfzEPwF7P6ACEhLe3avrQ0Pqi9ABmwPGDr-pP_ZOllQY0D/s4032/20230831_203954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsLdULaKZeDxngOSej1s62U_MG5k9g8opQWHp0VE-36fSUAAC5TL6MNHG-QE5kb8e_ws52LSDe_2tInROIVSI1SKUsvbN33Rmke625CO0sAexVsbhJaOcmyRaqERpjB1GwCA2P0GzetqvGdLfzEPwF7P6ACEhLe3avrQ0Pqi9ABmwPGDr-pP_ZOllQY0D/w640-h480/20230831_203954.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting closer to the guys in distress</td></tr></tbody></table><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">The last time I did a boat rescue operation was just before leaving for Australia, as a part of my full-time work as a firefighter and rescuer in Kungälv. That boat was somewhat comparable in size, and also had two persons on board. There was also a considerable amount of current that time, and towing was tricky.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">This time, I was in a much larger boat, so towing them alongside was an option. We prepared a few lines, made fast and then transferred the crew on board. The crew consisted of two guys from Darwin who had gone fishing for the night. They have had the engine serviced, however it failed anyway. Tough luck, no fish tonight. We got them settled, and steamed towards Darwin.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGn0SF83MYtYzApjOixTY_bkhjexgqUCeDOXYMHk817dcnbo3esr_q7JDEKr35577VUjCnyrbD7nTKBiHiet8tCPbhvlYPEyqZ1sWWAKtnQO7z7zlSI2FhqZbI3LniB6d57_E1q6yk2z00dH4jCIkBJwFLTVsz4jjI58KPUVuKfP9NpzFUQy835JQpceiu/s4032/20230831_210429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGn0SF83MYtYzApjOixTY_bkhjexgqUCeDOXYMHk817dcnbo3esr_q7JDEKr35577VUjCnyrbD7nTKBiHiet8tCPbhvlYPEyqZ1sWWAKtnQO7z7zlSI2FhqZbI3LniB6d57_E1q6yk2z00dH4jCIkBJwFLTVsz4jjI58KPUVuKfP9NpzFUQy835JQpceiu/w640-h480/20230831_210429.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boat secured to the port side of Silver Fern</td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">As the currents and the wind changed, the sea got choppier. The lines were threatening to rip out their rails, so we changed to towing them behind us. We set up a makeshift drogue behind them (a milk crate on a line), so the movement of their boat smoothened out. This is a great way to get a smooth movement of the towed boat without chock-loading the towing lines. Two lines are always a safety measure, attached to different strong points in case one would fail. You don't want to be retrieving a boat that has come loose in a few knots of current, especially with a torn line floating somewhere near it. It could get stuck in your prop and suddenly there will be two boats in distress.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKYHX3t-5HMVTlQZ6QZ4GKoHQDPUwXO0X3uHFwNSfX4b2oBxtV3hZZqvzdLrbvbfdRM5dmnB7skSWst9izxYKgaj1H079L-0di_FLrYMA0uYEiGzaFaMEM-QyCYE9hZrTtap82Aa5h65NOb5azC5-9I73SfjdBnbaIioXNs4zYrKuV9y6Q1Cx2lgOSypl/s4032/20230901_050008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKYHX3t-5HMVTlQZ6QZ4GKoHQDPUwXO0X3uHFwNSfX4b2oBxtV3hZZqvzdLrbvbfdRM5dmnB7skSWst9izxYKgaj1H079L-0di_FLrYMA0uYEiGzaFaMEM-QyCYE9hZrTtap82Aa5h65NOb5azC5-9I73SfjdBnbaIioXNs4zYrKuV9y6Q1Cx2lgOSypl/w640-h480/20230901_050008.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Towing the boat towards Darwin, as the light from the huge Blue Moon illuminates the night</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Another potential danger I reacted to was that the guys did not have life jackets. They had PFDs somewhere on board but they were stowed away so they could not be reached. So they found themselves in a situation where most of the risk factors were ticked: they had suffered an engine failure, it was night, there were strong currents, and they had been drinking beer. That's most of the stuff to tick off statistically if you don't want to make it. Working as a rescuer, I know that a high percentage of the drowning casualties are men who have been drinking and did not have a personal floatation device (life jacket). So basically, this is how people die - how are you supposed to retrieve a buddy that has fallen in, when he's drifting away into the night in a brisk walking pace, and you do not have an engine? So I was very eager to get the guys to wear life jackets when they were on board Silver Fern. Risk managing is all about such stuff.</span></div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">We motored on the whole night, and entered the dock outside Cullen Bay Marina just as the morning was breaking. The guys got hot food, water and a bit of sleep on board, so they were tired but happy. We came onto the confined space of the dock in the dark, in cross-current and with a boat towed behind us, so there were quite a few things that could go nasty. But David handled the boat perfectly, making it look very easy. We left the guys at the dock, and prepared to enter the marina to enjoy our final destination for this leg: Darwin!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">To get into the marina, we had to pass a lock. That's because of the tides that reach 10 meters at times! For me, locks are a normal procedure - the Caledonian Canal had its share, the Göta Canal too, and let's not forget the Panama Canal that I've passed once as crew and once as a skipper. For some people on board, this lock was a first. Exciting!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">The marina itself was lovely, with a very sweet and cosy waterfront. As we came in, the sun went up and we had a breakfast together. Then, a lot of work on the boat followed. Washing the boat was fun as we sprayed each other with water, battling the heat of the day with all the sun and none of the wind! I think I had just 1,5 hours of sleep that night, but the excitement of arriving to a new destination and the cheerful spirit kept me going forward.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjywcHc2iSqtv967JQtkgv3bmI5L6Sj5bItgpfrOzEcme_MNRRg-7w2uyFBAmqzMsEWI84BRagkUyHVxVcl69DNispAJ4n6To1P9I3XhguTIlTAmzh61X-yjuj2AaWZADI2KyLhMDt0--6vNnwVBIcwEbWaufFbntSkS817yth04fp0oXv4PCxSDGDQGTj/s4032/20230901_074241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjywcHc2iSqtv967JQtkgv3bmI5L6Sj5bItgpfrOzEcme_MNRRg-7w2uyFBAmqzMsEWI84BRagkUyHVxVcl69DNispAJ4n6To1P9I3XhguTIlTAmzh61X-yjuj2AaWZADI2KyLhMDt0--6vNnwVBIcwEbWaufFbntSkS817yth04fp0oXv4PCxSDGDQGTj/w640-h480/20230901_074241.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally! A salt water crocodile close up!</td></tr></tbody></table></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">I wanted to see a bit of Darwin but there was not enough time for any longer excursions, as I was booked to leave that very night, after the dinner with the teams from Silver Fern and Salt Lines. A short walk through town was all I got, but it was sufficient to recognise some key parts of the town and prepare for the next time I'm here. Because I'm definitely going to come here again... for the next leg on the circumnavigation, where I plan to be going to Indonesia and beyond!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_XsE2p3UMCY9pGdXkSB8WO3evjXg5S5JxjrIN0g77-wxfeD8d4QPfmdiMM9M4_SeFB9m-j1t7takPQ4MbcTHNS_hPWJp-p373JJi3Ts-7GKXjnreRJKEWecJDvYArKpMPEkGJ-gLH09EUs_NnhFm2eRL4I9EPS66uqIlWafFPiaBcpGAufmeWf3T6r_F/s4032/20230901_174324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_XsE2p3UMCY9pGdXkSB8WO3evjXg5S5JxjrIN0g77-wxfeD8d4QPfmdiMM9M4_SeFB9m-j1t7takPQ4MbcTHNS_hPWJp-p373JJi3Ts-7GKXjnreRJKEWecJDvYArKpMPEkGJ-gLH09EUs_NnhFm2eRL4I9EPS66uqIlWafFPiaBcpGAufmeWf3T6r_F/w640-h480/20230901_174324.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cathedral in central Darwin. What's not to love?<br />Old and new, classical and modern, lawn and palm trees! Why choose?</td></tr></tbody></table><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_g6JFNzzHAwAgPzlxD-KkNNRNQbmYZA4BppPQE9XLEZ3O_rTPI9dOprEtoTvNq7a2AMlYn6cCp1ERCDIwWpdNMJG5K3VpIhLt-0y2UjZ5MjoX9k-UDl1pKh2k-jcubjN8IQ3HBD7jhMqrTMMFzQsGk_92-Ek_KtTZHqTgYrpOFUGBcKvRL2jQomDFjHb/s4032/20230901_174151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_g6JFNzzHAwAgPzlxD-KkNNRNQbmYZA4BppPQE9XLEZ3O_rTPI9dOprEtoTvNq7a2AMlYn6cCp1ERCDIwWpdNMJG5K3VpIhLt-0y2UjZ5MjoX9k-UDl1pKh2k-jcubjN8IQ3HBD7jhMqrTMMFzQsGk_92-Ek_KtTZHqTgYrpOFUGBcKvRL2jQomDFjHb/w640-h480/20230901_174151.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City of Darwin</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4yaUCa_iua4zZPK0G0RqLqb6lZ9eK6N6hI3DyzFSt7oDXOJiJQXG3qkFcH7qysTbauMD0N0qCvkMnlHW1UMZLd3oKK9Lg3G9XJA9LaHmTcyV8nFYMmeO3o1VdKMY6Lmhwp3XwYpuRjLyY-fcsDKVNnmSTQAkuzHlTahOt4LYjK2q6BLvKwAJqIwgX07O/s4032/20230901_174456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4yaUCa_iua4zZPK0G0RqLqb6lZ9eK6N6hI3DyzFSt7oDXOJiJQXG3qkFcH7qysTbauMD0N0qCvkMnlHW1UMZLd3oKK9Lg3G9XJA9LaHmTcyV8nFYMmeO3o1VdKMY6Lmhwp3XwYpuRjLyY-fcsDKVNnmSTQAkuzHlTahOt4LYjK2q6BLvKwAJqIwgX07O/w640-h480/20230901_174456.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I will love to see you again too, Darwin! Looking forward to it.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>This sailing leg had been a 1415 nM adventure. I'm now closing in on 30,000 nM as a total, and 10,000 as a skipper, this will have to be a celebration. Thanks to Dave and Sharon for having me as mate, and thanks to the rest of the team for the good sailing!</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZvvCGBycmnnlgycsILmhNyMPQQTRt2KZCfJNLJvaO6LeFRZlFQh4p37uFQKx6EplA94InqIwTbTXm0ofohxude_cNY5-kGePqhDV6tFX0p-gn-csaPHmno8aepEyu7W-PuDlrS7eS9qiqVttek0njkzMBvxFsYuMaDKfrWmdAjkz3aNHbB5J9pHsu-mb/s4032/20230902_200452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZvvCGBycmnnlgycsILmhNyMPQQTRt2KZCfJNLJvaO6LeFRZlFQh4p37uFQKx6EplA94InqIwTbTXm0ofohxude_cNY5-kGePqhDV6tFX0p-gn-csaPHmno8aepEyu7W-PuDlrS7eS9qiqVttek0njkzMBvxFsYuMaDKfrWmdAjkz3aNHbB5J9pHsu-mb/w640-h480/20230902_200452.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick run to Melbourne, to see friends. A wine tasting is a must. Strange to come from the very North with 34+ temperatures day time, to the very South with +3 night time...</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">When I was leaving Darwin, I was sure that I would not see Silver Fern again until the training sessions for Sydney-Hobart, that is to say December this year. Guess what - it turns out I will be sailing Silver Fern again, already this Autumn! I will join Sharon as Mate for one of the remaining legs of Australia Circumanvigation. Stoked to get back on board. There will be a report on that leg, too!</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">You can also come sailing - there are some great discounts on the remaining sailing legs, so now is the time to book. <a href="https://oceansailingexpeditions.com/australian-circumnavigation-2023" target="_blank">Grab the opportinuty here</a>. You don't have to be a seasoned sailor - the only thing you have to have is the passion for adventure and a willingness to learn. There will be memories for a life time. Stop dreaming - start sailing ;)</span></div><div><br /></div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDZ9ROyFsfhTi-ejQIPswtZwqqremdk7R7_C9J4NpZUAATNdW4T9UPasJ__s2kRQLuE0Du89rjPbaotAnh41pt2WgH4qw1yRGTRKqPgZBGwru5s5yhY5NycDNWAYnfj_TwODyUVRVGYn63tlgsBdT8HYvwTXBv18ExZGH3IA9jCDFgSiSZyGjsPfEj48V/s4032/20230827_181247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDZ9ROyFsfhTi-ejQIPswtZwqqremdk7R7_C9J4NpZUAATNdW4T9UPasJ__s2kRQLuE0Du89rjPbaotAnh41pt2WgH4qw1yRGTRKqPgZBGwru5s5yhY5NycDNWAYnfj_TwODyUVRVGYn63tlgsBdT8HYvwTXBv18ExZGH3IA9jCDFgSiSZyGjsPfEj48V/w640-h480/20230827_181247.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freedom of the seas: a sea eagle soaring over the coast. Northern Australia</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-79918139659280393502023-09-21T10:23:00.005-07:002023-09-22T01:59:05.396-07:00Arafura Sea to Timor Sea - and Gugari Rip<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwJeKZq2JWwc5rNoTDuPpCNNv6giYddDOfayfrsIdOv-1krALnAfG_3IS1dYTWnZYJWk_0CZY_IWpW_jMxtN7tHpWTWI8dGINodpoWqeExZv8f6zH1zNUjSP-f3F9TFdNju8E658qAFDRjRFJiK12w6vJFDNQUEPZVbrYuVz_q6CF2ZCLmAKsJ31oEyTy/s4031/20230827_180730.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="4031" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwJeKZq2JWwc5rNoTDuPpCNNv6giYddDOfayfrsIdOv-1krALnAfG_3IS1dYTWnZYJWk_0CZY_IWpW_jMxtN7tHpWTWI8dGINodpoWqeExZv8f6zH1zNUjSP-f3F9TFdNju8E658qAFDRjRFJiK12w6vJFDNQUEPZVbrYuVz_q6CF2ZCLmAKsJ31oEyTy/w640-h290/20230827_180730.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tropical sailing near equator, Northern Australia, Sager season</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">After sailing <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2023/09/end-of-great-barrier-reef-cairns-to.html" target="_blank">from Cairns</a>, to <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2023/09/coral-sea-to-torres-strait-top-of.html" target="_blank">Thursday Island</a>, <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2023/09/torres-strait-gulf-of-carpentaria.html" target="_blank">through Torres Strait </a>and further, we had the last leg to go - towards Darwin. This was a part of Australia Circumnavigation, which I thought I'd only join for this little while - but (a spoiler) little did I know I was to experience much more of Aussie coast later on! <a href="https://oceansailingexpeditions.com/" target="_blank">Check out here how you can sail with us</a>.</span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJ5cvhbcD4QfuPMhY960AhUC2Qs5HdvSXYXKb1DvR8WrPq2FB7qdNMBIy0WOnfgBn3h8-DK_KJJtfub46yLD5NAngceBo22GNHbGHYJa1KqHgrexYpyBt_iufUukdnxHfJtBERPDryJd9TQtWReOaT-5X7Rpeels99ejMuA4jv4KTmJCC-dtIDXNTWRz8/s3932/20230827_112435.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2949" data-original-width="3932" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJ5cvhbcD4QfuPMhY960AhUC2Qs5HdvSXYXKb1DvR8WrPq2FB7qdNMBIy0WOnfgBn3h8-DK_KJJtfub46yLD5NAngceBo22GNHbGHYJa1KqHgrexYpyBt_iufUukdnxHfJtBERPDryJd9TQtWReOaT-5X7Rpeels99ejMuA4jv4KTmJCC-dtIDXNTWRz8/w640-h480/20230827_112435.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The coasts around Arafura Sea, nearing Gugari Rip</td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The heat was getting higher. I don't know how it was in Arnhem, but in Torres Strait there were different seasons that were associated with the wind. The islanders themselves associate themselves with the land, the sea and the sky, and these are interwoven through beliefs, stories, song and dance. The seasons are named Kuki (strong NW winds, Jan-April, wet season); Sager (SE trade winds, May-Dec, dry season); Nay Gay (N winds, Oct-Dec, highest heat and humidity); and Zey (S winds, randomly through the year). Here, we were at Sager which was quite comfortable.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlX8K-ryNA3OkT2mNcTT4pV_NMH3Q78AR7qshtZbgD0k3YFx0yf7rCZQ5ecV4v0yiCxrErneswP767Pz_0IFuEsF7YIyG8VP7nMcNWZbc2EghsBIQx1Gr898TrZsOhcVngXM7LwpckugSAXQp337s5phWQCyDmZPEEnEkD-cM1hGC9Zu25BVdAbNfeq2go/s4032/20230827_162431.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlX8K-ryNA3OkT2mNcTT4pV_NMH3Q78AR7qshtZbgD0k3YFx0yf7rCZQ5ecV4v0yiCxrErneswP767Pz_0IFuEsF7YIyG8VP7nMcNWZbc2EghsBIQx1Gr898TrZsOhcVngXM7LwpckugSAXQp337s5phWQCyDmZPEEnEkD-cM1hGC9Zu25BVdAbNfeq2go/w640-h480/20230827_162431.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing to enter Gugari Rip</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">We sailed off from Gove Harbour and started off with going through the Gugari Rip, aka Hole in the Wall. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr33I6mvT89iKS4TRyB1zMz9WJ6_2SKMBfN1LGkPRnGGLRdG8Q9dRGGMXPMNH0ki14Ogis8dGNMerbZhHZBpUF2hRF5hVcuh9nVN6Xz7mrzxM9qT_o0z3OVmz5DFeE3PWBRAjXKXlZiXFzQyncTqDKJDSr6bpDpj3vea3i9QrcjYLQKcvgSFNHBgfC7bIY/s3877/20230827_162718.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2908" data-original-width="3877" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr33I6mvT89iKS4TRyB1zMz9WJ6_2SKMBfN1LGkPRnGGLRdG8Q9dRGGMXPMNH0ki14Ogis8dGNMerbZhHZBpUF2hRF5hVcuh9nVN6Xz7mrzxM9qT_o0z3OVmz5DFeE3PWBRAjXKXlZiXFzQyncTqDKJDSr6bpDpj3vea3i9QrcjYLQKcvgSFNHBgfC7bIY/w640-h480/20230827_162718.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting closer to Gugari Rip</td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">This natural channel is very narrow, and with the tides in these waters the currents in there can be very strong. But with a great timing by Sharon and David, we flew through there with no worries at all, and a pleasant 1,5 knots behind us.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wStlaMq9COWYsF7qA-CDDXgBRJVbAS3SQUQlMPbDR2qov-hhTB1aFHhVZTxfNDGNdRcVrRcUjLxq4IlwAtmJlEB7J6EeP-AKeHPYeOLrzBVhlZMOr5Kzch8ATGYsyl91iIIhuF1GPieEwVZWVIIecVgOHmyF0ta2gV2OBe41Q-Gw7_wgporVK__KA03B/s4032/20230827_155804.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wStlaMq9COWYsF7qA-CDDXgBRJVbAS3SQUQlMPbDR2qov-hhTB1aFHhVZTxfNDGNdRcVrRcUjLxq4IlwAtmJlEB7J6EeP-AKeHPYeOLrzBVhlZMOr5Kzch8ATGYsyl91iIIhuF1GPieEwVZWVIIecVgOHmyF0ta2gV2OBe41Q-Gw7_wgporVK__KA03B/w640-h480/20230827_155804.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave in total control - the team gathered ready for action</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">After Silver Fern entered the Rip, our sister boat Salt Lines followed suite. We took a lot of photos on the way, the rock wall was beautiful, consisting of flat formation. In Sweden, there is such thing as a pancake cake. It sort of sprang into my mind when I saw some of the formations.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77RgLlqq_dXBRsHUTOuPB5PdqMqEjVoiDT0eDt367jBaeHMTRn0e8yGxCd7uMzmk-k9685dxteLK4sAhDos1YIjnAeZSlip3NbBDP1QLvmWQXm0QRUcJ-wtaWCvfSOUmNrNg5lfOWX77zztSwfpHsDtihtJ6K45uG1201bXufdaVlYyjwxsgcFm1dO2JU/s4032/20230827_163257.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77RgLlqq_dXBRsHUTOuPB5PdqMqEjVoiDT0eDt367jBaeHMTRn0e8yGxCd7uMzmk-k9685dxteLK4sAhDos1YIjnAeZSlip3NbBDP1QLvmWQXm0QRUcJ-wtaWCvfSOUmNrNg5lfOWX77zztSwfpHsDtihtJ6K45uG1201bXufdaVlYyjwxsgcFm1dO2JU/w640-h480/20230827_163257.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Gugari Rip</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div>After the Gugari Rip, we anchored for a rest with an amazing sunset watching. The beach nearby looked very crockey. And yes, in the morning we saw fresh croc tracks there, going towards the water! Not wanting to repeat the polar bear experience from Eastern Greenland, I made sure to stay well within the boat's safety, not testing the risks.</span><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuOa7LP76m08NhTbph5cjGjpgvyc1qFov9tAUOjXrZ4Ko6Le8eAI2IksPq7jDR3Bm7ze93zqCZjdzUUoK61fSOpO-7h19B9a9PpnsEia072qB2S7A6hdlaF8n9rxrr_ifSoaKjn0l39qNwM17F6JebQ7p2DUfz8z-zEr6l5I-cY_VQwx6Ty6UiGLqoNyW7/s4032/20230827_180556.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuOa7LP76m08NhTbph5cjGjpgvyc1qFov9tAUOjXrZ4Ko6Le8eAI2IksPq7jDR3Bm7ze93zqCZjdzUUoK61fSOpO-7h19B9a9PpnsEia072qB2S7A6hdlaF8n9rxrr_ifSoaKjn0l39qNwM17F6JebQ7p2DUfz8z-zEr6l5I-cY_VQwx6Ty6UiGLqoNyW7/w640-h480/20230827_180556.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the beaches may look like</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The next leg was to be 225 nautical miles. I had time to so a short workout on deck, combining calisthenics and nearby gear for some lifting. Freya, a friendly crew member and a great adventurer and sailor, joined me for that.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmC60ic9aCjJigQZ9aotgtYpUsVG_VNLl2kD8ZcRabZa0920-oAEy5tkXKDwvTE8XUG5zWg_W8ZkKbdUG4LsJePIicoOXavrFeZQaGuUZ1kzMuw7ZNb7_FJ67Z2lMT5_PuBpknb86vyfAzKmCRL6yNMob7r5hyWVwb7vT2gZXbB5jORMHufF6c9S8DTwlg/s4032/20230828_110211.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmC60ic9aCjJigQZ9aotgtYpUsVG_VNLl2kD8ZcRabZa0920-oAEy5tkXKDwvTE8XUG5zWg_W8ZkKbdUG4LsJePIicoOXavrFeZQaGuUZ1kzMuw7ZNb7_FJ67Z2lMT5_PuBpknb86vyfAzKmCRL6yNMob7r5hyWVwb7vT2gZXbB5jORMHufF6c9S8DTwlg/w480-h640/20230828_110211.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Workout on deck. The petrol cans are perfect for doing curls!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">As we started moving, we soon got into the routines again. I was waking up from a rest between watches when I heard some cheering - we had done 1000 nM since the start, and Sharon had called it within a minute!</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8u9arknMa236t_UBZ8htsw0HaW_e3sLR0rREG2a2-mDFMQu3herAwYTxuBl4STc8axdDWXtwfFWSa1DeRDxFIXXl5pM3mUyNeWCz_WcY3Q4l79E6F4b4tHFFUXDs-idDmc0kN6qzh68hoTMy-Rk2eqseUhfKDAf2UQ830WnDE6KV3O5OmGl6lc_BlsH8B/s4032/20230827_180637.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8u9arknMa236t_UBZ8htsw0HaW_e3sLR0rREG2a2-mDFMQu3herAwYTxuBl4STc8axdDWXtwfFWSa1DeRDxFIXXl5pM3mUyNeWCz_WcY3Q4l79E6F4b4tHFFUXDs-idDmc0kN6qzh68hoTMy-Rk2eqseUhfKDAf2UQ830WnDE6KV3O5OmGl6lc_BlsH8B/w640-h480/20230827_180637.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos from earlier anchorages</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKw4qCpa86U_DVihdK-PgdtlT7g58xPCfXphb5ra5q4Qu6YItdC2EF0dHVkZvZwU3zhCzfv9WHMlSUCZIlT-cw24gE-lqe4rLavEwIU_Q3nIinPGdOW8VtlMSn4usbtLvr8ORCc99-0HM8OwuuaeJvJj6FpF6ly7TZOtkL_-9rdwY8F5Fuo9-HFtw7ipdy/s4032/20230827_180751.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKw4qCpa86U_DVihdK-PgdtlT7g58xPCfXphb5ra5q4Qu6YItdC2EF0dHVkZvZwU3zhCzfv9WHMlSUCZIlT-cw24gE-lqe4rLavEwIU_Q3nIinPGdOW8VtlMSn4usbtLvr8ORCc99-0HM8OwuuaeJvJj6FpF6ly7TZOtkL_-9rdwY8F5Fuo9-HFtw7ipdy/w640-h480/20230827_180751.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos from earlier anchorages - happy team!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqsRKb_4d2kLdca5vnc4BXiyZmE5K8PErW4l4rkqmahlSEw-jUOVE9j-emO5qZySjcgxW_21k8LHe2kBdQTaMMUWAI8tWu7yOqwOyVZIEBjFg8f_iVYn4D3pLWvXyyd_GbmTL5o_WPI6Tyi_SSBkZTp3Ap40N1rQpzZrEyaMawkUUZxxXQVn5-Dtblj3R/s4032/20230827_180836.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqsRKb_4d2kLdca5vnc4BXiyZmE5K8PErW4l4rkqmahlSEw-jUOVE9j-emO5qZySjcgxW_21k8LHe2kBdQTaMMUWAI8tWu7yOqwOyVZIEBjFg8f_iVYn4D3pLWvXyyd_GbmTL5o_WPI6Tyi_SSBkZTp3Ap40N1rQpzZrEyaMawkUUZxxXQVn5-Dtblj3R/w640-h480/20230827_180836.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos from earlier anchorages - happy team</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NTUsBOvgsuu8OacH5MHT-VExcSW4BC1aoshrJemtmnlo9OvYvRuFglxwktBlZe48bdgwD2I8VaMGbdT9VAgclLmNUAG1ILiYlTNzde5c_WKWFzrnqPuitPNQC9MyFo7oyP1gH9tYy65wGuxv_cM-AjaqrfTVuusqZVhhia9TFc7CJWdg6kWvprvcCCjl/s4032/20230827_181938.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NTUsBOvgsuu8OacH5MHT-VExcSW4BC1aoshrJemtmnlo9OvYvRuFglxwktBlZe48bdgwD2I8VaMGbdT9VAgclLmNUAG1ILiYlTNzde5c_WKWFzrnqPuitPNQC9MyFo7oyP1gH9tYy65wGuxv_cM-AjaqrfTVuusqZVhhia9TFc7CJWdg6kWvprvcCCjl/w640-h480/20230827_181938.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos from earlier anchorages</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">As we arrived to Cobourg peninsula, we were not allowed to get a permit to get on shore. This was because of ongoing land disputes. But anchorage was an option. So that was what we did. Also, we did a tiny race between the two boats. Of course, we let them win ;)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjFA1zRemf66x_7FSplRDblSuue1xQYmo9jaYj-og3JZ6YP0NWuL2VwJrqT3G94h2rgwAMT_9aeyjPDoaog-Wr2JL7eSvnCtPSgmEoVtNnKJMdgckGzgTngZ9vlvLemETIrdWL9aYeujfDU7xISi0ANQp-HrqqkXbiAwEv-71VTIc-XJRtVzJnBZmqwzW/s4032/20230828_125829.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjFA1zRemf66x_7FSplRDblSuue1xQYmo9jaYj-og3JZ6YP0NWuL2VwJrqT3G94h2rgwAMT_9aeyjPDoaog-Wr2JL7eSvnCtPSgmEoVtNnKJMdgckGzgTngZ9vlvLemETIrdWL9aYeujfDU7xISi0ANQp-HrqqkXbiAwEv-71VTIc-XJRtVzJnBZmqwzW/w640-h480/20230828_125829.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salt Lines making the best out of the wind</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The water has been amazing all the way. So turquoise it seemed almost unnatural. I am not sure what causes that color, probably the white sand on the bottom and the clear water. Even when the skies are gray, the water color stays the same. In Sweden, when the sky is cloudy, the water turns a steel-gray color.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbE7jKp_MMQrU9nD3ukftUOxD1sITybNJYSV5MuLwICKdBnOv3F0rgSNAurM54ZJSfF6aHlO5fmGplolT_aD_9OEEbEfbI14zXN1GKNa6OKrFwceQ9ZLOxLyEpvmdxrVKTPZG6hXkeF2rnpYymPKAuJ8a4XWFJyVH1vtMbCdGBd_ogpRBcth71pzVwBdn/s4032/20230830_113802.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbE7jKp_MMQrU9nD3ukftUOxD1sITybNJYSV5MuLwICKdBnOv3F0rgSNAurM54ZJSfF6aHlO5fmGplolT_aD_9OEEbEfbI14zXN1GKNa6OKrFwceQ9ZLOxLyEpvmdxrVKTPZG6hXkeF2rnpYymPKAuJ8a4XWFJyVH1vtMbCdGBd_ogpRBcth71pzVwBdn/w640-h480/20230830_113802.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holding up a turquoise cushion to compare to the water.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Sometimes, it would be streaked by brown foamy substance. We knew that this was coral spawn, that would stream in huge amounts and hopefully give life to new coral somewhere. But the neverending joke was that Salt Lines had emptied their toilet tanks!</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLfWbuBMouJp-S8MaUoNukJfMBBb0Px6jBmlfaS6_pK0EgibNQk45Q4bAYOBtCb3vfoXNiEggcXTXHLYvnwHk3puJdH4cm01IDBD2Y6K3RNsr-KuqfNPOEemYP1dFNIGRknDkfsmuH6-XyYjUV1NJupndx-65m1QtmARGd7iyClx4F5NR5A--9Xh5hyR0/s4032/20230829_121744.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLfWbuBMouJp-S8MaUoNukJfMBBb0Px6jBmlfaS6_pK0EgibNQk45Q4bAYOBtCb3vfoXNiEggcXTXHLYvnwHk3puJdH4cm01IDBD2Y6K3RNsr-KuqfNPOEemYP1dFNIGRknDkfsmuH6-XyYjUV1NJupndx-65m1QtmARGd7iyClx4F5NR5A--9Xh5hyR0/w640-h480/20230829_121744.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The coral spawn floating by</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The last stop before Darwin was Adams Bay, at the mouth of Adelaide River. The guide book called this Port Daly and promised crocs everywhere. Finally, we'd get some proper photos! The tour operators would take tourists here, and give the crocs some food to have them jump up from the water. Great - we had some food on board, and by this I do not mean the crew - so we headed there with the cameras ready. We had a briefing about safety, so no dangling of any body parts over board. Even the h</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">and signs while raising anchor were held above the deck, not over the water.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EY_B9r9mxQ8SbvWB13NCa5Y7RaChck1Fq9rEN5PpRJ1SuMAymUW36DGBVswc8U10An2o2-YhFkWxGiMSgwKQOT2BosOBtdImflENKm1yIWwR0TN0myExi1UEEKNFP4PYQf2eLkkw7WH4to3VU6lHzvF9qXBvQ5PEnB1VHWjqEE_5GEBL6zV0RB4Pb3ro/s3962/20230830_110156.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2971" data-original-width="3962" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EY_B9r9mxQ8SbvWB13NCa5Y7RaChck1Fq9rEN5PpRJ1SuMAymUW36DGBVswc8U10An2o2-YhFkWxGiMSgwKQOT2BosOBtdImflENKm1yIWwR0TN0myExi1UEEKNFP4PYQf2eLkkw7WH4to3VU6lHzvF9qXBvQ5PEnB1VHWjqEE_5GEBL6zV0RB4Pb3ro/w640-h480/20230830_110156.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bush fires at the distance. These are apparently controlled and burn the undergrowth to protect the bush from unintentional fires.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The river mouth was shallow, a sand bank that had to be negotiated slowly, then a channel where we could anchor. The water was brown in color, the wind had stopped, the heat was on. And there were no crocs in sight.</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">We waited and waited. The binoculars gave us a few potential sightings, all unconfirmed. We used the time to do some practical stuff on board, I had a shower for instance, and the crew made an amazing dinner of roast lamb. Still no crocs.</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">We watched the moon rise. It was the Blue Moon, a second full moon this month. We were carefully planning the last leg towards Darwin. This passage had some tricky currents so we needed to time it meticulously with the tides in order to pass the narrow channel safely.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wW-ObQ0di0FeN11MRLEgwehUGvx9aZ7CaVEx93po-r20q-UuKjfLWrX5qLKsEP_1XYRCQO6Y90nBXCMqcYF1SySUOWW-76HrR3GfnMpOozjbcCilu2jedSG8hmohliWr06CBBj30-ypn_jUWmGl6yWNUkAjKtGS5p-B-WIO1aVfLqZ7Vs_EtAW8z5ioc/s4032/20230830_183725.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wW-ObQ0di0FeN11MRLEgwehUGvx9aZ7CaVEx93po-r20q-UuKjfLWrX5qLKsEP_1XYRCQO6Y90nBXCMqcYF1SySUOWW-76HrR3GfnMpOozjbcCilu2jedSG8hmohliWr06CBBj30-ypn_jUWmGl6yWNUkAjKtGS5p-B-WIO1aVfLqZ7Vs_EtAW8z5ioc/w640-h480/20230830_183725.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun setting in croc country</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">We had roast lamb for dinner, listened to some music and did some laundry, in a very relaxed pace.</span></div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Little did we know that all plans were going right out of the window! <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2023/09/boat-rescue-mission-and-arriving-to.html" target="_blank">See next blog post here.</a></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-41239251901042680832023-09-08T03:06:00.006-07:002023-09-21T10:24:58.670-07:00Torres Strait - Gulf of Carpentaria - Arafura Sea<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJz1jHMFc752qRQYbhVAw1I_MrIQvM5zvzJ0h9jLqbvmuIs5OtuOcuQ_kikoVB-Xf9GH_W2wrzKWQLCKuGaqFQHnxTq1O3ZTFfCSA03tWAT-Dlf-qjwpQXeTBlyv23Lfv2zYpB-Ddpap066eweBMTbEPVWSAMNdAEek28zj6HyZ6HAnu3hH6dtRPErmvK/s4032/20230826_104809.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJz1jHMFc752qRQYbhVAw1I_MrIQvM5zvzJ0h9jLqbvmuIs5OtuOcuQ_kikoVB-Xf9GH_W2wrzKWQLCKuGaqFQHnxTq1O3ZTFfCSA03tWAT-Dlf-qjwpQXeTBlyv23Lfv2zYpB-Ddpap066eweBMTbEPVWSAMNdAEek28zj6HyZ6HAnu3hH6dtRPErmvK/w640-h480/20230826_104809.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing tropical sailing</td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">After sailing from </span><a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2023/09/end-of-great-barrier-reef-cairns-to.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">Cairns to Lizard Island</a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"> and further to </span><a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2023/09/coral-sea-to-torres-strait-top-of.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">Thursday Island in Torres Strait</a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">, the next sailing leg would take us across the Gulf of Carpentaria. This is sailing across the two "horns" of northern Australia. Just about ten degreens south of Equator, this is a tropical, very warm area. This being just the end of Australian winter, the last days of August, the heat was dry and the trade winds cooled us off. These are still crocodile and shark waters, so very exotic for me!</span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kAgZteHKS0EMi5KIqRAUKfUUVlEBetKUrVuXQZuyovIYAXiylWzL5ngTjagIw4RB-qyc5xAzmDIs5nqhUHh5SuechBQzuSQutPGWlzw_wHWpjMM0XC-HuG_hP9gaGhSewuGqqMlVDI56Ki9IhQLXyqCo85-yqM3t4y_8yD_9ShYLl1smvXpBni6u3WjN/s4032/20230819_175313.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kAgZteHKS0EMi5KIqRAUKfUUVlEBetKUrVuXQZuyovIYAXiylWzL5ngTjagIw4RB-qyc5xAzmDIs5nqhUHh5SuechBQzuSQutPGWlzw_wHWpjMM0XC-HuG_hP9gaGhSewuGqqMlVDI56Ki9IhQLXyqCo85-yqM3t4y_8yD_9ShYLl1smvXpBni6u3WjN/w640-h480/20230819_175313.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yet another sunset on Silver Fern</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The 320 nautical miles across Gulf of Carpentaria were just nice going. We sail during the whole day and whole night, and once you fall into routine, it just continues. The starry nights, the sunny days, a tasty dinner on board... a few sea birds, an occasional whale. Remembering to hydrate. Not so many other boats. A cheese platter, a nice chat with the crew. Maybe adjusting the sails. Another watch change, some sleep, then some coffee. And then - repeat.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnucZgiIpTvlm4kHfSyBSs_dMZAOY86KMmbLgvpttJtQaI-a2tjYqfiaWVfjwOrb_7pPGNV9UOKFHevGRgwEvsRZBfK92FUnBxVg5uI268b51h0mEeiCEyKBdQADrV_lmAPvauGaXycXXFkq2sfwhIFt0bM6FJBmnzT8OmLb5Rl8KwBuDTH7nKtxs4BFA/s4032/20230824_174451.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnucZgiIpTvlm4kHfSyBSs_dMZAOY86KMmbLgvpttJtQaI-a2tjYqfiaWVfjwOrb_7pPGNV9UOKFHevGRgwEvsRZBfK92FUnBxVg5uI268b51h0mEeiCEyKBdQADrV_lmAPvauGaXycXXFkq2sfwhIFt0bM6FJBmnzT8OmLb5Rl8KwBuDTH7nKtxs4BFA/w640-h480/20230824_174451.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some dramatic photos as a squall is approaching in the evening. Hitting about 35 knots, it quickly passed. Here, Sharon is getting set for a sail change!</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">One of the less pleasant things was the toilet on the boat (the correct term is "heads", I know, but I'm guessing ther are quite a few land crabs reading this) - it would not really cooperate. Luckily we had two. David did a heroic effort trying to fix it. After brief success though, it was acting up again. It took almost all the way to </span><span class="il" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Darwin</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"> to get it to work properly. At the end, the pipes were taken apart and I assisted by pouring out what was inside, at the end of the human chain heaving out the buckets with unspeakable contents. The pipes needed cleaning after a long usage in warm temperatures where residue would build up more quickly. There were chunks of calcium that reminded of crushed egg shells... and there was a bit of other stuff too. That's sailing for you! The toilet always breaks. Especially in the tropics. I'm a huge fan of doing the deeds outside the boat. However, here it's not an alternative, given the salt water crocodiles and the sharks. And doing it off the side of the boat is just too dangerous - and not very hygenic.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DDF6ZDRugGRHnHtR_ePaaqwNGJjR2XoEX5tIDoIYTlYOlZpYVpAWzkFKOhLPYVTUy2DoqXIHhJFieryeCK1-cEK3W-PVjshiQZJ5yEx_-nqMcVi4ImO0S5dHV6QD2gVcLkUD7rXgukkp6e-_Ytu1u9pxPOGYBj8Ry1_mEkI7lcWgojjDVi073RPaiQX_/s4032/20230824_155417.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DDF6ZDRugGRHnHtR_ePaaqwNGJjR2XoEX5tIDoIYTlYOlZpYVpAWzkFKOhLPYVTUy2DoqXIHhJFieryeCK1-cEK3W-PVjshiQZJ5yEx_-nqMcVi4ImO0S5dHV6QD2gVcLkUD7rXgukkp6e-_Ytu1u9pxPOGYBj8Ry1_mEkI7lcWgojjDVi073RPaiQX_/w640-h480/20230824_155417.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will spare you the toilet photos - here are some lovely sailing photos instead</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUw8RGIQXJklUv-0BBE6UpDVF6v7qLsYrz1OJi3is36cM1ehWtFAx7R3sdA7FRAJtF0e1C3YRLnr9tb5ISvlxsaKa_WYDIWsfeWGSu9Rj8ByOcV_iFG2VJyu4fLRD-qt3mDK_EKq9xeGIwWA92zneuvzVQB-66dYSweMpIxDge_2AukXWicTEapbrvQR8/s4032/20230824_181652.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUw8RGIQXJklUv-0BBE6UpDVF6v7qLsYrz1OJi3is36cM1ehWtFAx7R3sdA7FRAJtF0e1C3YRLnr9tb5ISvlxsaKa_WYDIWsfeWGSu9Rj8ByOcV_iFG2VJyu4fLRD-qt3mDK_EKq9xeGIwWA92zneuvzVQB-66dYSweMpIxDge_2AukXWicTEapbrvQR8/w640-h480/20230824_181652.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will spare you the toilet photos - here are some lovely sailing photos instead</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvT4w1dRxxOrZfmdUkDNVBfCzyQfboW0GiGzb3_H926GgMu20994YHfu_rEsVBGIb4YpTpK9jYPA0yTvQW-6XlHHDg1KOUgKiSIqyu4e-FB5bHJaN23-dlSNAypt1wV3ZYxRp6rEFV-6az8LNuwlxj1mZ_jWWIrds8VrJIVAXOh-KFmVmxW5l25GVhVge/s4032/20230824_160138.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvT4w1dRxxOrZfmdUkDNVBfCzyQfboW0GiGzb3_H926GgMu20994YHfu_rEsVBGIb4YpTpK9jYPA0yTvQW-6XlHHDg1KOUgKiSIqyu4e-FB5bHJaN23-dlSNAypt1wV3ZYxRp6rEFV-6az8LNuwlxj1mZ_jWWIrds8VrJIVAXOh-KFmVmxW5l25GVhVge/w640-h480/20230824_160138.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will spare you the toilet photos - here are some lovely sailing photos instead</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">As we arrived in Gove Harbour, it was such a contrast to the previous places in Coral Sea and Torres Strait. Here, everything was covered with red dust, as a contrast to the white beaches before. There is a bauxite mine here and a very industrial look dominates the aesthetics.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9o9tVpe6nCggLQ7S2_KEQAPEcru0gSxc2ny7HIF_wxu2YC5rfDTkCE1lEf8NoMw4RV9TnfIMDcqb1W9Oq88l-ECNPulYedx9XWK1lqJAwMRYN-hAgzpm6YjXHOViMKRFqPjuKCkEF3Sgc63lHbJ9Ri6ZgIe2wI8u-v1lQParjs9aDi6R4dUoyLqsIjP9k/s4032/20230826_115333.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9o9tVpe6nCggLQ7S2_KEQAPEcru0gSxc2ny7HIF_wxu2YC5rfDTkCE1lEf8NoMw4RV9TnfIMDcqb1W9Oq88l-ECNPulYedx9XWK1lqJAwMRYN-hAgzpm6YjXHOViMKRFqPjuKCkEF3Sgc63lHbJ9Ri6ZgIe2wI8u-v1lQParjs9aDi6R4dUoyLqsIjP9k/w640-h480/20230826_115333.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching Gove Harbour</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">We came just in time to grab a meal at the Gove Harbour Boat Club. I had an amazing Mediterranean Lamb sallad, could not have made it better if I tried my very best. Then the kitchen closed, so we were lucky to be there on time. Salt Lines who fell behind us would need to organise the food in some other way.</span><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcshaq2ic3UN4m8JFkuQ2pnpP4HyczJJ0xU5fq8_Y_-PVWvlYBxjRIPFrxnpV8FAlhCAIJOTD-tpzFKkj6oH7xilA0VQTad8oZRQiz5b1p0YA29CTD5gO0XjUCemVb5poJZyowEZWVPmfE8bTkgydzzN9dNuHBWlTqXaIDJ5Ov5qKt32awVsEKJxy7H8n/s4032/20230826_143822.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcshaq2ic3UN4m8JFkuQ2pnpP4HyczJJ0xU5fq8_Y_-PVWvlYBxjRIPFrxnpV8FAlhCAIJOTD-tpzFKkj6oH7xilA0VQTad8oZRQiz5b1p0YA29CTD5gO0XjUCemVb5poJZyowEZWVPmfE8bTkgydzzN9dNuHBWlTqXaIDJ5Ov5qKt32awVsEKJxy7H8n/w640-h480/20230826_143822.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old local army and croc photos in the boat club</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">I was ready for some coffee, but there was just nothing around. A camping site, a tiny boat yard - but no shops, cafées or anything else really. There was a bar, but I needed coffee, not a beer. Despite all locals telling me that beer should replace any coffee </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">since it's Saturday.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4JgxnM3vGTbDXvq-6k9nxV1znM3weIV9u5oxDcj0Oij_4JUk8mo7R0W7bx0zOU75Xd6WLJUlAoOxIbAsF152-AcYOQuGph3bNliKTQYTgmGWAUMVxwpsN_zBPnJ86-R2R538gmi8uQf17Zbi4qYJqrmnLFR5ebZwaoVK90kzh-4rOmCHE_fFPQIrSkA4F/s4032/20230826_143936.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4JgxnM3vGTbDXvq-6k9nxV1znM3weIV9u5oxDcj0Oij_4JUk8mo7R0W7bx0zOU75Xd6WLJUlAoOxIbAsF152-AcYOQuGph3bNliKTQYTgmGWAUMVxwpsN_zBPnJ86-R2R538gmi8uQf17Zbi4qYJqrmnLFR5ebZwaoVK90kzh-4rOmCHE_fFPQIrSkA4F/w640-h480/20230826_143936.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local warning signs. There are several signs at the beaches, too.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The coffee abstinence had me wanting to go out and explore the surroundings. Maybe I would find a coffee machine - or maybe I would find adventure? Me and two few fellow crew went to see if we could make it to the other side of the peninsula.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvXD5YT09YnGvTME791iIFjtgKK0NyH-xaOQiaseyDCtHsMqsBV58Gl7nMGitkshK4wx0nML9-2i-WkY-A8kkLl4bgWdJlHbzY8-pr10JgfuHxiNTdU2OqgEkaUmX932cpiRohGi5inVwFo0eV1SohlHQQZCobmosn-9ToUu3xb_xMZ5qG22VTQzvPeRa/s4032/20230826_150953.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvXD5YT09YnGvTME791iIFjtgKK0NyH-xaOQiaseyDCtHsMqsBV58Gl7nMGitkshK4wx0nML9-2i-WkY-A8kkLl4bgWdJlHbzY8-pr10JgfuHxiNTdU2OqgEkaUmX932cpiRohGi5inVwFo0eV1SohlHQQZCobmosn-9ToUu3xb_xMZ5qG22VTQzvPeRa/w640-h480/20230826_150953.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The red dusty roads and the mine belt</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">First, we walked past a conveyer belt moving the bauxite. The mine was still running despite this being Saturday. Apparently, it takes 23 hours to load a cargo ship, that would then head for Gladstone - we've seen quite a few of these on the way to here.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeexdP65se5fPkFAyAkTuss0qALM3_uignMpi06BrmInF6iOlONycyhW0jDpxDkJPC8r3VxMfeoRqsov12J4JsCD6mkqNkYUnVyvlyigYLPsl1Cj0zI6qp7v6DrwiSw35CGJ1Jbk-23GS3EtWCkR09lm6zMfpy99LgVpwrokuGGeNKwAlkCufKs6nMQq1-/s4032/20230826_151021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeexdP65se5fPkFAyAkTuss0qALM3_uignMpi06BrmInF6iOlONycyhW0jDpxDkJPC8r3VxMfeoRqsov12J4JsCD6mkqNkYUnVyvlyigYLPsl1Cj0zI6qp7v6DrwiSw35CGJ1Jbk-23GS3EtWCkR09lm6zMfpy99LgVpwrokuGGeNKwAlkCufKs6nMQq1-/w640-h480/20230826_151021.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red hot!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">A tarmac road led into the mine, and out towards the town with was a few kilometers away. We turned to an unpaved road and walked through a field of termite mounds. Together with some perfectly cubic blocks someone had placed there, the landscape looked extraterrestrial. Like being on another planet!</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJ8lkx9B1Hxbr1fgPzVN_Yp1_EGkmqEORNs1BnO1Aun8sspzestUFbO_4TPv1e9CGZhtW5v9l9KGbQ45J12TwR5vtUOk09GQ-d2zKPcdRfNt_rUfVB8xdGGnSwsGalZea-oS4uBrnrtVGq94hzZtqNlHaz45leG9QblTBtjjZ0PHh390W3FTffLu98d4l/s3900/20230826_151619.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2925" data-original-width="3900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJ8lkx9B1Hxbr1fgPzVN_Yp1_EGkmqEORNs1BnO1Aun8sspzestUFbO_4TPv1e9CGZhtW5v9l9KGbQ45J12TwR5vtUOk09GQ-d2zKPcdRfNt_rUfVB8xdGGnSwsGalZea-oS4uBrnrtVGq94hzZtqNlHaz45leG9QblTBtjjZ0PHh390W3FTffLu98d4l/w640-h480/20230826_151619.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The landscape on the way to the beach.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">For me, living in Scandinavia, the termite mounds are exotic - however, the Aussies are very used to them. Sort of like ant hills in Sweden? I would surely have had some good laughs if I were to have a tourist ooh and ahh about the ant hills in the local forest. The Aussie in our little party did thankfully not make fun of me, and even offered to take some photographs.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhRRilBjPOcwxvxRXKvg_AcmYlUzrkDwjn6ehsgSnyAGx5p5t_x2PEfPxZFeuDBRroj6cjOWhQFxryAqCOhxgtFsPxrGWu_MFSab2FdlniSRs7Ishez8u6TeUXkgRUo4fp65dC_lqXwE3Bwdoe49ld1rtIqF5Y0zD8jGlawsPZhJZZMnHzeT3d_iaLT3p/s4032/20230826_151201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhRRilBjPOcwxvxRXKvg_AcmYlUzrkDwjn6ehsgSnyAGx5p5t_x2PEfPxZFeuDBRroj6cjOWhQFxryAqCOhxgtFsPxrGWu_MFSab2FdlniSRs7Ishez8u6TeUXkgRUo4fp65dC_lqXwE3Bwdoe49ld1rtIqF5Y0zD8jGlawsPZhJZZMnHzeT3d_iaLT3p/w640-h480/20230826_151201.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closer to the beach</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Then we came to a beautiful white beach. Keeping a good lookout for crocs, we had a walk around it and quickly came back. Risk management is everything in my profession...</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKg81RBEnqeX5vg0D1Daq9k7oXYwF_kupWjzeefjXyl9fMsxTwqWlp-Wq407xjcrZNaLDuXu-W6kwTB_aciwA4TqLSyR7-dTyxuAnh0sQYL317OYqHCansB0XnR-q2mJGDAoCaS_8TsSZ1Bm1YlbrLURQcpNI__J7Ph4-rkWbmtgPgdF5Xy1hpthiIcg4/s4032/20230826_152602.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKg81RBEnqeX5vg0D1Daq9k7oXYwF_kupWjzeefjXyl9fMsxTwqWlp-Wq407xjcrZNaLDuXu-W6kwTB_aciwA4TqLSyR7-dTyxuAnh0sQYL317OYqHCansB0XnR-q2mJGDAoCaS_8TsSZ1Bm1YlbrLURQcpNI__J7Ph4-rkWbmtgPgdF5Xy1hpthiIcg4/w640-h480/20230826_152602.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sailing mates strolling along the beach. The next one is called Wallaby Beach and then we have Crocodile Creek. Yeay...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpvJdpQTceZro9UYV93aknyJIGwey_IvAviCsrrgs1y7OJpdkGnqzvYUdNobsu6pX2ZNMKdN-CR8cPUXyFrwnNiJnL2KCivjp1m1uhGHiy914YcVpbTZT6prnqS8nMxl3yGx8uwqwdVZQN4loJ3-M_S3gQw0NEbKSwTZjC1itYtmz9c-JNJDzc51G3ixY/s2944/20230826_152330.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="2944" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpvJdpQTceZro9UYV93aknyJIGwey_IvAviCsrrgs1y7OJpdkGnqzvYUdNobsu6pX2ZNMKdN-CR8cPUXyFrwnNiJnL2KCivjp1m1uhGHiy914YcVpbTZT6prnqS8nMxl3yGx8uwqwdVZQN4loJ3-M_S3gQw0NEbKSwTZjC1itYtmz9c-JNJDzc51G3ixY/w640-h480/20230826_152330.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yours truly, with the original Silver Fern Australian Circumnavigation shirt!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cFoNaKJylExJ9xH7Ozlg9CRu0PYBu1ZS5KtfAHplrtxBsBFxWOXVjVkJMlUThhRKH0E3KpKkHcOwEOf8RlQdUTA_42NUyE-au5kNlSAEwzGKs618vNrQb4VnmSMS4o86fl1lY1sZSQX7vUUaAU6OOHTPd9A9gXt-MSQeDhEgZoPPS_Y1HetBtCqpsWkh/s4032/20230826_152414.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cFoNaKJylExJ9xH7Ozlg9CRu0PYBu1ZS5KtfAHplrtxBsBFxWOXVjVkJMlUThhRKH0E3KpKkHcOwEOf8RlQdUTA_42NUyE-au5kNlSAEwzGKs618vNrQb4VnmSMS4o86fl1lY1sZSQX7vUUaAU6OOHTPd9A9gXt-MSQeDhEgZoPPS_Y1HetBtCqpsWkh/w640-h480/20230826_152414.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other side of the beach. The beauty is in stark contrast with the industrial buildings. Or, maybe, they complete each other?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The heat was intense and the red dust was everywhere. Some flattened toads forever mumified in various dancing positions completed the eerie feeling as the road swang back to the boat club.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOckSwNFRxYU2g8acS7VwokKQHM71EiysL4iFcgs8JBhccU8s_lf1_fjpo0SaRE_GAnYuU95WWiSblw3cAQ_R71yDcWTuJ2I_JqLSWbMrs1jdVW64-h9CQx7LB7d0sKfFbO24RFp16IbuIQ9tBvZ--hELYkvrFQJa-RlTEPVy-qaIdwprEj_raItertyP8/s4032/20230826_151629.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOckSwNFRxYU2g8acS7VwokKQHM71EiysL4iFcgs8JBhccU8s_lf1_fjpo0SaRE_GAnYuU95WWiSblw3cAQ_R71yDcWTuJ2I_JqLSWbMrs1jdVW64-h9CQx7LB7d0sKfFbO24RFp16IbuIQ9tBvZ--hELYkvrFQJa-RlTEPVy-qaIdwprEj_raItertyP8/w640-h480/20230826_151629.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These termite creations are perfectly spherically shaped. A bit unclear to me how they build it and why, but I totally buy the idea of rolling termites. Or giant termite eggs? ;)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">I took a short run and soon it was time to get ready for our dinner. The town of Nhulunbuy was waiting for us. Once again a contrast. It was unlike Gove Harbour at all. We we seated at a very pleasant restaurant and had a nice meal. The air was fresh and much cooler, there was none of that red dust anywhere, the lush vegetation framed the outside swimming pool and the white painted house walls a bit further off. The skies above us filled with myriads of large fruit bats. And then, the night fell.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrx8adwklArJD1LyQfvcE7E3JgMXL-hpzVlemE4Q3uwC-Cl1uwcbUo8uSUAkRRwlAz2RcbC1Mxsypi6j0_8NgUBTQOsrwOxTvmzcqTY658o4ISlxjhcWp1McnPYvJl9mlqxz-yvUzVdsz5MDs-X1gA_SfVY_pDsyVaTGQT9HeOEFKOjLbesXGUws9sEK-/s4032/20230826_183813.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrx8adwklArJD1LyQfvcE7E3JgMXL-hpzVlemE4Q3uwC-Cl1uwcbUo8uSUAkRRwlAz2RcbC1Mxsypi6j0_8NgUBTQOsrwOxTvmzcqTY658o4ISlxjhcWp1McnPYvJl9mlqxz-yvUzVdsz5MDs-X1gA_SfVY_pDsyVaTGQT9HeOEFKOjLbesXGUws9sEK-/w640-h480/20230826_183813.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thousands of these creatures. So fascinating!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">It turned out that this weekend there was a festival out here - <a href="https://eastarnhemlive.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">East Arnhem Live</a>. </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">This was a festival of Indigenous Australian music, and this Saturday there were some main acts. I did not expect to get an opportunity to experience the culture in this way, and I definitely did not expect going to a music festival! This was awesome, so we got there and listened to Andrew Gurruwiwi Band (local celebrities) and also to Ripple Effect - an all-female band. And we danced!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWrBfqJimjBBLPILpeFYU5d_0skSZ0_8WVogy_XXZRC0UXTh3VATispckl1TK_aYT-ohCiUm1yUW4UwUCqitPCWVpiTr5iVgVC4B3f_fhQqbDAEpWCsLcgzBN-bwV3jtx6rOhL2xlfv5UpM7jqxwnkSo7XMMZ9UHs5hJ6yrdNOPM6rdWL9rOrZkRyhjgq/s4032/20230826_200031.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWrBfqJimjBBLPILpeFYU5d_0skSZ0_8WVogy_XXZRC0UXTh3VATispckl1TK_aYT-ohCiUm1yUW4UwUCqitPCWVpiTr5iVgVC4B3f_fhQqbDAEpWCsLcgzBN-bwV3jtx6rOhL2xlfv5UpM7jqxwnkSo7XMMZ9UHs5hJ6yrdNOPM6rdWL9rOrZkRyhjgq/w640-h480/20230826_200031.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Andrew Gurruwiwi Band. The tree was a part of the stage, a backdrop for all the music acts.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6108F8IdXzpC6ebfY1kfzTvWGn_Qa9Nb73_Yx-RT1uTIKOZd9ypmehFRqccgqMkbcQg9MABj6faMAUcsX4sBSAKdyfXYqz9c4W4QOcryFYWJaFFumR-q0S-SZFJbUe5S5zTfinkWnfeRN7gvYyJvDbif56yjI83398kOoqQd6EBH7sIUS-eRFGvf1HaD3/s4032/20230826_210550.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6108F8IdXzpC6ebfY1kfzTvWGn_Qa9Nb73_Yx-RT1uTIKOZd9ypmehFRqccgqMkbcQg9MABj6faMAUcsX4sBSAKdyfXYqz9c4W4QOcryFYWJaFFumR-q0S-SZFJbUe5S5zTfinkWnfeRN7gvYyJvDbif56yjI83398kOoqQd6EBH7sIUS-eRFGvf1HaD3/w640-h480/20230826_210550.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ripple Effect, with their powerful and poignant songs.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Nearby, and ambulance was standby together with the staff. They were smiling, drinking coffee and listening to music. Of course, I had to ask them about the particularities of their job.</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">They told me that there were of course a lot of simularities no matter where the job was. But of course, this differed a lot from big cities and also other territories. Apparently, not so many calls about crocs maiming or killing people - everyone here is really "croc wise". Instead, there were a lot of minor calls about people cutting their feet when walking barefoot. But apparently, some calls would involve patients that had been speared in the thigh, or somewhere else. It's a local tradition of punishment when somebody breaks the law of the community. Apparently, it's not allowed anymore, so it would be done outside of the village. Fascinating for someone like me, who hadn't been aware of this before.</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The islanders we've met have been friendly and welcoming, so this would be the feeling I'll bring with me from Arnhem. A remote place bustling with culture and creative spirit.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">As we headed back to the dock, we found our dinghies on dry land. The tide had the floating dock lay flat in the mud.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">This was the beach with the crocodile warnings, so a few people were wary of the beasts, looking around with there flash lights to check for red eyes staring at them from the dark. We found none, but then again - the crocs always see you first before you see them!</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Somehow we neede to get back to the boats, and we made a collective effort to lift Salt Lines' dinghy into the water (which required a full crew of ten people as the heavy RIB had sunk into the mud).</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLHNE45ttQGryBWSPUGbCwka0QD4JZfPZpnM9NFzdJ2mtn10oFLq06dPk6JSUWt-5RYpWZVsJl3_kOqrM-gfCA7L9GMhPPSaqr9Vi5mnix_-ljW7oXNRtywhyL-SH_bY7Vo_Wr-Z9BaW8k2NvjDT-cKR9V6YSKROFWn54WnsIn_V-Z1frXxEJ973NFbbB/s1500/34+Sailing+Expedition+To+Gove+Harbour+Northern+Territory.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1120" data-original-width="1500" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLHNE45ttQGryBWSPUGbCwka0QD4JZfPZpnM9NFzdJ2mtn10oFLq06dPk6JSUWt-5RYpWZVsJl3_kOqrM-gfCA7L9GMhPPSaqr9Vi5mnix_-ljW7oXNRtywhyL-SH_bY7Vo_Wr-Z9BaW8k2NvjDT-cKR9V6YSKROFWn54WnsIn_V-Z1frXxEJ973NFbbB/w640-h478/34+Sailing+Expedition+To+Gove+Harbour+Northern+Territory.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo creds: David Hows, Silver Fern - <a href="http://sailing.blog">sailing.blog</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Then, I turned to our dinghy. It was light enough for me to lift by myself, so I wrestled it through the mud and into the water. Arms and legs intact, I jumped aboard and soon the rest of the crew were inside. Off we went into the dark - and we managed to dodge the crocs this time. Yeay!</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Now, we had another leg to sail down to Darwin, through very tricky waters. Standby for the <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2023/09/arafura-sea-to-timor-sea-and-gugari-rip.html" target="_blank">next blog post</a>!</span></div></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VVW0z35rrOm2T4bKlXR8Ir2wgCiYqhNqinAGzLfDppxrH68M8c94ZZOjvbsyiqKEnce7Aw4j5yBOX9MiI3eRWl4c2Jawgavj2vSDA9IjOHplL19NqQCNQMNHcuiTsBT1_2RfZ5qxeTMJl3L6J0hANgvRZ3WUVlsr7zvSeByoLRMclx9dxFTYjPZmwQcl/s4032/20230824_155343.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VVW0z35rrOm2T4bKlXR8Ir2wgCiYqhNqinAGzLfDppxrH68M8c94ZZOjvbsyiqKEnce7Aw4j5yBOX9MiI3eRWl4c2Jawgavj2vSDA9IjOHplL19NqQCNQMNHcuiTsBT1_2RfZ5qxeTMJl3L6J0hANgvRZ3WUVlsr7zvSeByoLRMclx9dxFTYjPZmwQcl/w640-h480/20230824_155343.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sailing on!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-4520170492947322222023-09-06T23:40:00.006-07:002023-09-08T03:07:11.781-07:00Coral Sea to Torres Strait: top of Australia<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSm5GJrac1fMMJBD8DSrBTpgk_LWK-SVC-EHZD6KOvWPu4yAtuAJXB0pQrtjpspLh6BGT26_e0S_WWr9FK7b166VeNLMsm2K5cj6OCqzWtIRO6Rtj3RZqzONKc_z3ReE8NLK-uYIG2JmPElT_NktwwD8s9moiIkBRG4etryYovX-iMtOe-BaHZgL_KV5GR/s4032/20230823_150959.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSm5GJrac1fMMJBD8DSrBTpgk_LWK-SVC-EHZD6KOvWPu4yAtuAJXB0pQrtjpspLh6BGT26_e0S_WWr9FK7b166VeNLMsm2K5cj6OCqzWtIRO6Rtj3RZqzONKc_z3ReE8NLK-uYIG2JmPElT_NktwwD8s9moiIkBRG4etryYovX-iMtOe-BaHZgL_KV5GR/w640-h480/20230823_150959.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thursday Island arrival!</td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Leaving </span><a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2023/09/end-of-great-barrier-reef-cairns-to.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">Lizard Island</a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">, after a couple days' sail, we reached Cape York - the northernmost point of mainland Australia! There are many islands in Torres Strait, and the last Aussie island is just south of PNG, but when it comes to mainland, this is as far as you can get.</span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihm4PsFFXyVu_S28ek5wv7JK-k7w8H3lH8e7DoXaOdyBpgW1CBPLLVPxXcRit9NJzFXCRvK_mBFCOcOykQS1fBk1LFGVdQ_-9TfZEIToCxKjOOoMssalzGA38dJTGmVqE1wX6ejpOlOH9hiokOrrIaNJ6ibx6qCLUly5Rzi_huZlJqvDkxgva6Lw8MsF2O/s2944/20230819_175328.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="2944" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihm4PsFFXyVu_S28ek5wv7JK-k7w8H3lH8e7DoXaOdyBpgW1CBPLLVPxXcRit9NJzFXCRvK_mBFCOcOykQS1fBk1LFGVdQ_-9TfZEIToCxKjOOoMssalzGA38dJTGmVqE1wX6ejpOlOH9hiokOrrIaNJ6ibx6qCLUly5Rzi_huZlJqvDkxgva6Lw8MsF2O/w640-h480/20230819_175328.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to Cape York</td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">We had an anchor stop near Mont Adolphus to catch up on some sleep, and then we finally came up to Thursday Island. There are many islands here in the Torres Strait and I would really have loved to explore them all. But we had limited time, so we stopped here. It is the northernmost port of entry in Australia, and has the northernmost airport.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlC7DBYu8043m6CiAWrgpubchl0081nz0xCKtcRpUoqc71NzG6rnoTsQ5FpXmlSkrUdtWIozLHvxHqyD52lsoQHrSS1Puz1hk-VQSb9uofM3rP1OSGu6RBUUHeA0K-cc7BLbTHRAB-RK_nE6XG4OxnadYhdGgmGuVYMcSIxJWf83CPR546M3xWpMFQ5iJu/s3959/20230823_162355.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2969" data-original-width="3959" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlC7DBYu8043m6CiAWrgpubchl0081nz0xCKtcRpUoqc71NzG6rnoTsQ5FpXmlSkrUdtWIozLHvxHqyD52lsoQHrSS1Puz1hk-VQSb9uofM3rP1OSGu6RBUUHeA0K-cc7BLbTHRAB-RK_nE6XG4OxnadYhdGgmGuVYMcSIxJWf83CPR546M3xWpMFQ5iJu/w640-h480/20230823_162355.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Fern on anchor</td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">There's a bit of civilization in the shape of a couple of restaurants and shops, a cultural center, a sports center, some beautiful walks, a fire station, a hospital and a ferry terminal.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPw1n5iMD8wdCfZ7QRTvZmHv_gWsFnoX3hAxk4NjcieI3RiGOwWlBcpk0t8qmJWxnrhoVKc-v_lWCwHJ4LQgG3l680Hziw9ldT_I4BKSDHaQqbc1iPDBrZ9-AuI7TO_0uJZmfjEgZYf29rkm9f9lLUCLj76Y_lUzFa-HA-Iylq8XAzB9WCIav-SLuKLbR/s4032/20230823_172557.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPw1n5iMD8wdCfZ7QRTvZmHv_gWsFnoX3hAxk4NjcieI3RiGOwWlBcpk0t8qmJWxnrhoVKc-v_lWCwHJ4LQgG3l680Hziw9ldT_I4BKSDHaQqbc1iPDBrZ9-AuI7TO_0uJZmfjEgZYf29rkm9f9lLUCLj76Y_lUzFa-HA-Iylq8XAzB9WCIav-SLuKLbR/w640-h480/20230823_172557.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last pub in Australia - there are no water holes on the smaller islands further up north in Torres Strait. Same goes for airports and other such stuff</td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The Indigenous Australians that live here are more like the Papua New Guinea folks than the Aboriginal People of Australia, with different traditions and appearance. With just about 100 nautical miles to go to PNG, maybe it's not very strange.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-RI4YiGfNJP7Jj7EPCXwSepOBuz1qezrkZc-dQ50hyamt4wIY_X8yr9iOVDWEoUp-cpXrWQKRCr8G5zv9Rc3OZ10a_KmQSW0-AF4hJ5uinxUOHR7qwEjpQCQUG1mLJn2qahqaalgrUl-pfRMpFXrhw22ARQCb9ktHvRsAMOICeOgjZf-NFsek83fCEh9/s3897/20230823_170925.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2923" data-original-width="3897" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-RI4YiGfNJP7Jj7EPCXwSepOBuz1qezrkZc-dQ50hyamt4wIY_X8yr9iOVDWEoUp-cpXrWQKRCr8G5zv9Rc3OZ10a_KmQSW0-AF4hJ5uinxUOHR7qwEjpQCQUG1mLJn2qahqaalgrUl-pfRMpFXrhw22ARQCb9ktHvRsAMOICeOgjZf-NFsek83fCEh9/w640-h480/20230823_170925.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local textiles of which they make dresses and shirts, and sell to the tourists</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">There is a pearling industry here, however the days of the pearling boats are gone and so are the divers. Nowadays, the pearls are cultivated. The pearl and mother of pearl jewellery are made here by the locals and sold at the local shops.</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">On the way there, our sister boat Salt Lines had an incident. The propeller shaft had overheated badly, with some melted plastic as a result (they had to through a few buckets of water on it before it stopped steaming). The seal had lost its integrity and the boat was now taking in water.</span><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6lZ3GtYRlraMWVYLIulpyjIESaS07iBNvToqRQ8mWkSLpgUD-ER23bUUjVooudZcZ8EEUqORAE922_3UCEVOGGrLxclCq3P_vcBZaHmF5e6fH7M6-IfyY0zjF-jZWOPcrIXbs4rWXeXDxUAtL6E-XrCdy75UT6wYTIcydcusen_1NlCdcSe8vhIOfeFL/s4032/20230821_064317.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6lZ3GtYRlraMWVYLIulpyjIESaS07iBNvToqRQ8mWkSLpgUD-ER23bUUjVooudZcZ8EEUqORAE922_3UCEVOGGrLxclCq3P_vcBZaHmF5e6fH7M6-IfyY0zjF-jZWOPcrIXbs4rWXeXDxUAtL6E-XrCdy75UT6wYTIcydcusen_1NlCdcSe8vhIOfeFL/w640-h480/20230821_064317.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo of Salt Lines along the route<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">We made sure to steer into a protected anchorage in order to be able to work without the boat rolling. Then we rafted along Salt Lines that had dropped anchor. David and Sharon looked at the shaft and found the problem and a way to fix it. I was all ready with a firepump in case they would start taking in more water during the repairs. Finally, my firefighting skills could potentially be put into use on board! Luckily, they were all good, and the firefighting practice excercise remained and excercise.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UyUxnTL05UGAw-7i6BRlk6bhkqPE4D3DhcbaXefYkU7DrVBXpwlQYodytGBHG_QmmloaKUJgcg6n8AyWfR3KhxbDAH2Uc2MASAYMgVVPVUrNLdJGzavohh8Jyzi6dw-8WO73qNgG0Xwtmtz0PBDhFXLwwNu9qBBIY-HiEPkSZGa28IcCIzhqMYlihacX/s4032/20230821_084125.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UyUxnTL05UGAw-7i6BRlk6bhkqPE4D3DhcbaXefYkU7DrVBXpwlQYodytGBHG_QmmloaKUJgcg6n8AyWfR3KhxbDAH2Uc2MASAYMgVVPVUrNLdJGzavohh8Jyzi6dw-8WO73qNgG0Xwtmtz0PBDhFXLwwNu9qBBIY-HiEPkSZGa28IcCIzhqMYlihacX/w640-h480/20230821_084125.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Repairs ongoing. How many people can they cram into the bilge?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Sailing together with a sister boat definitely makes it safer to be out here in remote waters. Helping each other and sharing competence is a must at sea. Things do break sometimes, and it's all about knowledge, experience, and preparedness (which also means bringing lots of spare parts along).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_7HwHcYIR-1N8IhTJgEDros70DvLab9fm-krMW4pu5mTQiVegXsnb9WNyEmeFMTT6b6rRv90_I7iX-mmBG-ufGWsWfujDSNW63NY7kWoC5QzMt4tzZ8d5ZKeOS0fotncCcgUrO-FlIYCwvpQXMRmDZ4sdPPXM9qNcFmfRJLkJIEz0JPncUBeN3U9rf8F/s3961/20230823_162328.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2970" data-original-width="3961" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_7HwHcYIR-1N8IhTJgEDros70DvLab9fm-krMW4pu5mTQiVegXsnb9WNyEmeFMTT6b6rRv90_I7iX-mmBG-ufGWsWfujDSNW63NY7kWoC5QzMt4tzZ8d5ZKeOS0fotncCcgUrO-FlIYCwvpQXMRmDZ4sdPPXM9qNcFmfRJLkJIEz0JPncUBeN3U9rf8F/w640-h480/20230823_162328.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sister boats on a windy anchorage at Thursday Island</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">These waters are remote and quite dangerous - with the reefs, tides, currents, and not to forget - salt water crocodiles around! Often, there is no phone coverage, and as we left the Great Barrier Reef and the shipping lanes, there were not very many ships around. So you're on your own.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzh5bUHV4zDagmKbUXRA4ujiiRZgYO17CuTOEtarZ3eIZfDiKXr0grX-naaLKqnGlZ1MuHrl2h7_uGrFKicJtCfRDYJhQEZy3nOV3JE_hjxaT5QzYUOHoTPXPNl9Fy_6Q6HE2jWjEUqvXC1cTpHnF4z_X3QFuzViDJT_Hz8nghxr2Bf8G60sMsnSVA5El/s4032/20230823_163008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzh5bUHV4zDagmKbUXRA4ujiiRZgYO17CuTOEtarZ3eIZfDiKXr0grX-naaLKqnGlZ1MuHrl2h7_uGrFKicJtCfRDYJhQEZy3nOV3JE_hjxaT5QzYUOHoTPXPNl9Fy_6Q6HE2jWjEUqvXC1cTpHnF4z_X3QFuzViDJT_Hz8nghxr2Bf8G60sMsnSVA5El/w640-h480/20230823_163008.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's you and the local boats...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">On the other hand, the remoteness of these islands is precious. And the scenery here is amazing. The waters are an insane turquoise color, even if the skies are gray - it's unbelievable.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pr6N82ebA4d0o6T4W4-IDSBAV49UJ-op3WUl5Yg8QPwKBANxjaPniLtgWUcFaKNc5po0yshvwhfOcpVq3zqn9KgW9UdyvxczzedhB09VMh3-njH1G7Mhn1XmaHoq5uk9ZP0nejwizdfMv_SwfwoyIuTFmyt4pmkSJGTAENVsuaut0N1XOOVKnbfFp9cG/s4032/20230823_125619.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pr6N82ebA4d0o6T4W4-IDSBAV49UJ-op3WUl5Yg8QPwKBANxjaPniLtgWUcFaKNc5po0yshvwhfOcpVq3zqn9KgW9UdyvxczzedhB09VMh3-njH1G7Mhn1XmaHoq5uk9ZP0nejwizdfMv_SwfwoyIuTFmyt4pmkSJGTAENVsuaut0N1XOOVKnbfFp9cG/w640-h480/20230823_125619.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo from when we were arriving to Thursday Island. The water is a bright turquoise despite the gray skies. The photo has no color filter, this is what it looks like!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">We spent the night on the anchorage near thr mangroves on Horn Island, a bit more protected. In the morning, we were in for a treat as a salt water crocodile came out to the beach! It still was quite a distance away, but it sure was a magnificent sight. These are large beasts, and very dangerous.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9R94-F-_6VGlzzBHnQjt4zGNnboscHJtVKCKNG1FOA7tfRoH947e7hZPSN01fWz3uSxwQMWW0I3ccifGOP3G-Z_JeVI2_m1jODG8RN4lGPfkh4OCCLv4oS981jtH159PMI0KMD20gkUlQK3Vre160EqfgXjVPUrukPHjxA_SNG-O83qNN3qmrh1JlgUY/s3923/20230824_071742.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2942" data-original-width="3923" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9R94-F-_6VGlzzBHnQjt4zGNnboscHJtVKCKNG1FOA7tfRoH947e7hZPSN01fWz3uSxwQMWW0I3ccifGOP3G-Z_JeVI2_m1jODG8RN4lGPfkh4OCCLv4oS981jtH159PMI0KMD20gkUlQK3Vre160EqfgXjVPUrukPHjxA_SNG-O83qNN3qmrh1JlgUY/w640-h480/20230824_071742.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A large salt water crocodile sunbathing on the beach near or anchorage.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">We spent the Thursday there too, and visited the culture center and the historic fort. There was just so much to see!</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFAurrfwB690EdaPcWBXKUlpbFRJIMIQMUx1uTuCu_6r6_f_juDosr12AhZXZLs9kAPe9kFzB4lUqNpm_zF3KstjfGcEnazlTWEs4aNp9bowhoXaCIjpU8j1Nu03_a0v-p9thDhKXRWI-fhTU5AA4jfNw-j9HUlllm5bxA8hEXOmiuj5g7fwIZHKMaQnS/s4032/20230824_131320.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFAurrfwB690EdaPcWBXKUlpbFRJIMIQMUx1uTuCu_6r6_f_juDosr12AhZXZLs9kAPe9kFzB4lUqNpm_zF3KstjfGcEnazlTWEs4aNp9bowhoXaCIjpU8j1Nu03_a0v-p9thDhKXRWI-fhTU5AA4jfNw-j9HUlllm5bxA8hEXOmiuj5g7fwIZHKMaQnS/w640-h480/20230824_131320.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big cannons!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIhqbZGrfOYu-x1wrZSyADBYntI0RtFC94DjyrqXSI5OQeh3dIOUlwHw2vpFqzAnCtourWwULDD-D6KzBymJ4llEMIK-_egb5lr0BdXMK2ysIXRgLGgNDfiSFDNWPeLqJ5HJrATh8HX7VTao2iMmJmnDCKT1bOMT4If_JUf1-9qRB1OyuSFnRw_JPDXe6/s3930/20230823_162458.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2948" data-original-width="3930" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIhqbZGrfOYu-x1wrZSyADBYntI0RtFC94DjyrqXSI5OQeh3dIOUlwHw2vpFqzAnCtourWwULDD-D6KzBymJ4llEMIK-_egb5lr0BdXMK2ysIXRgLGgNDfiSFDNWPeLqJ5HJrATh8HX7VTao2iMmJmnDCKT1bOMT4If_JUf1-9qRB1OyuSFnRw_JPDXe6/w640-h480/20230823_162458.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another photo from the beach</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">However, soon we needed to leave as the wind was picking up and Salt Lines was dragging. I had had my 10k run in the heat, and a lovely shower at the sports center, so I was ready to go!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4IUrObwTe6AAZeBKQGKvtCIx5HrDBDQEEXhZzjdwLZtw1qNEyq8MFpc5XF16AJFHRGLmiqzKcFacM-tkysES2I2D3JeRL-m90mWh58kMUgR5kOiVxSziKX-kL8aQHQXm8uHSiO9buW-wM6sStPd0GdfYsspxs3nZGfJUDkzBx4clCYGEwPlakojlUo18/s3862/20230823_160136.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2896" data-original-width="3862" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4IUrObwTe6AAZeBKQGKvtCIx5HrDBDQEEXhZzjdwLZtw1qNEyq8MFpc5XF16AJFHRGLmiqzKcFacM-tkysES2I2D3JeRL-m90mWh58kMUgR5kOiVxSziKX-kL8aQHQXm8uHSiO9buW-wM6sStPd0GdfYsspxs3nZGfJUDkzBx4clCYGEwPlakojlUo18/w640-h480/20230823_160136.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roads with breathtaking views. From the run in the midday heat of northern Australia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: 17px;">The next island westwards was called Friday Island. We did not spend the Friday there, instead we sailed further. That will be <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2023/09/torres-strait-gulf-of-carpentaria.html" target="_blank">the next blog post</a>!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJtyYIvRYFsVFFU1-uicOWuYu4HGPpv73WJhWMEJbn_CzipYfqa4vDXN_Spbrz-N30vNV5QvfdOi16Y_6j7dSwDYYy5X-yFU3jjTzN9lzLgEEVu-Ozt40I5WKPfVZAPmTZigTLOTjOj0ZU9kqmtCPc6tiH9uxbz-GhuGyC8SXzrDgzGDM07ENhtuOgFAU/s4032/20230823_162338.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJtyYIvRYFsVFFU1-uicOWuYu4HGPpv73WJhWMEJbn_CzipYfqa4vDXN_Spbrz-N30vNV5QvfdOi16Y_6j7dSwDYYy5X-yFU3jjTzN9lzLgEEVu-Ozt40I5WKPfVZAPmTZigTLOTjOj0ZU9kqmtCPc6tiH9uxbz-GhuGyC8SXzrDgzGDM07ENhtuOgFAU/w640-h480/20230823_162338.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The anchorage seen from the beach</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95Q2ymF2EGDTNABTZFv5wB6km2soNA7uShgs6hzHqovhAGKDe9tCVV4l4qoqnJjB7V0BP9gBbh3kYGeIdJbBHFuoYDM493Z6yi6p4TWIZRPZBRCbGMp7Y1WXNeOJpfhvdkl3K9QLYtJcnnwIE9JaKL9FDPr7HDiw0sWMu-MkI01R3DaFyWUn-8HGedSuP/s4032/20230823_163008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95Q2ymF2EGDTNABTZFv5wB6km2soNA7uShgs6hzHqovhAGKDe9tCVV4l4qoqnJjB7V0BP9gBbh3kYGeIdJbBHFuoYDM493Z6yi6p4TWIZRPZBRCbGMp7Y1WXNeOJpfhvdkl3K9QLYtJcnnwIE9JaKL9FDPr7HDiw0sWMu-MkI01R3DaFyWUn-8HGedSuP/w640-h480/20230823_163008.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And just another portrait of Silver Fern in the bright blue waters despite gray skies.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-67736882867851705712023-09-06T23:06:00.002-07:002023-09-07T00:02:41.393-07:00End of Great Barrier Reef: Cairns to Lizard Island<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNdi7_JXagpdE3xEabkuSp_uljXYQHVCSTmhqxIpzWzHKSDYhx572hBOpsiDPox3bpx1-3mUZbBVpnS-goZd09tXqOm_a7IjomDCSocZSO_SwZ8FEZWN6iVVBFSR3mCYUxX9lylr178hxIkLxwcO092_9x50SPxde4nIMQFzD58ARMDIOa_zM5lxIquMW/s4032/20230820_104813.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2278" data-original-width="4032" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNdi7_JXagpdE3xEabkuSp_uljXYQHVCSTmhqxIpzWzHKSDYhx572hBOpsiDPox3bpx1-3mUZbBVpnS-goZd09tXqOm_a7IjomDCSocZSO_SwZ8FEZWN6iVVBFSR3mCYUxX9lylr178hxIkLxwcO092_9x50SPxde4nIMQFzD58ARMDIOa_zM5lxIquMW/w640-h362/20230820_104813.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Fern, a 72 ft expedition yacht</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br style="text-align: left;" /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Time to post some more updates! I hope to write more about last year's Sydney to Hobart, and some more interesting things. But now, to the latest sailing I've done.</span><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">As it is clear from the earlier posts, I have a circumnavigation I've almost completed, but not quite. I still have to sail from Australia to Asia and across Indian Ocean. In fact, I want to continue to another circumnavigation - around Cape of Good Hope, to South America, Cape Horn, and then again onto the faraway Pacific islands. <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2016/10/sailing-log.html" target="_blank">My full sailing log can be found here</a>.</span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">For a long time, I've been looking for the opportunity to sail towards Darwin. And as Silver Fern was doing the Australian Circumnavigation, I finally got the chance! I've <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/07/why-not-superyacht-you-can-come-too.html" target="_blank">written about the boat earlier</a> - this was an amazing investment and I am happy I had jumped at the opportunity. Now, there are a total of three beautiful sailing boats in that fleet!</span><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgva7RUcN0uu1WTdI2HbMjMXpW1ENQMRTQAvIRgNP6fmRUe53nxfmp_iQ3uMcVk7tyoyu9GK1bA__-xFpEVLC1C75UNkfUByNtTs34eqmBxWy7T7BYg1tFi4DsGjE0tQYNpv6kMB7h9fzFlOgsT-JchgPsFv9brDL8s6k8_7W7Ec7m4CDYL4irR4H66b69J/s3648/20230819_115715.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgva7RUcN0uu1WTdI2HbMjMXpW1ENQMRTQAvIRgNP6fmRUe53nxfmp_iQ3uMcVk7tyoyu9GK1bA__-xFpEVLC1C75UNkfUByNtTs34eqmBxWy7T7BYg1tFi4DsGjE0tQYNpv6kMB7h9fzFlOgsT-JchgPsFv9brDL8s6k8_7W7Ec7m4CDYL4irR4H66b69J/w640-h480/20230819_115715.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy to be on board Silver Fern again! On this boat, I've sailed Southport to Sydney, and Sydney to Hobart 2022.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The owner and skipper is David with whom I've sailed 3 Sydney to Hobarts, 1 Tasman crossing, 1 Brisbane-Hamilton Island race and then some. </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">This time, another skipper was on board parallel to him. </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The new skipper was </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Sharon Ferris-Choat, a world ranked sailor who has competed in Olympics, non-stop world circumnavigations and world's most renowned races, </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">breaking and setting several World Sailing Speed Records, and doing some incredible sailing overall - <a href="https://oceansailingexpeditions.com/sharon-ferris-choat" target="_blank">see here</a></span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">. She coaches and teaches sailing, and is an amazing role model. The fact that she will work as skipper on the Ocean Sailing Adventures is an unparallelled opportunity for guests to get professional sailing advice and feedback, while practicing hands on.</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">David focused on handover of the operations of Silver Fern to start with. About half way through the journey, Sharon took over the role of skipper, and my role was the Chief Mate. Sailing with her was highly developing for me, and I'm really greatful for that privilege.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_JO9rfXr3nKPxJC4s3rLXVtqjzhjnXDVcVWWwnpkfp-xaI9iXIGs-ShybESEb-eYObE8R0ecgSVNGHpgvvgDKEkw6vQLroFOKuTBKgReBZkRsgwEYFsU2TO1yWhOWfVK7iXxjtvfFxIOYaMs2crsJz2wVTJmJNvunNMwLOR4MvgGZNYwtzqy1EWaOPiY/s4032/20230819_181729.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_JO9rfXr3nKPxJC4s3rLXVtqjzhjnXDVcVWWwnpkfp-xaI9iXIGs-ShybESEb-eYObE8R0ecgSVNGHpgvvgDKEkw6vQLroFOKuTBKgReBZkRsgwEYFsU2TO1yWhOWfVK7iXxjtvfFxIOYaMs2crsJz2wVTJmJNvunNMwLOR4MvgGZNYwtzqy1EWaOPiY/w640-h480/20230819_181729.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharing a watch with Sharon and snapping photos of her while she's snapping photos of the sunset!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The other boat, Salt Lines, was skippered by Phil who's worked in the Navy, and also done instructing and examining for different sailing certificates. The Chief Mate was Jess, who was in there straight from the Navy. A bit sad that I never got to sail with her - I loved her competence and humor. What I did do was follow her clever and funny blog updates, check out <a href="http://sailing.blog/salt-lines">sailing.blog/salt-lines</a> - and of course you can follow David's posts about Silver Fern <a href="https://www.sailing.blog/silver-fern" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohe3h0rqooHWQHNd1BaBBNLMhFhHNcfcwF1_wNoy2fyCMKGsXJjMRPM7ISgsviSY1mlqO9tXwzFmEtrrGxrdVtaT8Yi0s551GIwWzV1arcQme_mGU0a0qAqlJsULEGau0IMOX-RQyy9_KXzLmlp02BQqZb7oo7VrqqDIGeQfIUSwupZGdN4GskYQ_7DON/s2596/20230820_132250.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1947" data-original-width="2596" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohe3h0rqooHWQHNd1BaBBNLMhFhHNcfcwF1_wNoy2fyCMKGsXJjMRPM7ISgsviSY1mlqO9tXwzFmEtrrGxrdVtaT8Yi0s551GIwWzV1arcQme_mGU0a0qAqlJsULEGau0IMOX-RQyy9_KXzLmlp02BQqZb7oo7VrqqDIGeQfIUSwupZGdN4GskYQ_7DON/w640-h480/20230820_132250.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two sister boats, photographed from Cook's Lookout at Lizard Island. Silver Fern on the foreground and Salt Lines anchored a bit further away.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The sailing just in itself was great. The conditions were stable all the way through, with tail winds ranging between 15-25 knots, with some gusts over 30 on a squally night and some calmer nights towards the end. The days were hot here in the North of Australia, close to the Equator - anything from 25 to 35 during daytime from the feel of it. Night time, the temperatures would drop to about 23, but the 20 knot breeze had me put on a light jacket towards the end of the night. Otherwise, it's been a shorts and t-shirt kind of sailing. And a lot of sun screen!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Rf-7KcElD6_cAgF0K2dhsYkM3X629n0Ko29rXTMEsTawg3r0QLEi4Kmqg4gT9MOUNnKbic-m9ki5kLlml949MR1p_bMyreSHgbVoBNPUHhDf9lWqQ4BJDjQlozNJ6oFc3Pj9b6P8gGyMtaIqf287VHVShLUZW_FI-8CBZkzeL8SjE-N7Mn87i_c7wUMK/s4032/20230819_175157.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Rf-7KcElD6_cAgF0K2dhsYkM3X629n0Ko29rXTMEsTawg3r0QLEi4Kmqg4gT9MOUNnKbic-m9ki5kLlml949MR1p_bMyreSHgbVoBNPUHhDf9lWqQ4BJDjQlozNJ6oFc3Pj9b6P8gGyMtaIqf287VHVShLUZW_FI-8CBZkzeL8SjE-N7Mn87i_c7wUMK/w640-h480/20230819_175157.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun going down after a beautiful hot day of sailing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">I got a lovely run along the seaside in Cairns begore leaving. We had a nice dinner together with Salt Lines, our sister boat that was sailing the same route.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrs2jzpc0_tZRBfLe3HKJG0B6a19bbw_rr6lF-TLujnY_fHruy-emtr-uHKe8mF0UNelFBChpmnI8Y0FPcHHLZixf9qmUiaoNm0zqts6WXLGkDBYroAfaZrLLmygPlMkrMJOARQoJnGn3SyZ0g8VRQBYLwCpZQWyZTaqt-DuKVCtSDGhYep7ihVA5YTFs/s3806/20230819_065820.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2855" data-original-width="3806" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrs2jzpc0_tZRBfLe3HKJG0B6a19bbw_rr6lF-TLujnY_fHruy-emtr-uHKe8mF0UNelFBChpmnI8Y0FPcHHLZixf9qmUiaoNm0zqts6WXLGkDBYroAfaZrLLmygPlMkrMJOARQoJnGn3SyZ0g8VRQBYLwCpZQWyZTaqt-DuKVCtSDGhYep7ihVA5YTFs/w640-h480/20230819_065820.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snapped some morning photos of the marina in Cairns after the morning run</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The next stop would be Lizard Island. Some of the guests had already completed the first leg of the circumnavigation on either Silver Fern or Salt Lines, and knew the ropes a bit. Others were new and had to learn quickly.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWJWRlEAS1yHFoVWHzbJ2g3Dq4CfKLgFb5G_xrePrPoS8Kp5PwoaZYRQtxc9mOssXdpACsgJ2Lx253g_q5uP3jbN3NwoxvjZfIMzVHulcj-YQf5Is1UlMFD70exDAhY0sO_G93RZgzXtb6AP24jl--DLDutE-ZCyymRhp0yR9Mw2PJT67YnDrfADewsib/s4032/20230819_140948.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWJWRlEAS1yHFoVWHzbJ2g3Dq4CfKLgFb5G_xrePrPoS8Kp5PwoaZYRQtxc9mOssXdpACsgJ2Lx253g_q5uP3jbN3NwoxvjZfIMzVHulcj-YQf5Is1UlMFD70exDAhY0sO_G93RZgzXtb6AP24jl--DLDutE-ZCyymRhp0yR9Mw2PJT67YnDrfADewsib/w640-h480/20230819_140948.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joint military excercises had us encounter all different types of boats along the way</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">We split into 3 watches, having 3 hours on, 6 hours off during daytime - and 2 hours on, 4 hours off during night time. Sharon, I and a crew named Ken were the watch captains. Ken was doing the whole circumnavigation and was a great asset.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJp6suXxAx3_zkoh9fN8LKIKeMUJqng2zUbeDdoq6PTt5j8OkPIDIuk78-uXnc0Xfe-wKXc4GgOKY25qehEDgk2u32nkLTozZZBTSDSQqUUr7iHa1tOq3KsC5G6jel0rEwk746uB3m-_ijgXH24MbFXHacHURAbvJOGVWDmDeViBvcw2dBCrwpP0UUT7BB/s3730/20230820_094715.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3002" data-original-width="3730" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJp6suXxAx3_zkoh9fN8LKIKeMUJqng2zUbeDdoq6PTt5j8OkPIDIuk78-uXnc0Xfe-wKXc4GgOKY25qehEDgk2u32nkLTozZZBTSDSQqUUr7iHa1tOq3KsC5G6jel0rEwk746uB3m-_ijgXH24MbFXHacHURAbvJOGVWDmDeViBvcw2dBCrwpP0UUT7BB/w640-h516/20230820_094715.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Onwards towards the north!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The coastal sailing along the Great Barrier Reef had us confined into narrow shipping lanes which we shared with cargo ships, fishing boats and a few more sailing yachts. There are a lot of reefs, rocks and shoals to watch out for, so we had to take great care, especially since the route required quite a few gybes around the clock. On the way, we saw dolphins and whales!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgry1eDIB14ki5HBNz3w-Jv0_KaUF_gYHrwqO4_9M0X-_Dig3KqkddLEV79UA38BaPWS9XDabSKj5dyMqNKh1t1q03T8e2HtDAe7siW-WG0mOU8Yf8_W-c7Lf0-8BQ9WMW8fkEGSZwb3DYwon4sjllwWZ4LF9B_u4rzm2ruc-ObGEr-S6mAtbArlOqc6H6H/s4032/20230819_181723.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgry1eDIB14ki5HBNz3w-Jv0_KaUF_gYHrwqO4_9M0X-_Dig3KqkddLEV79UA38BaPWS9XDabSKj5dyMqNKh1t1q03T8e2HtDAe7siW-WG0mOU8Yf8_W-c7Lf0-8BQ9WMW8fkEGSZwb3DYwon4sjllwWZ4LF9B_u4rzm2ruc-ObGEr-S6mAtbArlOqc6H6H/w640-h480/20230819_181723.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day turning into night again, the misty coastline further and further away.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Lizard Island was an amazing place with beautiful, warm waters. Arriving there, we anchored in a bay where there were a few more boats, and headed for the white beach in Salt Line's RIB. The water was just </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">crystalline, showing off both the sand, the reef, and the blueness of the skies and the sea.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEq1UDbiuwg3Dh6XT_vUWMgT8sO4EKUlol2CJgV2qP4MvbTsFIuDH6fxAJxayfs5-odiOTroA0SZ2jiOOGLNKV9jkZffAlz9k_GOpnxSe0coAj2XPaANXhEeG3Hp3y4nhhS2luo2RVQURw0Yl4IS6wDbUni1VY_vIkiIge5fO3A1N11Y6lm0MrL-Kvoiv/s3953/20230820_105458.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2916" data-original-width="3953" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEq1UDbiuwg3Dh6XT_vUWMgT8sO4EKUlol2CJgV2qP4MvbTsFIuDH6fxAJxayfs5-odiOTroA0SZ2jiOOGLNKV9jkZffAlz9k_GOpnxSe0coAj2XPaANXhEeG3Hp3y4nhhS2luo2RVQURw0Yl4IS6wDbUni1VY_vIkiIge5fO3A1N11Y6lm0MrL-Kvoiv/w640-h472/20230820_105458.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The anchorage off Lizard Island</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Ev6PqxJ97L2Dj3Sdyn8Ox4R1FOYog6hKjnAAn_JB4ogc7ocRG993hxOHpYUug_TLwdg2QeBKWdQK5ZmO9jVVh4WgAhToN7jD7W45wgAWrhnHeYxJsT9zoP4ABYk__moftJ6qLMg3fz5DPQRPTCOUvWW2LoJEcOx6_RTMgm-artRF10zghQJjkCo7aYaZ/s3943/20230820_105908.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2957" data-original-width="3943" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Ev6PqxJ97L2Dj3Sdyn8Ox4R1FOYog6hKjnAAn_JB4ogc7ocRG993hxOHpYUug_TLwdg2QeBKWdQK5ZmO9jVVh4WgAhToN7jD7W45wgAWrhnHeYxJsT9zoP4ABYk__moftJ6qLMg3fz5DPQRPTCOUvWW2LoJEcOx6_RTMgm-artRF10zghQJjkCo7aYaZ/w640-h480/20230820_105908.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beach. Beautiful and absolutely deserted.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">We wandered off to Cook's Look, the top of the island where Cpt Cook once went off to in order to look around a see a good route through the reefs. It was an appreciated hike, always great to strech your legs a bit after sailing.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwy_5JfAjkn6xytuqbSJZgmMIGrVTRj91O0jSbxB_OKW5HJXc723jbGO2b3cVcWydj9iXRbS6LNPNQUJYj6y-H6Acl9vjQPZruP1Rrl2lDzcS2my_aqd-CYgAUbXZyItvyNslUs5KhCma8SVfrOecRVHdFE48MgD5Rhk5NbRhWl1qtTR_mAKgFa2AJ1n_/s4032/20230820_113303.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwy_5JfAjkn6xytuqbSJZgmMIGrVTRj91O0jSbxB_OKW5HJXc723jbGO2b3cVcWydj9iXRbS6LNPNQUJYj6y-H6Acl9vjQPZruP1Rrl2lDzcS2my_aqd-CYgAUbXZyItvyNslUs5KhCma8SVfrOecRVHdFE48MgD5Rhk5NbRhWl1qtTR_mAKgFa2AJ1n_/w640-h480/20230820_113303.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from high above</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1subzkdsoBNPHpxs8EkXMciznwevSZqPZFQJp2o4rLFEMpqnue1YabHOHe99rhJyHXVBKKE9pQDV-9zn_gTOsrWYiUsi2ZyK0SDOhEN-j0aW9iBV4z-0pxwzcfU9iMbhFSeDzK6yMSNjn4iDh_HzBuHF07lYS0X2dAeV0cfk90cWUmmEW15Yfxp1xkqS9/s4032/20230820_123611.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1subzkdsoBNPHpxs8EkXMciznwevSZqPZFQJp2o4rLFEMpqnue1YabHOHe99rhJyHXVBKKE9pQDV-9zn_gTOsrWYiUsi2ZyK0SDOhEN-j0aW9iBV4z-0pxwzcfU9iMbhFSeDzK6yMSNjn4iDh_HzBuHF07lYS0X2dAeV0cfk90cWUmmEW15Yfxp1xkqS9/w640-h480/20230820_123611.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful turquoise waters inside of the reef. Captain Cook was looking for the deep blue sea, deep enough for Endeavour to sail through.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">The water out here is insanely turquoise, and very clear. As we came down from the mountain, back to the stunning white beach, I could not resist going for a nice swim and a snorkel. And I was in for a surprise beyond the surface!</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Some of the other crew were snorkelling and encountered sea turtles, under the surface, grazing peacefully on the tiny grass that grows on the white sandy bottom. The turtles were not shy at all, and let you swim with them.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKPBk1eYkUyITNakWZM2fMeuKZZSVX8iUoS7g3J94ttlXuhLQ2Qtl6pxK4oOr-w3z5wS7NmNGmskIBd2kasxvNNEcBqb-LDuQiIOsIT30WxponeMqierqem0nsdNVeg99-HqJNG7ZmD1uTfhdwTQW_x3-RLLjAhO9nQ4uvP9olYhDe6aV3YfOfdEJ-vHr/s3932/20230820_111832.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2949" data-original-width="3932" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKPBk1eYkUyITNakWZM2fMeuKZZSVX8iUoS7g3J94ttlXuhLQ2Qtl6pxK4oOr-w3z5wS7NmNGmskIBd2kasxvNNEcBqb-LDuQiIOsIT30WxponeMqierqem0nsdNVeg99-HqJNG7ZmD1uTfhdwTQW_x3-RLLjAhO9nQ4uvP9olYhDe6aV3YfOfdEJ-vHr/w640-h480/20230820_111832.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another photo of the anchorage from the top of the island</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">A swim away, there was a beatiful coral reef with blue coral, giant clams, and fish of all colors and sizes. I am not too spoiled with such sights, living in Sweden, so I swam around wide-eyed and just enjoyed being in the middle of it.</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">This was the last bit of the Great Barrier Reef that we would enjoy. Everything north of that was crocodile country. Yes, the waters are infested with salt water crocs, who sometimes even get out offshore. So no more swimming and snorkelling.</span><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Soon, we were to sail off, but Lizard Island will undoubtedly be one on the highlights of the whole trip. I will try to publish Ken's GoPro videos of the turtles on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/adrenalenaadventures/" target="_blank">my Instagram account</a>, stay tuned!</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;">Next trip is bringing us from Coral Sea to Torres Strait, and that will be a blog post of its own.</span></div></div></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGTyqzed2_mI4iKShLCpHw20OB5PrEWgx7BPAGrcEhcQBGFnHqoWMWX4Qzz9gDShbRi-VynGCDoejJwbmGYn-VxQK7mlzATbFGTISG5cG2S3kH3EV6gRt30lCXAgOMmBk2lb_IhLXYehA_IKQzCgooYnhcpC9WGI16Ls5r-hU4zJHHVQbffkH77yuqIJM/s3746/20230820_110824.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2809" data-original-width="3746" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGTyqzed2_mI4iKShLCpHw20OB5PrEWgx7BPAGrcEhcQBGFnHqoWMWX4Qzz9gDShbRi-VynGCDoejJwbmGYn-VxQK7mlzATbFGTISG5cG2S3kH3EV6gRt30lCXAgOMmBk2lb_IhLXYehA_IKQzCgooYnhcpC9WGI16Ls5r-hU4zJHHVQbffkH77yuqIJM/w640-h480/20230820_110824.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another amazing sailor - Freya - checking out the beach</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-53162018467144456132022-12-31T05:19:00.000-08:002023-12-16T08:13:29.269-08:00Sydney to Hobart 2022<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBTGghuO9xtT3MNTDA0RS_bN_R3SaDtNI-7v8wdmDnM0LpfdeTTErC6PrzoQu2s_z2gr_x5CtOmtBocWqcShMwVUaBany7ak3pkFORcF0z6FzRb-ttNRiAUwPc0h_n99YmNSRsd68DXBaaoj-RMzrrMysIXSoKz3pdsk0bJA1txc-x9CruarE1TdnovPA/s1600/79R6Yq8Y.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1600" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBTGghuO9xtT3MNTDA0RS_bN_R3SaDtNI-7v8wdmDnM0LpfdeTTErC6PrzoQu2s_z2gr_x5CtOmtBocWqcShMwVUaBany7ak3pkFORcF0z6FzRb-ttNRiAUwPc0h_n99YmNSRsd68DXBaaoj-RMzrrMysIXSoKz3pdsk0bJA1txc-x9CruarE1TdnovPA/w640-h278/79R6Yq8Y.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Fern racing from Sydney to Hobart!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>This post is about the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race 2022, which I did on Silver Fern. My position on board was that of a Watch Captain, and Helmsman. This was my third Sydney to Hobart race.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p>This post will be focusing on the photos before, during, and after the race. The photos in this post are supplied mostly by myself, but also by crew and the crew's near and dear who weve watching the start and the finish of the race. If anyone wants to be credited, do come forth.</p><p>The race started on the Boxing Day of 2022. Once again, I was on Silver Fern (<a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2023/12/southport-to-sydney.html" target="_blank">see the blog post about the transport to Sydney here</a>).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6H-OXCdBCiTTbpffudGnQnXtgnJTDt2JV8qPF_mrjmEbSZuBC8Oai3ojDtgH442B8YmvkfORRu0H3_DUNlEIhbzGLaftpNJ7hyT1-_q3-3zDHBlSEwrLsb3qyjCTru4YPa0xgy5OCS0Tccqysk0SNpbXQuHhuwahVJuBhSYTofTLhlNMTW6Vq0X0VxZ4/s3648/20221226_104647.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6H-OXCdBCiTTbpffudGnQnXtgnJTDt2JV8qPF_mrjmEbSZuBC8Oai3ojDtgH442B8YmvkfORRu0H3_DUNlEIhbzGLaftpNJ7hyT1-_q3-3zDHBlSEwrLsb3qyjCTru4YPa0xgy5OCS0Tccqysk0SNpbXQuHhuwahVJuBhSYTofTLhlNMTW6Vq0X0VxZ4/w640-h480/20221226_104647.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolex Race Village in Sydney</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J_IB0WF2yJE82MXijLvJuXlEYZR2TYRyVNkkz_VK5PjLxRfYMMZGYykW-3sDCej_UfqeukEIBkq1ajwtNY70T0JkDxdA6j1ucZ4DJqEzo7os2VSJY4YuT83HknViWFn-v0cFOVEq0X7tKtfBhyZ-aN1rDVhJjLbYDlCc0y3WB8vBRAeRDMZnmqqRCq_w/s960/_aaFB_IMG_1672399680645.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J_IB0WF2yJE82MXijLvJuXlEYZR2TYRyVNkkz_VK5PjLxRfYMMZGYykW-3sDCej_UfqeukEIBkq1ajwtNY70T0JkDxdA6j1ucZ4DJqEzo7os2VSJY4YuT83HknViWFn-v0cFOVEq0X7tKtfBhyZ-aN1rDVhJjLbYDlCc0y3WB8vBRAeRDMZnmqqRCq_w/w480-h640/_aaFB_IMG_1672399680645.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jolly crew, getting ready to cast off. Me to the far left!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwyzUPitE7OSJnQ9KUQF6LEZBnGXMEcjG2Zkvb_gXwDqwbIsVpvwWVoXOCD_5HfPF_86iXb5fP749a2ij0jxfBBe3OVZhzu8HCGXz4Oyc282m36dlA6QdCtqepw79ptdVNQlEyR-x9Vt1Diibbwrd4eyim493dy9ycE9Jp9H3UnQ1o7V8LFrX4atlTkkG/s2944/_20221226_105154.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="2944" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwyzUPitE7OSJnQ9KUQF6LEZBnGXMEcjG2Zkvb_gXwDqwbIsVpvwWVoXOCD_5HfPF_86iXb5fP749a2ij0jxfBBe3OVZhzu8HCGXz4Oyc282m36dlA6QdCtqepw79ptdVNQlEyR-x9Vt1Diibbwrd4eyim493dy9ycE9Jp9H3UnQ1o7V8LFrX4atlTkkG/w640-h480/_20221226_105154.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last jobs getting done on board</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdYNBILnVVCTuGLeb_UJQJBB3V9NDKch2O7dT3QVZPKi2-hwzvTEGlZX7lPyDOkjKtro78sFN45oWAIYzFi4voh70ticTkSHFtnIzKpo2YHyhd6X-LEKODcmrxB7k0kBcjuIoMhxUZmI1QQ1mXRCYoMMbftnrJF2a-aGN8JGNxpMOghcAiXYrXAJDB3dx/s1440/__FB_IMG_1672662773361.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdYNBILnVVCTuGLeb_UJQJBB3V9NDKch2O7dT3QVZPKi2-hwzvTEGlZX7lPyDOkjKtro78sFN45oWAIYzFi4voh70ticTkSHFtnIzKpo2YHyhd6X-LEKODcmrxB7k0kBcjuIoMhxUZmI1QQ1mXRCYoMMbftnrJF2a-aGN8JGNxpMOghcAiXYrXAJDB3dx/w480-h640/__FB_IMG_1672662773361.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaaaand... we're off!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpjcKpBlZzVHdK72DqYI7brSyeZmbq1BTZDmAu_lBjTKj4QfC4tEYgjBuc4LvM8LZYmAw5U6dcGwmfxWJj39XcdFzwDvh-Hu0MnkO3L6KBq9YDS_2XWexWRCwhXd3-okguNuQFwzqSi0rH6bHP6u8KXeKm3QUfr5w8p7rwY8jtM2wo5l40OPKsn36xwTe/s1440/_FB_IMG_1672399132381.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpjcKpBlZzVHdK72DqYI7brSyeZmbq1BTZDmAu_lBjTKj4QfC4tEYgjBuc4LvM8LZYmAw5U6dcGwmfxWJj39XcdFzwDvh-Hu0MnkO3L6KBq9YDS_2XWexWRCwhXd3-okguNuQFwzqSi0rH6bHP6u8KXeKm3QUfr5w8p7rwY8jtM2wo5l40OPKsn36xwTe/w480-h640/_FB_IMG_1672399132381.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Motoring to the start line. Gorgeous Sydney skyline and Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6t5uWdxiJYoh6sW8B900C9sUw8A8MjxXYVKDZfpFJM-ctHTJTI6YWDeyQQNY6xaALkii6VovulVzC6QnFXhaW6eR9-ns71fk_OPDXP8qOvzkZX7yeD1VGJHr7OhhW1Hc2fIfak60uB0eLEfkKjfHx-NzFKqNTLkSTpIFfXwuYkzCzEmB6kZVaVzx2qC9/s4032/20221226_112159.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6t5uWdxiJYoh6sW8B900C9sUw8A8MjxXYVKDZfpFJM-ctHTJTI6YWDeyQQNY6xaALkii6VovulVzC6QnFXhaW6eR9-ns71fk_OPDXP8qOvzkZX7yeD1VGJHr7OhhW1Hc2fIfak60uB0eLEfkKjfHx-NzFKqNTLkSTpIFfXwuYkzCzEmB6kZVaVzx2qC9/w640-h480/20221226_112159.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sydney from the water, in all its glory!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4itthNmH_1hGOmtrnpZdZwpJlWAFwVZGCdqKVPFxxghs_56SLcKPL4BxSfx6VdHSpul381twelzknpIUt3vbVUXp7w4SRyRxTTmU2tMIdkCLNjyl-IUGU9HW3Vtes7XI0ePdRkIpGXxIVI9v3iR3ixwcMPZG2OpfZjAhcjB2iH44AueuLkis2U4v8ubL6/s2048/Fk8fCY-I.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4itthNmH_1hGOmtrnpZdZwpJlWAFwVZGCdqKVPFxxghs_56SLcKPL4BxSfx6VdHSpul381twelzknpIUt3vbVUXp7w4SRyRxTTmU2tMIdkCLNjyl-IUGU9HW3Vtes7XI0ePdRkIpGXxIVI9v3iR3ixwcMPZG2OpfZjAhcjB2iH44AueuLkis2U4v8ubL6/w640-h426/Fk8fCY-I.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The anticipation! Silver Fern standby, waiting for the race start</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MbGfQm8EHdVrGlioQQpMXNok77U0d77FiMym9F9POuULH5zvhR9yufRlODOpvLGv3uJzTfWTiQk7mdbfoiMEgEPl-_oP0hA36wPKWXTScC8kzhoW0AkOjkx5e7JRNkurrvVUaYdFbZ419Qc9tZHnm-pndedLLK7SiUH9idlDAjv3wJb81_m07V0XxGfN/s5472/A7GW2wMw.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MbGfQm8EHdVrGlioQQpMXNok77U0d77FiMym9F9POuULH5zvhR9yufRlODOpvLGv3uJzTfWTiQk7mdbfoiMEgEPl-_oP0hA36wPKWXTScC8kzhoW0AkOjkx5e7JRNkurrvVUaYdFbZ419Qc9tZHnm-pndedLLK7SiUH9idlDAjv3wJb81_m07V0XxGfN/w640-h426/A7GW2wMw.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the helm, with Tim on the right. Tim's done two Sydney-Hobart with us previously.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpslZHZtMG25OC60jo3RsbjZ7aWpqrd-soVe4XPQiZFJF5MnfpwKmPRfxZj0W_tJWjh5I2KhY58IDJL-hodoT_hPMGmoLYxIWNi5Ujxp8Wd_Aa3BToFUy3mnUpb2oC121DudBLdOYSqYifepWD_8Bi5uAskTOdcfQ5634iE5t9DZljlxPAAE21_k2ZB3aH/s2048/received_1121119831925491.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpslZHZtMG25OC60jo3RsbjZ7aWpqrd-soVe4XPQiZFJF5MnfpwKmPRfxZj0W_tJWjh5I2KhY58IDJL-hodoT_hPMGmoLYxIWNi5Ujxp8Wd_Aa3BToFUy3mnUpb2oC121DudBLdOYSqYifepWD_8Bi5uAskTOdcfQ5634iE5t9DZljlxPAAE21_k2ZB3aH/w640-h480/received_1121119831925491.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing our sails...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLdCRIxz371zPwS_wZMjPMBiy18y9b8ctIYPNZtCLNY4wjfboHoEZ_w66dLzrLCk_IAAkj-ac83mRC2z8BEve2OsgfsiSeECuvURGScVFm4qbOrkrHlWg4l_JIDEVORPosouFWCNM-bp5qq7ZvXm1w8_Gw8emXf8liULbWoKiTUi7zfPFGxXd3hXAhd5q/s3907/pkPu1-TE.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3907" data-original-width="2930" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLdCRIxz371zPwS_wZMjPMBiy18y9b8ctIYPNZtCLNY4wjfboHoEZ_w66dLzrLCk_IAAkj-ac83mRC2z8BEve2OsgfsiSeECuvURGScVFm4qbOrkrHlWg4l_JIDEVORPosouFWCNM-bp5qq7ZvXm1w8_Gw8emXf8liULbWoKiTUi7zfPFGxXd3hXAhd5q/w480-h640/pkPu1-TE.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All sails up, crew ready at the positions. Spectators ready all around us...</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5Opy5diNwYZoV96e0fJ_J5X8QCDdmxfYnDbtKRlKucuT0IkH18Rpzbecmh3RF3ljhNLlqqgXJwJBJCg6qW9P3tP8GbHoKhV8hRMFDkhgRqgfYwvo317OmWu1KH7TQ-QgoqQ6tBAKQ5fr6d_miOvDyrDVkEu3JAPm9IlgxlIfpfSe9Zh8gVoHF2JR78F_/s4032/__20221226_112845.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5Opy5diNwYZoV96e0fJ_J5X8QCDdmxfYnDbtKRlKucuT0IkH18Rpzbecmh3RF3ljhNLlqqgXJwJBJCg6qW9P3tP8GbHoKhV8hRMFDkhgRqgfYwvo317OmWu1KH7TQ-QgoqQ6tBAKQ5fr6d_miOvDyrDVkEu3JAPm9IlgxlIfpfSe9Zh8gVoHF2JR78F_/w640-h480/__20221226_112845.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the start mark for our division</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>And so the race start is announced with a horn. Now, it's all about focus! The race is long, but this very first leg out of Sydney Harbour is tricky. There are just so many boats here, so you really need to be vigilant and to have sharp racing tactics.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcAO2pn283Cyj1fWlxDw7qUZbfgZ4pPMVsN1y4b4MJyqPnVwSLQ8K2o0oL7ZwHiD7kuueM_jiASN7J3EBG3NVf2xBc-vuYLGRc87aezB8kloXre1JHZ7VDHXESPLhbuVa8iRcHYq4L8f-c12Yi0sCaony5Ne1DELyrImqJku7NusTw3JDsvmAXe0mdjew/s2048/_8sbHr8No.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcAO2pn283Cyj1fWlxDw7qUZbfgZ4pPMVsN1y4b4MJyqPnVwSLQ8K2o0oL7ZwHiD7kuueM_jiASN7J3EBG3NVf2xBc-vuYLGRc87aezB8kloXre1JHZ7VDHXESPLhbuVa8iRcHYq4L8f-c12Yi0sCaony5Ne1DELyrImqJku7NusTw3JDsvmAXe0mdjew/w640-h480/_8sbHr8No.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Past the start marker, then out and away!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtdf8wiR4mxBZ9QPJWR6StanD2bxiApBmKFhlG1a1lyXEjfaMMOrvggdE0njj1YVOeHW0uSS-adbI9XCowxbEjEYfJ2DAwoHysr-K2EXOHucGREuwoQH0jLIrobxkpotUIpCcR7kKPe_iVylzccRgsVCdGy6SeLZ3u6q9OO1kv5ZxrEyhkJwSPhAT3196/s1677/Eig3BX80.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1223" data-original-width="1677" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtdf8wiR4mxBZ9QPJWR6StanD2bxiApBmKFhlG1a1lyXEjfaMMOrvggdE0njj1YVOeHW0uSS-adbI9XCowxbEjEYfJ2DAwoHysr-K2EXOHucGREuwoQH0jLIrobxkpotUIpCcR7kKPe_iVylzccRgsVCdGy6SeLZ3u6q9OO1kv5ZxrEyhkJwSPhAT3196/w640-h466/Eig3BX80.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gorgeous shot of Silver Fern sailing her way.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHZ193wfCrI79pDsFaytnlpmcpZNa1fM6vevtBnRj81_R6CbQLGnc8MW3RHMWJG-LMWtOanDFrMqHVt-d951cLyMB0h5W1Kv3AZJVng6AWfCojmqQvXSPVWtdYpp95tvWhU5kRZEMUpynTmKPMIIMGJZgLGtrRzW24EWpXaK1tdpGGoZB5Rrci2EqkLxm/s2048/kU2qMb88.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHZ193wfCrI79pDsFaytnlpmcpZNa1fM6vevtBnRj81_R6CbQLGnc8MW3RHMWJG-LMWtOanDFrMqHVt-d951cLyMB0h5W1Kv3AZJVng6AWfCojmqQvXSPVWtdYpp95tvWhU5kRZEMUpynTmKPMIIMGJZgLGtrRzW24EWpXaK1tdpGGoZB5Rrci2EqkLxm/w640-h480/kU2qMb88.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are so many boats, it's amazing. On the outside of the racing area, there are just as many spectator boats. Helicopters are hovering above to get their footage of the start. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZnOB3ZGJ7wKieyovGIAPAfpkxL4PokMhPDCN6snki6yC31-QgLEsrxD_kjmoSYeUHDdhrZxac-Di8HheVq1x06aL4OZcRK6tEEkPLvf2SwHhUJrNxUQd9PaMPMaLefaBHLvT9dhQfrgNRyqKci-L7CJEEdIETBlH2bFZW6LZ9tbgGL6bILgpL1sv5DQJ/s1920/1RATIecg.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZnOB3ZGJ7wKieyovGIAPAfpkxL4PokMhPDCN6snki6yC31-QgLEsrxD_kjmoSYeUHDdhrZxac-Di8HheVq1x06aL4OZcRK6tEEkPLvf2SwHhUJrNxUQd9PaMPMaLefaBHLvT9dhQfrgNRyqKci-L7CJEEdIETBlH2bFZW6LZ9tbgGL6bILgpL1sv5DQJ/w640-h360/1RATIecg.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crew on Silver Fern, extra focused</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzcWPKOCkIHkyBnm4UoDs3SGoN8N5ZLFFt9zVZBePYRdG9VkNPX5FfOoL6HQq6cUtiqTqeKZGSjP1zuRGW_hM7r1hsHB1ZO326fxATZHzwP5FD13HP0IP-6aoEE85enc8b6WE48JRWfhFPsXl9FbqA58QnXi4guu1Llf6WbQYitHfuwTHiN8dYQC8d96j/s2048/d4tja_s2A.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzcWPKOCkIHkyBnm4UoDs3SGoN8N5ZLFFt9zVZBePYRdG9VkNPX5FfOoL6HQq6cUtiqTqeKZGSjP1zuRGW_hM7r1hsHB1ZO326fxATZHzwP5FD13HP0IP-6aoEE85enc8b6WE48JRWfhFPsXl9FbqA58QnXi4guu1Llf6WbQYitHfuwTHiN8dYQC8d96j/w640-h426/d4tja_s2A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out the numbers of spectators on the coast</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUe85CFx1Go4nArX4QuqhTXVNi4rv5vwsOVu7o49CTeRWskp_HrWHkvqPqATVVsaMTOuyqxLMIIptNJcFypfAfYXcwO_63Du6thALRbj4YfGZw7fFm-6kuXY9iHvskzryhPRe4jvwox85v_ktLpFXQaDIlAMs346WzrNzIJV21PSYzmyhqnSD2uL053XN/w426-h640/xuM47IJ0.jpeg" style="color: #0000ee; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" width="426" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another tack</td></tr></tbody></table><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><br /></span></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2Jsu3MEzSFsvtWv6iw3SK2g4e2qSXg0_3Ym28XWwHAB27bQft6JPq6FFGnhtMkc-prxJnvNCKBV5oAh08ca4qL2xzBTxDUdZBDbZJVUi-1oV4P-9ee4vS-TUMWjtlJmio0aFKoTZMcLcPYA9aHptHA_61wF-z_5tbqJ-GZwKzhyphenhyphenZWV6_AOU36z2Bpcpu/s2048/ESvgoItY.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2Jsu3MEzSFsvtWv6iw3SK2g4e2qSXg0_3Ym28XWwHAB27bQft6JPq6FFGnhtMkc-prxJnvNCKBV5oAh08ca4qL2xzBTxDUdZBDbZJVUi-1oV4P-9ee4vS-TUMWjtlJmio0aFKoTZMcLcPYA9aHptHA_61wF-z_5tbqJ-GZwKzhyphenhyphenZWV6_AOU36z2Bpcpu/w640-h426/ESvgoItY.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The iconic pinstriped Hornby lighthouse at the South Head, more spectators </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3VF-Of-zVOTE7EFJpXDg8K_w4Qod9_8LKsLaO8vrmPjZkh6djGafkLBSJMFMd4-b9-aAr2cZ5UuCv-4rjk4cWBSLCuZzAgRwe7FAV7wfIQF1fSJ7qTP7Uq4vjMYGF9mMknvnre-pZA1YtY3uF3JW34sQcnUALycRLS7zMYJ8OFvBU2eSb_r6Vu7TieCA/s1389/ok4PydtQ.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="974" data-original-width="1389" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3VF-Of-zVOTE7EFJpXDg8K_w4Qod9_8LKsLaO8vrmPjZkh6djGafkLBSJMFMd4-b9-aAr2cZ5UuCv-4rjk4cWBSLCuZzAgRwe7FAV7wfIQF1fSJ7qTP7Uq4vjMYGF9mMknvnre-pZA1YtY3uF3JW34sQcnUALycRLS7zMYJ8OFvBU2eSb_r6Vu7TieCA/w640-h448/ok4PydtQ.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost out of the harbour, blazing along - here the sea state whitens up a bit!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQ2I5sdHL1Myt0TUL9h1qWXW9ysmEygVX2Pb9AgaVPebvqmbxqqenTYtoFJ-JSC2dAECUxgE3SFjsBoFpRssKzwGf9QLqvHUrypKE4_gyLdqYXGLzrxyWxkHCr-HDqYZh_DlbrcUA2g7yCfVWKmWdC2FjI6EB2otWnB6SHMh9irbOoxpf0q3a35smDYat/s1527/8fsSJBDI.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1145" data-original-width="1527" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQ2I5sdHL1Myt0TUL9h1qWXW9ysmEygVX2Pb9AgaVPebvqmbxqqenTYtoFJ-JSC2dAECUxgE3SFjsBoFpRssKzwGf9QLqvHUrypKE4_gyLdqYXGLzrxyWxkHCr-HDqYZh_DlbrcUA2g7yCfVWKmWdC2FjI6EB2otWnB6SHMh9irbOoxpf0q3a35smDYat/w640-h480/8fsSJBDI.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The police boat is monitoring the race.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKddMo73CqEnT5WkEuwsigNEH9-nOFHneEFGSbQFraBEKB9N9xNY1mit-n2XGD46UD-4yfdT0X8exslgZi98vSL3cwZe6pQJD6gx7LikwnlwgauZLGqXWMdaiXQaicGWNIsDuL-fAacPD6cdx8hRC7y4iAJyI_yAwEljh6BorjrGawYmM-oYERaiFrknZG/s4032/WksuZ4JU.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKddMo73CqEnT5WkEuwsigNEH9-nOFHneEFGSbQFraBEKB9N9xNY1mit-n2XGD46UD-4yfdT0X8exslgZi98vSL3cwZe6pQJD6gx7LikwnlwgauZLGqXWMdaiXQaicGWNIsDuL-fAacPD6cdx8hRC7y4iAJyI_yAwEljh6BorjrGawYmM-oYERaiFrknZG/w480-h640/WksuZ4JU.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And so we are out of Sydney Harbour, or Port Jackson all together. Towards Hobart!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLZeHdhoYiNicXiKX8aFYuPviNAYLvg6YXn1NDVnH0sNvTaXKRk2QNS8UV4R-oLijXjwuNS8qdeWmayWJEQ3-zDQ-nH1WSt0hhyRNfjeqOWer2LtKKboLA8-aRJ__v64OJT9kUUybHUnEWR3wgt6tc4HDORGJOZX3gFEeh6cVFhScCfRBq_oYqlcHP9L2/s4032/20221226_134815.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWLZeHdhoYiNicXiKX8aFYuPviNAYLvg6YXn1NDVnH0sNvTaXKRk2QNS8UV4R-oLijXjwuNS8qdeWmayWJEQ3-zDQ-nH1WSt0hhyRNfjeqOWer2LtKKboLA8-aRJ__v64OJT9kUUybHUnEWR3wgt6tc4HDORGJOZX3gFEeh6cVFhScCfRBq_oYqlcHP9L2/w640-h480/20221226_134815.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fleet are getting their kites up</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9nO_A3gdD6m08-j53bZ3NBYqUslyyCOEJvOoMptZ2dosos5dXC7Y3ipb5bpaZvAwCy-FrWlMCLVlmUHHrJpC0I3e8y-HzzaFfxY3hxswRSELBRUpYHk7qNKCS0aWfZmUWy4nD85sWhHSuVvC9zfPNCujDhbTq3O_7nY5kFiYDdCYF7-G_Kq5e4a_GSfG/s4032/gxunN7T4.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9nO_A3gdD6m08-j53bZ3NBYqUslyyCOEJvOoMptZ2dosos5dXC7Y3ipb5bpaZvAwCy-FrWlMCLVlmUHHrJpC0I3e8y-HzzaFfxY3hxswRSELBRUpYHk7qNKCS0aWfZmUWy4nD85sWhHSuVvC9zfPNCujDhbTq3O_7nY5kFiYDdCYF7-G_Kq5e4a_GSfG/w640-h480/gxunN7T4.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last shot on the bow before I get back on the helm!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The first day can be a bit overwhelming for new crew. There is just so much to do, and so many new impressions. It's exciting to start the race. So most people would stay up just watching, taking photos and chatting. It's all great, but one should not forget rest. The first night can be a bit tough on those who don't yet have their sea legs. So grabbing a bit of rest is a must. As long as you're not on the helm or otherwise on duty. It's gonna be a long race.</div></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXVdQR4GPfiMGoU7OarluVSQR_kEiiROGVdUf3zc3Ix5fQ7ZWPMvV1dPKEOEVGQ203tHbC_vjAu5imXTV9nvrKaf3uGmpGsO22UBHihnu4ICuteIrPtm3_fZIuJrbmu_Y502t0PwmNVi-lSq_W4D-HVGSsy8PF1i56jM8meBvPMWZ-huN9nPmSxMTm4DF/s2048/GCBkxjao.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXVdQR4GPfiMGoU7OarluVSQR_kEiiROGVdUf3zc3Ix5fQ7ZWPMvV1dPKEOEVGQ203tHbC_vjAu5imXTV9nvrKaf3uGmpGsO22UBHihnu4ICuteIrPtm3_fZIuJrbmu_Y502t0PwmNVi-lSq_W4D-HVGSsy8PF1i56jM8meBvPMWZ-huN9nPmSxMTm4DF/w640-h480/GCBkxjao.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy helming with a kite</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKZlz-DIlk4FbUNixu1dtTbY9ddN-HSxy4R4FzVOb_mPj2gRLM8714IfkmZl74u8OT3RU4AGmkL-xwurWS0qG4KTIHalVhFzlx5Tcj8uJxH0jhjPyz_JpOoD71Jb9-qGQVInmYa403dvatwwyCZRjyBylQK16rZPGEZJ0SeZ2wRaveoQm4_F7JVsUQR5f/s2048/HLPWSRSw.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKZlz-DIlk4FbUNixu1dtTbY9ddN-HSxy4R4FzVOb_mPj2gRLM8714IfkmZl74u8OT3RU4AGmkL-xwurWS0qG4KTIHalVhFzlx5Tcj8uJxH0jhjPyz_JpOoD71Jb9-qGQVInmYa403dvatwwyCZRjyBylQK16rZPGEZJ0SeZ2wRaveoQm4_F7JVsUQR5f/w640-h426/HLPWSRSw.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun's getting down and we will continue flying the kite at night. No night photos though - a flash would kill the helmsman's night vision.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibm8PHiICqXHjyyrDCb9hNEPpRiU-p8DQml4GDYBD9WEtRV3skUFP3fum6XW-NxsKQehU2mbr_Xb6HXPasa_rgQkg22IaVFtkVv1xjVeJam48EenoN7EFAvdouqAxe4ClI27SR0b55bDTwo_ZFs92gHwabTPJ85LToUnS5SmNmKMTu6GP74ySE975wiFrM/s5472/SSMJ0HmI.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibm8PHiICqXHjyyrDCb9hNEPpRiU-p8DQml4GDYBD9WEtRV3skUFP3fum6XW-NxsKQehU2mbr_Xb6HXPasa_rgQkg22IaVFtkVv1xjVeJam48EenoN7EFAvdouqAxe4ClI27SR0b55bDTwo_ZFs92gHwabTPJ85LToUnS5SmNmKMTu6GP74ySE975wiFrM/w640-h426/SSMJ0HmI.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hours go by, and so do days and nights. Sunsets, sunrises... falling stars. More sunsets and sunrises. Waves. More wind, less wind, not enough wind or a bit too much wind. Anything can happen.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVfQYGXUlVB2A0N5TA6JabKAvVhpwJbfpxde_sQ2qCgJBNm6-MRa84ovL87bHm-JEaqBoW0eUFJvtdMXDLfaQOvgmzupqVFo0BIh8A_-LEDe7ehTkj7BvLhOv0TBUhEcMxMUfQ0w2GYP68GcA7BgjwmCozFZgXfCT5caHaIdpxKeCF7GS8nQ8PrC3kWy-/s4032/_FGDgGq4.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVfQYGXUlVB2A0N5TA6JabKAvVhpwJbfpxde_sQ2qCgJBNm6-MRa84ovL87bHm-JEaqBoW0eUFJvtdMXDLfaQOvgmzupqVFo0BIh8A_-LEDe7ehTkj7BvLhOv0TBUhEcMxMUfQ0w2GYP68GcA7BgjwmCozFZgXfCT5caHaIdpxKeCF7GS8nQ8PrC3kWy-/w640-h480/_FGDgGq4.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rested, at the wheel again - under the RSHYR battle flag!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoI6XPy13r3gv5VD2U5yzuD0oUMGik7oM_iJQJasduEaKGHzUyta0RFrhN1rBhN5ZE1wBRiayhEhKWPsf1hm_ygl9ds0VrbSNCwJ3FEP1fOATsEGcswsZyA5HzyibAo-onN39-WMzZj-xvJcuHvKx3IARiVOxEdvRibBzSw3JmRNcujmOsmgaFZZCnN2b/s2048/Pknd7o9E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoI6XPy13r3gv5VD2U5yzuD0oUMGik7oM_iJQJasduEaKGHzUyta0RFrhN1rBhN5ZE1wBRiayhEhKWPsf1hm_ygl9ds0VrbSNCwJ3FEP1fOATsEGcswsZyA5HzyibAo-onN39-WMzZj-xvJcuHvKx3IARiVOxEdvRibBzSw3JmRNcujmOsmgaFZZCnN2b/w640-h480/Pknd7o9E.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here, David is at the wheel and I'm trying to see if me and Kether could catch more wind into that headsail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qkCuTMt8I_MWnTpBEThtEk0LQPYQbMWA8O2HP9Wj6NdwULjg4B6REFX6jpbHirag7DZzFS_J7Su2BOsJVoF3tzerw4llkiBbnsxGh4FwpprHVWNWVvs-TINBxPoVjoteFOJk7PUEZABjwVkfWzU2-c1lvNFkcqTXmt4M7h6n3xWFrM317EAsG8ES6vjN/s3000/9--bmLMw.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2475" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qkCuTMt8I_MWnTpBEThtEk0LQPYQbMWA8O2HP9Wj6NdwULjg4B6REFX6jpbHirag7DZzFS_J7Su2BOsJVoF3tzerw4llkiBbnsxGh4FwpprHVWNWVvs-TINBxPoVjoteFOJk7PUEZABjwVkfWzU2-c1lvNFkcqTXmt4M7h6n3xWFrM317EAsG8ES6vjN/w528-h640/9--bmLMw.jpeg" width="528" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another helmsman shot, very focused at the instruments</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBadDHehCb3tchz2hsxhdy0ymZyZK9zAYfpKV6NXMr5nTxcQF0WwreSiJK20RHPt_p8LO27ebZTL1XRmq5h8nS-zMLv0ojDECifiLIdWW-8DlLwMEo8gKP3rRCQVDrfN8D57xbh9EeiZZXpu7WZHy3uCbsTq8vz2oiEv5CntHLoGSEiItbh15wh30FmOU/s2048/t-2stT1g.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBadDHehCb3tchz2hsxhdy0ymZyZK9zAYfpKV6NXMr5nTxcQF0WwreSiJK20RHPt_p8LO27ebZTL1XRmq5h8nS-zMLv0ojDECifiLIdWW-8DlLwMEo8gKP3rRCQVDrfN8D57xbh9EeiZZXpu7WZHy3uCbsTq8vz2oiEv5CntHLoGSEiItbh15wh30FmOU/w640-h480/t-2stT1g.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Things are always going to break. The question is how early you notice that and how well you repair them on the way.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4POvwrCDy390EmFve8cpougqNm60QD4-ZBEVZwtvl7uFxXBZrHTrm9PNPkklZCGsOhThZRCPsJ6NDIf86an3y6Wq6SBgDLZmVJnoqrGMNviqP1dZz8X2TLAp2coT4SfzdexgEn3ojSzW83L6a1JUeMwWijk7f8-m6zFtquRV0Tvj6Isf_9AWEIZx1t0V/s2048/P9TjQuEY.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4POvwrCDy390EmFve8cpougqNm60QD4-ZBEVZwtvl7uFxXBZrHTrm9PNPkklZCGsOhThZRCPsJ6NDIf86an3y6Wq6SBgDLZmVJnoqrGMNviqP1dZz8X2TLAp2coT4SfzdexgEn3ojSzW83L6a1JUeMwWijk7f8-m6zFtquRV0Tvj6Isf_9AWEIZx1t0V/w640-h480/P9TjQuEY.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A happy morning with the crew! Alex at the foreground, amazing on the bow and anywhere else on a boat really.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>As we reach Tasman Light, and then round Cape Raoul, it feels like the race is coming to its end. But there is still much left, above all the tricky Derwent, and one should not lose focus. It's a bit hard though, because the iconic south coast of Tasmania is an absolutely breathtaking sight. We were lucky to pass the Organ Pipes during twilight.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBcxcNt0I6T5uW_DrHAfS4xwvrcbK1ajv1bqa66y8XlYT6-ObQXGN33w0g3Wazr27pdpl1Cgdw1atE3kDMuwPrvajEuzQWqNar91jYHW53orEBfEyWWNseYUdKkr9zwnRCqtR1nqP4g-CCpztF53cgVomB2HJvxsVxU-EdN3xXEDdvRsgSaibJvEa_B4u/s5472/EMAh8gOg.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBcxcNt0I6T5uW_DrHAfS4xwvrcbK1ajv1bqa66y8XlYT6-ObQXGN33w0g3Wazr27pdpl1Cgdw1atE3kDMuwPrvajEuzQWqNar91jYHW53orEBfEyWWNseYUdKkr9zwnRCqtR1nqP4g-CCpztF53cgVomB2HJvxsVxU-EdN3xXEDdvRsgSaibJvEa_B4u/w640-h426/EMAh8gOg.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Organ Pipes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1ueuo1Q4Y6jp8utfNZGUTwDsguiQrIifbdWnTi64ZFlJZBslQP8_9OWfZUBd4afmWd9JB9vDkLUlQtjQeqFdhzPa9c9qbBGvBNrEn5-DHfJ23k-IX24CAIRHsq__o25ewS6lwVaIAE3uCFfsze-OatBocWqSi98qum3ghliinWjpnVxoXuqBGffUcf5u/s4032/20221230_064252.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1ueuo1Q4Y6jp8utfNZGUTwDsguiQrIifbdWnTi64ZFlJZBslQP8_9OWfZUBd4afmWd9JB9vDkLUlQtjQeqFdhzPa9c9qbBGvBNrEn5-DHfJ23k-IX24CAIRHsq__o25ewS6lwVaIAE3uCFfsze-OatBocWqSi98qum3ghliinWjpnVxoXuqBGffUcf5u/w640-h480/20221230_064252.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The helicopter coming in to take a stunning photo of Silver Fern!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8n-X8wIy-jO_TCRNgrJuYp7-beXPP3iZ20D-yVpyCToFehknpL8KeLjT1wtAYj5gFeYaBAGY1uM1lHWHIFco0ugmBH9jkjLYkLvhZCUSYtYotPkxkXm80LthlxYc0BASHsZRvv-WJ7nPCobUcO5hG7ry6RomZM03mticbYMugGBNkF7TfsRY_ArADrUq/s2017/9Tv8zfAI.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="2017" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO8n-X8wIy-jO_TCRNgrJuYp7-beXPP3iZ20D-yVpyCToFehknpL8KeLjT1wtAYj5gFeYaBAGY1uM1lHWHIFco0ugmBH9jkjLYkLvhZCUSYtYotPkxkXm80LthlxYc0BASHsZRvv-WJ7nPCobUcO5hG7ry6RomZM03mticbYMugGBNkF7TfsRY_ArADrUq/w640-h426/9Tv8zfAI.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Cape Raoul behind us as we sail forth into Derwent</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTqKxsOQ6joigPQaTRcau4B1TCpZmyz4ZD0YF3QdaBrOkS1pyDmnxFIE0OHXRBhEeLsMqz8oYvYHDDFIzwPXCgf0zGMhiFpyT7lQuUUvmmgRjwLM8PRI_5bKZ1dta5pOJYi03dWZfXge1oCA7gjr72lmAU8Z3L63V8lg_tB3yZYXfdwLpOfBeXM1kYFI5/s1080/FB_IMG_1672460302075.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTqKxsOQ6joigPQaTRcau4B1TCpZmyz4ZD0YF3QdaBrOkS1pyDmnxFIE0OHXRBhEeLsMqz8oYvYHDDFIzwPXCgf0zGMhiFpyT7lQuUUvmmgRjwLM8PRI_5bKZ1dta5pOJYi03dWZfXge1oCA7gjr72lmAU8Z3L63V8lg_tB3yZYXfdwLpOfBeXM1kYFI5/w640-h480/FB_IMG_1672460302075.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So close now! Passing Iron Pot</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>In the river, we were trying to dodge the wind holes, and at the same time sail past other boats. Sometimes, it's a question of luck - some places on the river would be more affected by wind or current than others.</div><div><br /></div><div>I got the honour of helming Silver Fern to the finish line. It was an amazing feeling, and I'm very happy and greatful for the trust. This concluded my thrid Sydney to Hobart - and naturally, I was looking forward to the next one.</div><div><br /></div><div>I will here post the beautiful photos taken of the Silver Fern crossing the finish line. Many thanks to the talented photographers!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQQaXnXEZoNIIHgwtxi-GA_ItuNGxhqd_U9hXQUkz0SWNw1OvmnN8uRHq1ffWeGJOHoXfdv9ThKAr0J_9jJBxhLNv-ivuU5afEX_6iAkRe1UGD5yV7PSkR-T625JmhtQ0_X-D7D5a748oXeiZnusE2xHqV7oalX5Z7k2DVChI86gYPhXjtgr69IzGME_c/s1776/t7FqwGLe0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="1776" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQQaXnXEZoNIIHgwtxi-GA_ItuNGxhqd_U9hXQUkz0SWNw1OvmnN8uRHq1ffWeGJOHoXfdv9ThKAr0J_9jJBxhLNv-ivuU5afEX_6iAkRe1UGD5yV7PSkR-T625JmhtQ0_X-D7D5a748oXeiZnusE2xHqV7oalX5Z7k2DVChI86gYPhXjtgr69IzGME_c/w640-h426/t7FqwGLe0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zRQAeW2ukuGzs0DZmQ62AmYtQSzqGap2Zwf8QFZDlCEDa5gMHqIH5P6afVZ-WhJxq6lM857ciRPbofAoftFzW7OTD0eNT4TU4NnJfDc0mkTonb6et16iYUNphUaPOBctAQtIFGzZIdvSirrxzi6Op-_csjo9H2Ez53rXNGzYhLBzRhCxGPfYfRmykzhA/s1776/tQBA-bWr0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="1776" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zRQAeW2ukuGzs0DZmQ62AmYtQSzqGap2Zwf8QFZDlCEDa5gMHqIH5P6afVZ-WhJxq6lM857ciRPbofAoftFzW7OTD0eNT4TU4NnJfDc0mkTonb6et16iYUNphUaPOBctAQtIFGzZIdvSirrxzi6Op-_csjo9H2Ez53rXNGzYhLBzRhCxGPfYfRmykzhA/w640-h232/tQBA-bWr0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1ZAv8StlOeX4wvzbDsNEPjl4ZQ5Nw9PF2toM6RsCz87kkZnts6vlY_q0kMNCsvql0vgNyAURImybHUbkfXxFruTrLcNP0IMd_ePFgmVwJfSRN00e3VwSdLfD_4NC0qeCS4wV6UngEWH9igtXSC8X79dTbX4BRZ-d9ZDutKTm1ifl5nrF6uGU4RqL7qXW/s1755/tN_ZxyFbI.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="1755" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1ZAv8StlOeX4wvzbDsNEPjl4ZQ5Nw9PF2toM6RsCz87kkZnts6vlY_q0kMNCsvql0vgNyAURImybHUbkfXxFruTrLcNP0IMd_ePFgmVwJfSRN00e3VwSdLfD_4NC0qeCS4wV6UngEWH9igtXSC8X79dTbX4BRZ-d9ZDutKTm1ifl5nrF6uGU4RqL7qXW/w640-h426/tN_ZxyFbI.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHG1tFu1B553oY1faEVx9HQJ0t1ZUUawSAENi3nwlkusIkSRwYN3MnRLzrBeqeFpsuJpQfE6a8Wwh3tzki_izH_WR49IDOxqxPUiXMK97RlFEHNTOVm0hwRX9nsl32mgfxz4bmElSQXGWav1q14DQcQtn_olDccX2Mqr6fhBe2VEpDY4DqvUbBXtpgLtP/s1776/w0tasN3lkgA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="1776" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHG1tFu1B553oY1faEVx9HQJ0t1ZUUawSAENi3nwlkusIkSRwYN3MnRLzrBeqeFpsuJpQfE6a8Wwh3tzki_izH_WR49IDOxqxPUiXMK97RlFEHNTOVm0hwRX9nsl32mgfxz4bmElSQXGWav1q14DQcQtn_olDccX2Mqr6fhBe2VEpDY4DqvUbBXtpgLtP/w640-h426/w0tasN3lkgA.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OFLuHyQHtZ14NR0_ifzZxWrAzu27652HPA6PCd9XPVnaVsCMKm9_MjfrdAg7etpsZhdyPvHREHjIfIz_a9B9SiY6xU_wcHAOqw5SCnnSN__J7qx3tzvZmggkjIZkXePSqsUauax4pSvCBJptGqnJrJFEyqIBrrc1MymwR6ywU1E-ZrmDYMNGOYw1fdQC/s1867/w1wfUKdBFe0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1210" data-original-width="1867" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OFLuHyQHtZ14NR0_ifzZxWrAzu27652HPA6PCd9XPVnaVsCMKm9_MjfrdAg7etpsZhdyPvHREHjIfIz_a9B9SiY6xU_wcHAOqw5SCnnSN__J7qx3tzvZmggkjIZkXePSqsUauax4pSvCBJptGqnJrJFEyqIBrrc1MymwR6ywU1E-ZrmDYMNGOYw1fdQC/w640-h414/w1wfUKdBFe0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEGWnZE6E6wAkzyasPuaxHCRn6PFg0Zlpxs59log5a4dnD8hIWasUWmy07ZJosRfhdV7-U6FrUsrtfDc8lIMGDfsQjQKgYmDzWxtDoFzbbEaz-TS2BvIw_BNFmVmM22Up8yPt5vzDlaRsrtg7_-6aPXInPiFQEOKB7vjKdQ392sWL7PysL3ZR-B-a5DuB/s1776/w2TWzV-_Uc.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="1776" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEGWnZE6E6wAkzyasPuaxHCRn6PFg0Zlpxs59log5a4dnD8hIWasUWmy07ZJosRfhdV7-U6FrUsrtfDc8lIMGDfsQjQKgYmDzWxtDoFzbbEaz-TS2BvIw_BNFmVmM22Up8yPt5vzDlaRsrtg7_-6aPXInPiFQEOKB7vjKdQ392sWL7PysL3ZR-B-a5DuB/w640-h426/w2TWzV-_Uc.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYDieagmgy2lSWH1c7K8oq2mxA0yQdg7W6Oan5DYlQUzxx1KJlpFV9eOrzt0FZyt0qtPmVpeD9RW5k_2hpeKz6rEOs32RyMWoppsL1KVVKKCLO88aSU5JpxBNBuIQwn-VV6M4FlGo6mUL42K6vaorZz0dURywXYhmg-Wz8RYsMxdIu0fQLy01wjBKUjYF/s1780/w3wfTnCSOWM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1780" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYDieagmgy2lSWH1c7K8oq2mxA0yQdg7W6Oan5DYlQUzxx1KJlpFV9eOrzt0FZyt0qtPmVpeD9RW5k_2hpeKz6rEOs32RyMWoppsL1KVVKKCLO88aSU5JpxBNBuIQwn-VV6M4FlGo6mUL42K6vaorZz0dURywXYhmg-Wz8RYsMxdIu0fQLy01wjBKUjYF/w490-h640/w3wfTnCSOWM.jpeg" width="490" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This very happy moment concludes the race!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9kwQYSQNKdqtXADoNfMSGBH8e93nGEZluVQmUickKV2v7NtmK4xVyAOk35oJWQDyxYemEnMbg3Kb2E_DJtRVHLUJrZUHRbp_1Uv82CI0LS9YQoXdjlNqsnRfrtX2Q9V1NPynxdOtqatRcnR67IUfBzXDdnyiA3YSShTDxqr9eElFGh03U2-Wh4-b9F-n/s1776/w6wUX9sOduk.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="1776" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9kwQYSQNKdqtXADoNfMSGBH8e93nGEZluVQmUickKV2v7NtmK4xVyAOk35oJWQDyxYemEnMbg3Kb2E_DJtRVHLUJrZUHRbp_1Uv82CI0LS9YQoXdjlNqsnRfrtX2Q9V1NPynxdOtqatRcnR67IUfBzXDdnyiA3YSShTDxqr9eElFGh03U2-Wh4-b9F-n/w640-h426/w6wUX9sOduk.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hugs and highfives all around</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialEbpAqD8tr3hzcReIaIYqyvp14eEt0-rVWiqGXfcKM3B_6IhUjwFVka5sWTC38lIKaT2HP858l9Y3gnOWSBWIWgv3BkmHgGtzWqIfwsoR4pmEaiZmyr7Dq2YgHhENY3ZMdGBHqcVUf3S8hchwDWohFm8tVaKCA5MLT0bAoWt49DC-WUVDeyeJLeWmvNc/s1776/w7wVKEUv7yw.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="1776" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialEbpAqD8tr3hzcReIaIYqyvp14eEt0-rVWiqGXfcKM3B_6IhUjwFVka5sWTC38lIKaT2HP858l9Y3gnOWSBWIWgv3BkmHgGtzWqIfwsoR4pmEaiZmyr7Dq2YgHhENY3ZMdGBHqcVUf3S8hchwDWohFm8tVaKCA5MLT0bAoWt49DC-WUVDeyeJLeWmvNc/w640-h426/w7wVKEUv7yw.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This has been a massive effort from everyone, so this is a great time to congratulate each other and yourself.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9EdplJT5iU_YESPnz94QvVm_tiVg2lYDD6qWcD2X8swl2aoM192BZXsPsAIt8aDXz2WQk_VwomEfBOlFkico19mkpsYkp1tpNSorBSMCMga5HiUFiOQAwvJxJ5krKSmzOxP4AQmx8i9oz7WfZRdsHxKf1b2v4Gl5_H1AbY7H5VQlsd9Mj73Wf0d5Mki66/s2048/yzuHcTyXNQ.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9EdplJT5iU_YESPnz94QvVm_tiVg2lYDD6qWcD2X8swl2aoM192BZXsPsAIt8aDXz2WQk_VwomEfBOlFkico19mkpsYkp1tpNSorBSMCMga5HiUFiOQAwvJxJ5krKSmzOxP4AQmx8i9oz7WfZRdsHxKf1b2v4Gl5_H1AbY7H5VQlsd9Mj73Wf0d5Mki66/w480-h640/yzuHcTyXNQ.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crew lined up for the lap of honour in front of the Costitution Dock before heading to the marina for a well-deseved rest... and maybe a beer or two. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3k82NolN6IAcBTSmc-DeGBsXBEVHR2Wt5nunaCpLiScul7YcX5DZicj2UMyYiY9GwHuvVdbJirMfPi2fEAUklrEwW8Zywtkkk-3_NCrHUGJW6SL7ISZ3yXQ-qG1TXmHVIWk_y72vpJYClaG6kMErmT98CSccPqy6LLrsRM4UT483cWJdob-yPHqqC3kDq/s5472/zz6NOjE3xQ.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3k82NolN6IAcBTSmc-DeGBsXBEVHR2Wt5nunaCpLiScul7YcX5DZicj2UMyYiY9GwHuvVdbJirMfPi2fEAUklrEwW8Zywtkkk-3_NCrHUGJW6SL7ISZ3yXQ-qG1TXmHVIWk_y72vpJYClaG6kMErmT98CSccPqy6LLrsRM4UT483cWJdob-yPHqqC3kDq/w640-h426/zz6NOjE3xQ.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The biggest credit goes to owner and skipper David Hows!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMmUy60jJimMXEMIYaScSJhMkuHf9BIB9SQQ5cIbqQZvB7ZHZlsGjgO3dnyqOQBYxWhNv0fgnCTlx2q9Epajo_ATP22x_v0EgHF_ldqBXy0t8A3HxxJWQcqqp1fLKpA6mXL4Q8K07kFE_0x5dy-0NVzD9n4e_4EipPf6uOKrMWwp4Ems41zsQB6JtSDMA/s4032/z20221230_141345.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMmUy60jJimMXEMIYaScSJhMkuHf9BIB9SQQ5cIbqQZvB7ZHZlsGjgO3dnyqOQBYxWhNv0fgnCTlx2q9Epajo_ATP22x_v0EgHF_ldqBXy0t8A3HxxJWQcqqp1fLKpA6mXL4Q8K07kFE_0x5dy-0NVzD9n4e_4EipPf6uOKrMWwp4Ems41zsQB6JtSDMA/w640-h480/z20221230_141345.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently, it's a tradition for first-timers to have a dip in the Derwent. Quite a few of the crew did it, such champions!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlD1NGNF2YDJSd7X7viHJtw0PV2yn8tyP6R9owpQGUt1w_ni30cipMIDCH9iozI5IaSwCsCKuIIe3uDumIy5oMWKsoqmLAt8Mozml70RdBVTE6-BS315XcQgTdMqkToO1zn274xePlrhIg7EPK1qTbMOk2pjCCyiA0_kpY1YG2t_tKLJyVWObwb5w510bx/s4032/zzzoDtMCEiw.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlD1NGNF2YDJSd7X7viHJtw0PV2yn8tyP6R9owpQGUt1w_ni30cipMIDCH9iozI5IaSwCsCKuIIe3uDumIy5oMWKsoqmLAt8Mozml70RdBVTE6-BS315XcQgTdMqkToO1zn274xePlrhIg7EPK1qTbMOk2pjCCyiA0_kpY1YG2t_tKLJyVWObwb5w510bx/w640-h480/zzzoDtMCEiw.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo of the Sydney to Hobart veterans on board. Alex, me, David, Tim and Kris - all of us have now done it three times together.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzw6sW6CyNowBBdDkvNAuAjcDJduRN2MjsSzC7Cqik7a6AYVA-ZimxfIU-ihWrjHfbWuNghOYIh7i31uS4zRDirLFG2a8Of7hcMSIUBhdH7nvBhKn6VtVRUXStCaAW5tKnyWaoQUKB-em9l7gXrfXWIRqEl7kuKSo1SlDuFV5c2dOaAik6iEL2gp8Nmps/s1560/zzzreceived_698079595313844.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1170" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzw6sW6CyNowBBdDkvNAuAjcDJduRN2MjsSzC7Cqik7a6AYVA-ZimxfIU-ihWrjHfbWuNghOYIh7i31uS4zRDirLFG2a8Of7hcMSIUBhdH7nvBhKn6VtVRUXStCaAW5tKnyWaoQUKB-em9l7gXrfXWIRqEl7kuKSo1SlDuFV5c2dOaAik6iEL2gp8Nmps/w480-h640/zzzreceived_698079595313844.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Year's celebrations on board! There were fireworks and a huge party.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQM26AHwXM8oNXHrFmRDpQgRL1WJKUXLMckgxPGEtMcfUQ-Em1G0KkLDTuSsDi7eDc0SpsrmjqKn4PGpstXxhsvKkBJvMuLjSW4owcLkNkI-w0SJWC5ocwWOOGlD5ddDbP8beDQzGo0jx6cTvJuetGlY3bukIC3132Rn34Y_Z893u3Vel80E5ZRLEhg11D/s1170/zzzzreceived_711123760724348.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1170" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQM26AHwXM8oNXHrFmRDpQgRL1WJKUXLMckgxPGEtMcfUQ-Em1G0KkLDTuSsDi7eDc0SpsrmjqKn4PGpstXxhsvKkBJvMuLjSW4owcLkNkI-w0SJWC5ocwWOOGlD5ddDbP8beDQzGo0jx6cTvJuetGlY3bukIC3132Rn34Y_Z893u3Vel80E5ZRLEhg11D/w640-h480/zzzzreceived_711123760724348.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some dear friends came visiting in Tasmania, so we did some exploring together. During one of the days, we headed to MONA, the very artsy modern art museum, together. Taking the posh pit ferry, we had to also be very artsy and posh :D</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-544wb103upebpqd3jN4Af4eYroIMjo8YOAteBmqMHegxUmnfiG0Z6dvfVT-il_bRGtu8YJC7BpzNQiOT3AJhRSfdjIY9Qq1niiy4NKNVPwPjYOW8ZyXcV51f6Hve680ODkcmKeDrbwliryH1dDILtrjEbjCPf7oEuh8NlLnALZKXbchV4JsNY9668GLX/s2048/zzzzreceived_3398626950379994.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Lena Wilderäng" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-544wb103upebpqd3jN4Af4eYroIMjo8YOAteBmqMHegxUmnfiG0Z6dvfVT-il_bRGtu8YJC7BpzNQiOT3AJhRSfdjIY9Qq1niiy4NKNVPwPjYOW8ZyXcV51f6Hve680ODkcmKeDrbwliryH1dDILtrjEbjCPf7oEuh8NlLnALZKXbchV4JsNY9668GLX/w640-h480/zzzzreceived_3398626950379994.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lena Wilderäng - at the MONA, inside of one of the interactive art pieces. So beautiful!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-58209111159321802572022-12-22T04:52:00.000-08:002023-12-16T05:09:30.710-08:00Southport to Sydney<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NGlwyjZOa-FEMCudxZs7XBveIQxzh2ECiBEqn-OWoJSwWXhlMWWuFs-dx4376Vt0i-dcRzJfWhuYIal-4eBnoD-J54fzfn6ZeeHLQS-wkeGuy0qG_5PIN4lAZ6jspz2QiJuxL-3KrDu-Z_-vZ8PmWZM32F0oyN2ASS5LReTET18hbWQwTq_CCJzicKZ8/s4032/20221216_182536.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NGlwyjZOa-FEMCudxZs7XBveIQxzh2ECiBEqn-OWoJSwWXhlMWWuFs-dx4376Vt0i-dcRzJfWhuYIal-4eBnoD-J54fzfn6ZeeHLQS-wkeGuy0qG_5PIN4lAZ6jspz2QiJuxL-3KrDu-Z_-vZ8PmWZM32F0oyN2ASS5LReTET18hbWQwTq_CCJzicKZ8/w640-h480/20221216_182536.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving the beautiful coastline during sunset, a bit of ominous clouds</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>As a preparation for Sydney to Hobart 2022, I came to Southport to sail with Silver Fern to Sydney. Because of the pandemic, I hadn't been able to sail on <a href="https://oceansailingexpeditions.com/the-yacht-silver-fern" target="_blank">Silver Fern</a> after it was purchased, despite attempts (I was turned back by the authorities, who would not even look at the papers issued by the Ministry of Health of the receiving country). So this was my chance to get familiar with the boat before the race.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wOHAkn1gKW4GsXomAf_sYEKhbgAUZO4C3uVnZc574lhP0kpaafZ2n-If0F4S7W-lTdrzzEfe8QClKE2hUF7dsW29AItaI0CIFmXdlBacOlBT5xjPI1VMAj_fAYSh0GYMCySuD57P9AOx3jM9j-Es1_5rB_Ekebl_XmQsxZO-Xq3Cnfos0XCeniPJZrxd/s4032/20221215_074858.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wOHAkn1gKW4GsXomAf_sYEKhbgAUZO4C3uVnZc574lhP0kpaafZ2n-If0F4S7W-lTdrzzEfe8QClKE2hUF7dsW29AItaI0CIFmXdlBacOlBT5xjPI1VMAj_fAYSh0GYMCySuD57P9AOx3jM9j-Es1_5rB_Ekebl_XmQsxZO-Xq3Cnfos0XCeniPJZrxd/w640-h480/20221215_074858.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas spirit already in the airport!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I've been looking forward to seeing Silver Fern in real life. I've entered the project as one of the investors already as the boat was being purchased, and I have followed all the work closely. The owner David Hows has done an incredible amount of work to have it ready for expeditions and racing in record time, and jumping through all the bureacracy hoops to make it commercially endorsed.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQ2LTYb2VV4yrCoj1NkWKmuKUDsRzUSvIbMkQKJ44jjHq-EkQ9r0muKwZ78H8_j5uLkUVOf0QJrJdylAbhFxFHH4C7Ki9y_-PFfTbv0rUJTsIyZlsLB3qoPD65GXKbdsFdQOgBOZ8UpD08qapmKQUEVgvK2StLoIUmhpUsPdp8bhhQLuTdH5uVCoYdsF0/s3153/20221216_131646.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2291" data-original-width="3153" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQ2LTYb2VV4yrCoj1NkWKmuKUDsRzUSvIbMkQKJ44jjHq-EkQ9r0muKwZ78H8_j5uLkUVOf0QJrJdylAbhFxFHH4C7Ki9y_-PFfTbv0rUJTsIyZlsLB3qoPD65GXKbdsFdQOgBOZ8UpD08qapmKQUEVgvK2StLoIUmhpUsPdp8bhhQLuTdH5uVCoYdsF0/w640-h466/20221216_131646.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Fern - detail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The boat looked excellent, with a lot of clever solutions, and modern technology on board. The safety was a primary focus. The comfort was very high, and the aesthetics amazing.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeHqDH7uwXl4xbvheoGUNr25ihhL09QWbHyFfJI5txkNcrIpuLdHn8eJG63rR9BDRJCw5mBHSP-72HDo9VtGCSOExIflY4aBaaTlph6NAizdDOkyu-K_mVkOQhvcvSFa7Gr5mmR6K2_z41PP6xczHdC7VXfiYuW8ZgyRxu8cH8cTi31LyHelZR8nTkpiK/s4032/20221216_204954.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeHqDH7uwXl4xbvheoGUNr25ihhL09QWbHyFfJI5txkNcrIpuLdHn8eJG63rR9BDRJCw5mBHSP-72HDo9VtGCSOExIflY4aBaaTlph6NAizdDOkyu-K_mVkOQhvcvSFa7Gr5mmR6K2_z41PP6xczHdC7VXfiYuW8ZgyRxu8cH8cTi31LyHelZR8nTkpiK/w640-h480/20221216_204954.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boat interiour. Walking through the weather report before calling it a night</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>And sailing with David as skipper was awesome as always. We were greeted with dolphins as we were leaving the Seaway. Now, we headed to Sydney!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MViTVLdLyHamhra0LgIq0OUkheyPH2-9h5z0YH-rmSiBlyQlumRrQvEDdocXRrgbbiHXxV2kgd8H-T1MQX7qG0DMfAU111nv1t5iFwoG5pb5R0FJNugffvZQVZgH9fGhphj0Ciq3PdQq0I6NCo-Mc24wpRh7XDnyS0mm2byadt4LKCp07hX-w4_sixNX/s4032/20221217_092553.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MViTVLdLyHamhra0LgIq0OUkheyPH2-9h5z0YH-rmSiBlyQlumRrQvEDdocXRrgbbiHXxV2kgd8H-T1MQX7qG0DMfAU111nv1t5iFwoG5pb5R0FJNugffvZQVZgH9fGhphj0Ciq3PdQq0I6NCo-Mc24wpRh7XDnyS0mm2byadt4LKCp07hX-w4_sixNX/w640-h480/20221217_092553.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David turning off the engine after passing the Heads. Let's go sailing! </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9oIiV1b74XOpQfF4ojC0pqluNHEh3qERnSps2MbG3RMI0f368vNeTYMj6R69jcVTSd_lR-AeFfJaj0_HuAakTHoip8b5e1ahyiTv0OustGsO63Y48Ez6MdebwoX4ylzv5KJqM2_j1kz0zhMd7AzToa3Qe1iiiaBw3nM6s_nULovc0UQvIghUP7PgCfhGl/w640-h480/20221216_180012.jpg" style="color: #0000ee; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last calm waters before we enter the wind... and the waves</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The sea state soon got choppy, as we were receiving southerly winds that blew against the current. There was a bit of sea sickness on board. The velocity made good was painfully low, and we spend quite a few days beating against the wind. A few more days than planned, to be honest - most of us had to reschedule tickets, as we were arriving much later than planned.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7Wc0tStbp4MEMZbnasnT8KROVatBguexJrpuLmlzspgudIYULnakbEK7qWkD9Crfdojz7vPaz3wxVRS7_zkkyieJsWYikfVYnteq4j7GEuLjfIWAaXgOBWwqiwUMdNzCvXN08efO_2JD9_Ds6Dkm3oicmnVGCKNef4wrDyvPPE3p28vXPOSnGcxYJyyq/s4032/20221218_183811.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7Wc0tStbp4MEMZbnasnT8KROVatBguexJrpuLmlzspgudIYULnakbEK7qWkD9Crfdojz7vPaz3wxVRS7_zkkyieJsWYikfVYnteq4j7GEuLjfIWAaXgOBWwqiwUMdNzCvXN08efO_2JD9_Ds6Dkm3oicmnVGCKNef4wrDyvPPE3p28vXPOSnGcxYJyyq/w640-h480/20221218_183811.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bit of a "washing machine" out there</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The waves washing over the boat caused one of the hatches to leak, and the flailing sheet in a block hit a glass hatch right open. We tried to make a temporary fix for everything as we went, to have it properly fixed at the destination.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kyFJH_oUZrWZpYZ3DNUvw9AmSTVgCM_hhxlM6fYVuewybE5FeTk6x2-viqhBGvUztgpLaE-y9Ik1U91DWiNPZr9SL2IZ1SIaUMb2aMgjM677AMbw4HqN8aBpIgRX40J5g4d5E-uY00-OH5vJEea1Iy1U2-zODIEo-MJfcUkVwCI0IJlGBQ5gi0u72zGu/s2944/20221218_183834.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="2944" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kyFJH_oUZrWZpYZ3DNUvw9AmSTVgCM_hhxlM6fYVuewybE5FeTk6x2-viqhBGvUztgpLaE-y9Ik1U91DWiNPZr9SL2IZ1SIaUMb2aMgjM677AMbw4HqN8aBpIgRX40J5g4d5E-uY00-OH5vJEea1Iy1U2-zODIEo-MJfcUkVwCI0IJlGBQ5gi0u72zGu/w640-h480/20221218_183834.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at the helm, sitting down for a bit so only sailing by the instruments</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNuWYzSlU7S6aNDbXPbvldFrJr_xbfC-MjK347LRr6gYw46IGhyBoBxkOdxdj2hxUlZCQWWI1eNMI66goIahiEojTXIFseBIOkSWmG0dbcDWCl6wtgWRGN7h-WeXvitb2dyI3SemN6kZIcdRHnkqVI5DeeTsVNtQFD3lMS4K61KA0N0OTVkNRyGpyw8Mf/s4032/20221217_092616.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNuWYzSlU7S6aNDbXPbvldFrJr_xbfC-MjK347LRr6gYw46IGhyBoBxkOdxdj2hxUlZCQWWI1eNMI66goIahiEojTXIFseBIOkSWmG0dbcDWCl6wtgWRGN7h-WeXvitb2dyI3SemN6kZIcdRHnkqVI5DeeTsVNtQFD3lMS4K61KA0N0OTVkNRyGpyw8Mf/w640-h480/20221217_092616.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reefed main</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The green faces were balanced up by incredible sunsets and sunrises, dolphins and rainbows. The boat held up extremely well. There was another sailing boat heading for Sydney at the same time, and the sheer forces caused it to break and retire from the race.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkURFf-ZsAwxELdtGL-jtt1MZBKIllCDVbhLXsZ9Gqgk15RK__VpfXEZT9h5hkZtOffHWvOj6EuXdsy7tyRPr7QiZeEeoZyxD0F6xPUys-XFZ1Y2FNqgfRE1rdoi_7P4SJlu36yQCel9ffEVp7BGek2shHHN52xvzNME6SelU9FaOe2Or1iHzVdePQgwRU/s4032/20221221_091457.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkURFf-ZsAwxELdtGL-jtt1MZBKIllCDVbhLXsZ9Gqgk15RK__VpfXEZT9h5hkZtOffHWvOj6EuXdsy7tyRPr7QiZeEeoZyxD0F6xPUys-XFZ1Y2FNqgfRE1rdoi_7P4SJlu36yQCel9ffEVp7BGek2shHHN52xvzNME6SelU9FaOe2Or1iHzVdePQgwRU/w640-h480/20221221_091457.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Familiar waters! Arriving in Sydney<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3JwntjhlgUY66pHH7JerBGSDCNLPy9hgZmFWwzhc1sMJLdLNfGFxUi8sDGkbeTglwN8xUiY2YZmLxYvTBzCgYu70r-6ffSrCwH2EvldOTcISxR7Rqy4nSn3nZcb2NjCXNgLv-VZBYrKpYzYiZcD2VcXGje0rL1PkKil61HSgL8RbMixLZg7SMfyb7Rt9/s3952/20221221_093035.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2964" data-original-width="3952" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3JwntjhlgUY66pHH7JerBGSDCNLPy9hgZmFWwzhc1sMJLdLNfGFxUi8sDGkbeTglwN8xUiY2YZmLxYvTBzCgYu70r-6ffSrCwH2EvldOTcISxR7Rqy4nSn3nZcb2NjCXNgLv-VZBYrKpYzYiZcD2VcXGje0rL1PkKil61HSgL8RbMixLZg7SMfyb7Rt9/w640-h480/20221221_093035.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sydney skyline completed by Black Jack's black sails. During the coming race, they would come third to the finish line, less than an hour away from Andoo Comanche and LawConnect who got first and second Line Honours</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>It was a great feeling to enter Sydney harbour. In there, we met Black Jack who were out for a sail. Then, we headed for the marina. These few days were to be spent resting up, doing some jobs on the boat, and celebrating Christmas. Very soon, we would be back on board to get to the start line of Sydney-Hobart 2022!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqZDorGYfaGa5n_gRKYiHYNiTfFxXNBC50pmh5DGAzFYFyTCJt9y5zn9O1_04-NpnFO5ZkuAW5YEfzEHEiYc8mw0Z0XM0S3m9N1xZLr5wnY4cNIZDfHSXVeCu3Jkqp12AKWm0vDRBmwToZdZGCPkYZw9sc33mu38hHgobay6wtiJQkmG-l_QSRgF9K07k/s3648/20221221_114723.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqZDorGYfaGa5n_gRKYiHYNiTfFxXNBC50pmh5DGAzFYFyTCJt9y5zn9O1_04-NpnFO5ZkuAW5YEfzEHEiYc8mw0Z0XM0S3m9N1xZLr5wnY4cNIZDfHSXVeCu3Jkqp12AKWm0vDRBmwToZdZGCPkYZw9sc33mu38hHgobay6wtiJQkmG-l_QSRgF9K07k/w640-h480/20221221_114723.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Competitor's badge for Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Ready to go!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-83479548955292754862022-10-23T02:29:00.009-07:002023-05-30T00:47:50.233-07:00Volunteering for Ukraine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtmrWYemCACe35s-Q5cpjP1u9Mk1feNybVnnV3RzTHpsPk-MxGjLpXd4uH6RfY_uPc9Ybr6p8tRSdXDHkg6VwlB4CvRmyIbzKqZAlBAWSK2JPBE1F3DvYcTe7a8314eviSSKkJ8R3ro5HfrdQ63Uop2l_qY670RJY9D5vAnMKFM_eSwo_GxiBeoErfQ/s2944/20220428_172612.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="2944" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtmrWYemCACe35s-Q5cpjP1u9Mk1feNybVnnV3RzTHpsPk-MxGjLpXd4uH6RfY_uPc9Ybr6p8tRSdXDHkg6VwlB4CvRmyIbzKqZAlBAWSK2JPBE1F3DvYcTe7a8314eviSSKkJ8R3ro5HfrdQ63Uop2l_qY670RJY9D5vAnMKFM_eSwo_GxiBeoErfQ/w640-h480/20220428_172612.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The blog has not been updated since quite a time, and that's for a reason. Nowadays I spend most of my time doing volunteer work. This has been sparked by the war in Ukraine. When there is a war in Europe, a lot of things change. I can no longer do mountaineering and fight for the summit, when I know that very near me, people are fighting for their lives. Of course, I've done the assignments I have had planned since a long time ago, and I will report about them. But apart from that, I've been working as a volunteer, without payment or rest, since end of February. I'll tell you more about that in a second.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFiKopOgHFjPO96teBfljcuckMieUgo8VuAfa9XpQgP6RA47u4s1hW2V4QQ5EgOBEImlO3Em5tpewgD1ZwiZmvYFWu-LhUvIFXYUi5i0PQzCRSrKFAoba7EgC9CmzjJ-mL9tFdDVG--R3bxTAMGyIwd2fYudH6Jv0DtjQnLot9FLXL3L6dc824GDrsA/s4032/20220428_130543.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFiKopOgHFjPO96teBfljcuckMieUgo8VuAfa9XpQgP6RA47u4s1hW2V4QQ5EgOBEImlO3Em5tpewgD1ZwiZmvYFWu-LhUvIFXYUi5i0PQzCRSrKFAoba7EgC9CmzjJ-mL9tFdDVG--R3bxTAMGyIwd2fYudH6Jv0DtjQnLot9FLXL3L6dc824GDrsA/w640-h480/20220428_130543.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the fire trucks that were transported to Ukraine</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I also had an assignment as a head of IT department, since October 2021. That's the main reason why the blog has been stagnant during the autumn and winter - it's been challenging with a lot of tasks to complete and a lot of development potential (to put it mildly) in the department. However, the situation was not tolerable. My superior did not agree to give me time off work despite the start of the war. I did not even have time to call my relatives and check if they are alive. That's not a way to treat employees, and this creates enormous stress which does not go well together with sustainable performance. There were a few more critical errors in how they treated personnel, which I had discussed with them to no avail. So I asked to discontinue my assignment as head of department - but was forced to work another three months. I did a lot in the organisation in less than a year, and I'm very proud of the change that I've carried through. And I will definitely miss the crew whose support for me as a leader kept me going throughout all times.</p><p>Now, I share my time between working as a firefighter, lecturing, and volunteering for Ukraine. I've collaborated with an organisation called <a href="https://swedishrescuers.se/" target="_blank">Swedish Rescuers</a>, with the focus on emergency vehicles. I've helped fund, acquire, equip, and drive ambulances and fire trucks to Ukraine. Because I know the language, it's easy to have a contact with the final recepient, and have a discussion about what to send and when.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJkXBWgddyFFwL4iLuJmkH233Xq_4uCE9E8EJgOfpGl-A_csu5d8bKNEFKGDkX5iKrcMp248tCoUVqEbpDvXo3gTZQbjtBdPUmxs-kWCtmcHzJQNqjaNJL_cSw8eHt3WVLTWV-ot6uoJImkDWQ6r3vtwwxOzAiEydeRgY2-eXdooqnSGiHbzmQviZuQ/s4032/20220430_022916.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJkXBWgddyFFwL4iLuJmkH233Xq_4uCE9E8EJgOfpGl-A_csu5d8bKNEFKGDkX5iKrcMp248tCoUVqEbpDvXo3gTZQbjtBdPUmxs-kWCtmcHzJQNqjaNJL_cSw8eHt3WVLTWV-ot6uoJImkDWQ6r3vtwwxOzAiEydeRgY2-eXdooqnSGiHbzmQviZuQ/w640-h480/20220430_022916.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Ukrainian border</td></tr></tbody></table><p>At the moment, I'm preparing for the tenth trip to Ukraine delivering vehicles. As per today, we've delivered 5 ambulances and casevac vehicles, 8 firetrucks of dirrefent sizes, 5 other vehicles for evacuation and transportation of staff and equipment, 3 boats for water rescue, and a few drones for the rescuers to use. We're soon ready to transport 5 more firetrucks and other vehicles, and we work with several recepients such as hospitals.</p><p>This all takes a lot of time to administrate, and that's why I haven't been updating around here. I have however made reports in Swedish, which you can find here.</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The <a href="https://cornucopia.se/2022/04/gastartikel-rapport-fran-arbetet-med-ambulanser-och-brandbil-till-ukraina/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="background-color: white; color: #6eb48c; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">first and second</a> trip<span style="background-color: white; color: #313131; white-space: pre-wrap;">, the third (</span><a href="https://cornucopia.se/2022/05/gastartikel-lyckad-tredje-leverans-av-utryckningsfordon-till-ukraina/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="background-color: white; color: #6eb48c; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #313131; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><a href="https://cornucopia.se/2022/05/fredagsmys-foto-och-videorapport-blaljusfordon-pa-plats-i-ukraina/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="background-color: white; color: #6eb48c; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #313131; white-space: pre-wrap;">), </span><a href="https://cornucopia.se/2022/06/gastartikel-nasta-vanda-med-blaljusfordon-till-charkiv-extra-barn-och-krig/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="background-color: white; color: #6eb48c; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">fourth</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #313131; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (and here are some </span><a href="https://cornucopia.se/2022/04/gastskribent-ambulanser-till-ukraina-i-media/" style="background-color: white; color: #6eb48c; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: none 0s ease 0s; white-space: pre-wrap;">media reports</a>), <a href="https://cornucopia.se/2022/07/gastartikel-en-brandbil-och-en-ambulans-till-ukraina-rapport-fran-senaste-vandan/" target="_blank">sixth</a>, <a href="https://cornucopia.se/2022/08/gastartikel-lyckat-samarbete-med-hospitallers-operationaid-och-fler-fem-utryckningsbilar-levererades-till-ukraina" target="_blank">seventh</a>, <a href="https://cornucopia.se/2022/10/gastinlagg-leverans-och-inforande-av-dronare-till-ukraina-ytterligare-leveranser-av-utryckningsfordon/" target="_blank">eigth</a>, and </span>soon there will be the tenth. In all reports, you will be able to see the faces of the team, and read about those who have helped to make this happen.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVr0rcQxOt8FuRo9gBPA6SrMj6Btd3XqtZB7MrWNpj2RHR33rQIUOcuo-XhwCqk-1XMc09quP1d-btHdRntIF6b17ZCeZhc9lyK8nOxA3RpELKuGr1fQNhDFpEdtlVFvC_4AiJXs7l9WncGSKZV0M2v86bbHIxSPIoy_B_fu5KvBtsAGh26tcBiXFByw/s4032/20220428_135818.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVr0rcQxOt8FuRo9gBPA6SrMj6Btd3XqtZB7MrWNpj2RHR33rQIUOcuo-XhwCqk-1XMc09quP1d-btHdRntIF6b17ZCeZhc9lyK8nOxA3RpELKuGr1fQNhDFpEdtlVFvC_4AiJXs7l9WncGSKZV0M2v86bbHIxSPIoy_B_fu5KvBtsAGh26tcBiXFByw/w640-h480/20220428_135818.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving one of the firetrucks, that will save lives in Ukraine</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I will be away working as a volunteer during a bit longer period of time, as an individual initiative. This means I will not be available for replies. You can check my <a href="https://twitter.com/thewicked" target="_blank">Twitter </a>or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/adrenalenaadventures/" target="_blank">Instagram </a>for updates!</p><p>There may be updates about other trips I've made, and other adventures - but at the moment, I have to focus on the now. Also, I'm still preparing for the coming Sydney to Hobart, where I will once again race with my favourite team! You can bet there will be reports of that, too.</p><p>But now I'm combining my previous experience as a professional adventurer (planning and carrying out trips in challenging environments) with all the experience as manager and project lead, and the experience as a firefighter, and channeling it all into this volunteering work. With all the hope for the victory soon, let's all do what we can!</p><p>You can support my work with Paypal: <a href="http://paypal.me/lenawilderang">paypal.me/lenawilderang</a> or by email if you have an emergency vehicle to donate.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-60302959956663035562021-10-24T11:12:00.006-07:002021-10-24T11:27:14.697-07:00Kayaking among icebergs in Ilulissat, Greenland<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YuW9zIsgcH1KeZrxAxGGP32kcvqDCiUD_cZT_UwdvZS5vICBeCKkh9WIV3Bt4b0jAeIHTMlbLP2vHtN_-y5tyKhiJS8RJOWApS84oqJS1BmNXGf4cqGKrFzInAnZNhg6EeOVuNV_JnuC/s2518/cropped2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Lena Wilderäng" border="0" data-original-height="1249" data-original-width="2518" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YuW9zIsgcH1KeZrxAxGGP32kcvqDCiUD_cZT_UwdvZS5vICBeCKkh9WIV3Bt4b0jAeIHTMlbLP2vHtN_-y5tyKhiJS8RJOWApS84oqJS1BmNXGf4cqGKrFzInAnZNhg6EeOVuNV_JnuC/w640-h318/cropped2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After I finished sailing in Greenland, I came back to Ilulissat to do some kayaking among the icebergs. In retrospective, it's one of the most beautiful things I've enjoyed since a very long time.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDyOqkxDVQEvH5aDKemvHjz6-ZVpnDIS6wy48qIaLBaQpjF81IwMPSYHNcNvVYecmUjPmvtDsJ2wbq05MikyqsOphLi8nAdlr6jAOiBATowVKFYBFXF1xFbIeP_lpVgZ23N46agmstsRrm/s2048/20210913_190131.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDyOqkxDVQEvH5aDKemvHjz6-ZVpnDIS6wy48qIaLBaQpjF81IwMPSYHNcNvVYecmUjPmvtDsJ2wbq05MikyqsOphLi8nAdlr6jAOiBATowVKFYBFXF1xFbIeP_lpVgZ23N46agmstsRrm/w640-h480/20210913_190131.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great weather to get out into the water!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>At this time, it was already mid-September. There were still a few nice days of Autumn to enjoy before the winter would tighten the grip. A couple of degrees above freezing point, a beautiful sun that still lingers above the horizon well into the afternoon, and not too much wind or waves - perfect!</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgdyNo5-ltaTy49VRpwURnPF8IwiGQ9GxFJyd3-mqr9j_diA9Moz6Dpfj-415vf9hJUMUIIyB2KM-oGMelEfEflsPnV8bhfzvTlyGnxwbhlJ1m0CpmUj_LM3rHagbD71htFxfZCg7zR92/s2048/20210913_194015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgdyNo5-ltaTy49VRpwURnPF8IwiGQ9GxFJyd3-mqr9j_diA9Moz6Dpfj-415vf9hJUMUIIyB2KM-oGMelEfEflsPnV8bhfzvTlyGnxwbhlJ1m0CpmUj_LM3rHagbD71htFxfZCg7zR92/w640-h480/20210913_194015.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">90% of the iceberg is always below the surface.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Kayaking in the Arctic requires good safety equipment, like the dry suit and the vest. Also, you have to be aware of the risks around here. There are no ice bears around in this location, unlike <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2016/09/east-greenland-cruising-and-crossing-to.html" target="_blank">in other places where it's a real danger</a>. However, there is still the iceberg situation, with the <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/09/sailing-northwest-greenland-beginning.html" target="_blank">most productive glacier in the world</a> (except for Antarctica) just around the corner. The icebergs are to be given a wide berth, since they may break, turn around or crack. There also may be an ice foot underneath the surface, which can damage the kayak or break off and sink you altogether.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlqNjRATOzJA2ZQeOSVykmECaTpfKK4_DAulbZygcGCGOi7XXeWfYbcFH9NUTeuQs_FYlKUkWIG6DREHnIedtV2HABxNCRlb7svVBkFwaVYVOywHeb1yMKso9t9TeS-veEienn-9v8Hiq/s2048/20210913_192921.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlqNjRATOzJA2ZQeOSVykmECaTpfKK4_DAulbZygcGCGOi7XXeWfYbcFH9NUTeuQs_FYlKUkWIG6DREHnIedtV2HABxNCRlb7svVBkFwaVYVOywHeb1yMKso9t9TeS-veEienn-9v8Hiq/w640-h480/20210913_192921.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite everything, it's one of the most beautiful things I've done.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>It's not really possible to avoid all ice when kayaking there, and the ice is also the main part of the adventure! But it's wise to avoid the big icebergs, and not to crash too hard into the smaller one with the kayak, so it does not get damaged.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xLrP9O4VJgG1aJK_QpXroTpIBB3WIlKI2RnDcLG2mK6uEHCcJqq23HeZMxvu7CnfpZHn18f6dajuUoFasQExeBx8C3emf_VzIoGtCd50QtPAJ8x_JmgLP6Lsq67XnwIXq_FfHqvbvUbP/s2048/20210913_203002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xLrP9O4VJgG1aJK_QpXroTpIBB3WIlKI2RnDcLG2mK6uEHCcJqq23HeZMxvu7CnfpZHn18f6dajuUoFasQExeBx8C3emf_VzIoGtCd50QtPAJ8x_JmgLP6Lsq67XnwIXq_FfHqvbvUbP/w640-h480/20210913_203002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5MH3F_iqjLc9vCW1DvoutgOXipiJdJeBgT1xzpUztBokzDdaXjATVO19KOYihgLj2OIF7yYRHJnfRINoIgBC_8SsAZiWdUZFvZbo-35YxcBYCXOY2YTExlt-_tnCQhtlefsjR1s3hNUL/s2048/20210913_195718.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5MH3F_iqjLc9vCW1DvoutgOXipiJdJeBgT1xzpUztBokzDdaXjATVO19KOYihgLj2OIF7yYRHJnfRINoIgBC_8SsAZiWdUZFvZbo-35YxcBYCXOY2YTExlt-_tnCQhtlefsjR1s3hNUL/w640-h480/20210913_195718.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun setting into the icy waters. Absolutely stunning.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>This kayaking trip was short, just to look at the surroundings and get a feel of kayaking through ice. It was such an epic feeling, that I promptly decided to get back for a longer expedition.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJLIfLZ-KOLZEwy7Tesih_UPesrcGukKQG8UAy_u9u9w641OL-JeSB_n35UHNtxRTnsxMxRKzg8yTPNg3XuapAK-Nxcp-YuNMaeJWAhSBapllQo34IQELqpBElKFGyv87OWSNahEQk7sA/s2048/20210913_195556.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJLIfLZ-KOLZEwy7Tesih_UPesrcGukKQG8UAy_u9u9w641OL-JeSB_n35UHNtxRTnsxMxRKzg8yTPNg3XuapAK-Nxcp-YuNMaeJWAhSBapllQo34IQELqpBElKFGyv87OWSNahEQk7sA/w640-h480/20210913_195556.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice thickens. At the distance, a fishing boat is heading back into harbor.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JFsuyMynyxR9rbVGCPP8wW5V3JywB6AP70UuVkgxGjoIZ0rTmUrPnqVDLrqrcZI9tjHTlrmzcV3clmE3bmNpOjnoLNapMdEhPtDyZ1Dn0YFcpEItzAwdCsrMfSXptEt_z85wV0JKgME0/s2048/20210913_194238.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JFsuyMynyxR9rbVGCPP8wW5V3JywB6AP70UuVkgxGjoIZ0rTmUrPnqVDLrqrcZI9tjHTlrmzcV3clmE3bmNpOjnoLNapMdEhPtDyZ1Dn0YFcpEItzAwdCsrMfSXptEt_z85wV0JKgME0/w640-h480/20210913_194238.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last rays of light. Impossible to stop taking photos.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I finished up the evening by climbing some ice floes! The dry suit allows being in the ice cold water comfortably for a long time, so I could swim to the ice floe of my choice without any trouble. The hard part is that the hands are unprotected and get very cold in the water. It gets painful very fast. It's a matter of habit though - the locals do the winter fishing and fish cleaning by hand in freezing cold temperatures and wind, and sometimes dip the hands into the ice wake to warm them in the water...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKjSeV1alCCMLR5njO60ypfl4HBysXjFDitLhfvKCRRfAhulJw27Zu9b21O__uTvEPckLqZCvH0j5f-1URGbfqFxR3MNCjLDRsQtTfIhT-1Vt1ZFrXkqjEuxeFXLFyp5zT-rsKuPGPoNa/s2048/20210913_223656.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1542" data-original-width="2048" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKjSeV1alCCMLR5njO60ypfl4HBysXjFDitLhfvKCRRfAhulJw27Zu9b21O__uTvEPckLqZCvH0j5f-1URGbfqFxR3MNCjLDRsQtTfIhT-1Vt1ZFrXkqjEuxeFXLFyp5zT-rsKuPGPoNa/w640-h482/20210913_223656.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing on an ice floe, in the sunset!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>At the place where I stayed, there were two Danish kayakers who had just been on a long hike and told me about their experiences. There were only two of them kayaking. During a hike into a lake, one of them slipped while bathing and hurt his foot on a rock. The cut was not too deep, but it hit an artery and he had to be evacuated. Now they were resting at the hostel, waiting to get help to retrieve the kayaks. It was interesting to hear how they handled it, and I also shared the story of <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/04/abrupt-end-of-trip-in-padjelanta.html" target="_blank">my ecavuation from this Spring</a>. They were also very happy to have brought a sat unit with a SOS button. It should never replace preparation and proper equipment, but in tough situations with injuries and harsh conditions it's truly a life-saver.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9koOFaarGBOsDT3Yv54UhpP27jd4xDcSkwxwCsmZpObCZBmgcLp8LHIJzlGGUOstAEA806Hc5WfExk9B2UL6hyphenhyphenXwoVi93flEOjWjpS59yOKfz7Hnv3SuWDDIMg0VGm9GT-HH6lgsK1lcK/s2048/20210913_202948.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9koOFaarGBOsDT3Yv54UhpP27jd4xDcSkwxwCsmZpObCZBmgcLp8LHIJzlGGUOstAEA806Hc5WfExk9B2UL6hyphenhyphenXwoVi93flEOjWjpS59yOKfz7Hnv3SuWDDIMg0VGm9GT-HH6lgsK1lcK/w640-h480/20210913_202948.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Already longing to get back for more - will organize some kayaking trips next summer!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>As I got back home from the kayaking trip, I enjoyed some local shellfish and reindeer meat. Then, I packed my bag for the airport and went to rest. Just one night left in Greenland, but I will be coming back! I am looking at the possibility to cross David Strait, and possibly do some serious hiking on Bylot Island. At any rate, I will also come back to Ilulissat's ice-strewn waters to do some more serious kayaking! I will be organising one kayaking trip for beginner/intermediate kayakers, and one for advanced adventurers. Stay tuned!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDHDhowbrUbY7OYg11fZ2pklHSVzeLVygYimpkjaO3yFilY9E7ML1UO-loNOuOAVsS-WAjzCzs0ClnYj9A-El5otxdhY9NyPdX1uxKb8Sq6rw2kBAIe3LiVAZBcpVbIG3oPWDqY6Flog-/s2048/20210913_193233.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDHDhowbrUbY7OYg11fZ2pklHSVzeLVygYimpkjaO3yFilY9E7ML1UO-loNOuOAVsS-WAjzCzs0ClnYj9A-El5otxdhY9NyPdX1uxKb8Sq6rw2kBAIe3LiVAZBcpVbIG3oPWDqY6Flog-/w640-h480/20210913_193233.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lena Wilderäng</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-24765938053873581202021-09-22T07:20:00.008-07:002021-10-20T09:07:02.200-07:00Sailing Greenland: Upernavik - Disko Island - Aasiaat<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeb0OlQS6f1hYjIMueXFNRltSFC2DmwYsxR1nH_VuZkTzW66Q2tigEsH1SjnFCn7k8aOWLLLXOpLXR9-N3lzBA8x878LenoIu547hMJAWmqAaIyp9fIuqSsHuFscq4_KApu9eGGcPKpB8v/s2048/20210906_182805.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeb0OlQS6f1hYjIMueXFNRltSFC2DmwYsxR1nH_VuZkTzW66Q2tigEsH1SjnFCn7k8aOWLLLXOpLXR9-N3lzBA8x878LenoIu547hMJAWmqAaIyp9fIuqSsHuFscq4_KApu9eGGcPKpB8v/w640-h480/20210906_182805.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just follow the frozen compass!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/09/sailing-northwest-greenland-beginning.html" target="_blank">getting stuck in the Greenland town Illulisat, and covering a range of activities from hiking and iceberg watching to working in film industry</a>, I headed to Upernavik. There, the boat would be waiting. Due to all the restrictions, it could not sail anywhere north of this point. Now, I would spend some time there together with the Dutch skipper, and one Swedish and one Norwegian crew.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplEJUbPvoYlOv4ErfD_mi1pcIma0DwV63j7Gk1Cwb4eb9P4oqc9Mi1AhOQDyzF11DXDMBGNrrDw9bszE6SVLVOFJg7ddWBSaTNVl-4h4_R7X7Ktg8UIlu8Tq9X5QbKQ1tcMyI3gL8IFBn/s2048/20210908_201801.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplEJUbPvoYlOv4ErfD_mi1pcIma0DwV63j7Gk1Cwb4eb9P4oqc9Mi1AhOQDyzF11DXDMBGNrrDw9bszE6SVLVOFJg7ddWBSaTNVl-4h4_R7X7Ktg8UIlu8Tq9X5QbKQ1tcMyI3gL8IFBn/w640-h480/20210908_201801.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arctic Ocean, icebergs, snow and autumn skies were to be the view from the deck for the next coming week and a half. Worth all the money!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The plan was to undertake some polar sailing, enjoy and explore, and eventually reach Aasiaat - just a couple of day sails away from the boat's wintering spot in Sisimiut. The weather reports promised no Arctic storms this time, at least not on the West coast (South coast had 30-40 knots at times).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzf7K4zHWU8dYE7mhwWr6n19WrFRkKglWPV_pm2Zm9JnAWI1PC04CaNtESjjU3_i_ZIlm_dARVLUE0H8YmB8SdJX3-tKkrOxoDj1DCW5kZY77Zg2EGt_T5NLz7lJPSseTbRYNxOXQ5aEK/s2048/20210905_144920.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzf7K4zHWU8dYE7mhwWr6n19WrFRkKglWPV_pm2Zm9JnAWI1PC04CaNtESjjU3_i_ZIlm_dARVLUE0H8YmB8SdJX3-tKkrOxoDj1DCW5kZY77Zg2EGt_T5NLz7lJPSseTbRYNxOXQ5aEK/w640-h480/20210905_144920.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the amazing sights that was waiting for us...</td></tr></tbody></table><p>There would be variable weather, a bit of sun, and temperatures around freezing point - a maximum of couple of degrees above or below as daily and nightly variation. There would be a bit of rain, or maybe snow. Fair enough - I was ready! At home, early September hit with heavy rain and some gusty winds, but it was still above 20+C sometimes. Still, even coming from the summer, I was prepared - with my usual sailing gear with extra layers, some winter hiking gear, plus the Svalbard sweater, Russian Arctic rubber boots for -60 C, and a snow mask. All set!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiR1Ki2Yps6tPC3UU6O7AENm3fR5pR9Xj4VsiIEMCz4zQTfIlo9X0nPTMcRazP-tiIx9MYY4gtEEZ4ewz0z0RAUsmDr0ryclfGXtL0baN3a3qLbxAuqq6TMlbO-h6eUldXYBso2aDSBb4x/s2048/20210906_101657.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiR1Ki2Yps6tPC3UU6O7AENm3fR5pR9Xj4VsiIEMCz4zQTfIlo9X0nPTMcRazP-tiIx9MYY4gtEEZ4ewz0z0RAUsmDr0ryclfGXtL0baN3a3qLbxAuqq6TMlbO-h6eUldXYBso2aDSBb4x/w640-h480/20210906_101657.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northwest Greenland can get slightly chilly in early to mid-September. This day, it was not too bad - only one hat, no balaclava, no snow mask! Practically summer...</td></tr></tbody></table><p>At the moment of arriving, the skipper was busy working on board - we hardly got a hello for a while, until he could come out. Several things had to be fixed, including the generator, to which I had brought a spare part that was shipped to Sweden. Having a malfunctioning generator is not a fun thing in the high Arctic - electricity definitely makes life at ice-cold sea a bit easier, and the instruments have to be functioning, not mentioning the ship lantens (the Arctic day was over, and the nights were steadily getting longer and darker). It's possible, of course, to prepare coffee on the diesel stove, although it takes a lot of time. But I was not sure that the skipper would use the stove. During the previous sailing sessions in the high Arctic, almost every summer for me at some point, it had only been used once when I was there. "Economy" is very important on board this parcticular boat, and at times it definitely is done on the cost of basic needs or comfort. However, I was wrong about this! The diesel stove was used regularily. I do not suffer too much from the cold anymore, not after numerous Arctic and winter trips, but it sure makes being down below nicer. But otherwise, you don't need a stove to sail the Arctic, given that everyone on board are fine with the cold. No, the biggest challenge is the ice.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGgqc4dHa7KD80FXKRwME6b99kfD6R77oA0-m7XpHVwXdZL4bZH6nf9Rw0nAMx7c9pcSrG8kwjKgciIBpPcjJPSsNfQNFDk9XKPo8V0RARrXqAyvx-baS6ZtmJa1ctmq3J3DkG9d4YIm7/s2048/20210905_145052.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGgqc4dHa7KD80FXKRwME6b99kfD6R77oA0-m7XpHVwXdZL4bZH6nf9Rw0nAMx7c9pcSrG8kwjKgciIBpPcjJPSsNfQNFDk9XKPo8V0RARrXqAyvx-baS6ZtmJa1ctmq3J3DkG9d4YIm7/w640-h480/20210905_145052.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautiful iceberg, medium-sized. You can see the foot protruding under water, also connecting the two bergs together. Maximum 10% of the iceberg is visible over the surface, sometimes close to 0%.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>There was a bit of moving around the different docks in Upernavik just as we got there. The skipper needed time for setting things up, but the big cargo ship would arrive and needed us out of the way. They actually shoot out their mooring lines with cannons, which was a delight to watch, particularly from a dock in a safe distance. The skipper decided to stay at the fuel dock instead and take som time for repairs, which of course was not popular because many boats needed to come in and take fuel - the locals use the boats for working, fishing, and everyday errands, and naturally expect nobody to hog the place. Then we lay aside a large fishing boat for a while. Finally, finally, we cast off.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHMKWcdlubXRw3wH9uV3m4Mzq1CUYyLfeQ3m6oAPc7JPU3DevwiGKSiNZKgaoY6NQ1hvwanYLMZeG3BSSjOgm2yxFoG870UUqYL0XdHY34Nrft8JKlPSDPyR8UwR_S4qM3ttnkp6TOYQZ/s2048/20210904_131915.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHMKWcdlubXRw3wH9uV3m4Mzq1CUYyLfeQ3m6oAPc7JPU3DevwiGKSiNZKgaoY6NQ1hvwanYLMZeG3BSSjOgm2yxFoG870UUqYL0XdHY34Nrft8JKlPSDPyR8UwR_S4qM3ttnkp6TOYQZ/w640-h480/20210904_131915.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally onboard! Hilde, a polar sailing veteran, still looking a bit shell-shocked</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2k-zIgLh3tsrFOayUJNqJhGA_VNo11e6XxHImHQlYmiR_mYMauwRblh090jLpAfg9wwplaysgsddc1nSjAkaPTCCIz68owWaHw1X1i-0cY3BmLcjiuyLxIDR67pN8mOYV2TD892EEz0SZ/s2048/20210904_215249.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2k-zIgLh3tsrFOayUJNqJhGA_VNo11e6XxHImHQlYmiR_mYMauwRblh090jLpAfg9wwplaysgsddc1nSjAkaPTCCIz68owWaHw1X1i-0cY3BmLcjiuyLxIDR67pN8mOYV2TD892EEz0SZ/w640-h480/20210904_215249.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People vs ice at Aappilattorq</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We had a lookaround north of Upernavik, and sailed past a small settlement Aappilattorq, that had a beautiful iceberg right in front of their boat jetty for the moment. Then, we anchored at a small bay, a very protected natural harbour. We, being the crew, were very happy to be sailing at last. Sergey had lost 10 days of sailing because of cancelled flights, repairs etc. Me and Hilde only got to wait for 2 extra days, but that's long enough when you're in Greenland for the sailing! We all were excited to do some proper Arctic expedition sailing, and to experience and explore these remote faraway places. Also, it's always fun to meet new crew and to get used to the life on board. Little did we know that the timeline and sailing plans were crammed to the maximum and we'd start longing for getting into harbour. That day for example, dinner was cancelled because the skipper needed to complete the repairs, and did not want anyone else to cook.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkhCCpiFupOzfK789_VNLGkp7iVhni3RNMrhoQgLvgTI2mTqLbSM2pcDDhIDPOG5shp42JovWpe8d_W-D0q2iS6WTnySAKjUeJl5-49zhlth2BvxqJ21BOsZWs33-TY_odkQWhg4CYsg2/s2048/20210904_184452.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkhCCpiFupOzfK789_VNLGkp7iVhni3RNMrhoQgLvgTI2mTqLbSM2pcDDhIDPOG5shp42JovWpe8d_W-D0q2iS6WTnySAKjUeJl5-49zhlth2BvxqJ21BOsZWs33-TY_odkQWhg4CYsg2/w640-h480/20210904_184452.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least we are finally in Greenland, and we are on the way! Icebergs and clouds are welcoming us.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMqDQ8uq7_nM6YJxexpjCR9-Yt2AijoE58J1nzQ_HqhzZ8dC5qdGXAqvfrvkFshQwvaKbEPtyhgZ7qsthxje-TfBics8PnIzCHzsZeUPI_LH2tcsMpoI2qVIs0B8Yll8dcvYK99eY5xXN/s2048/20210904_202955.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMqDQ8uq7_nM6YJxexpjCR9-Yt2AijoE58J1nzQ_HqhzZ8dC5qdGXAqvfrvkFshQwvaKbEPtyhgZ7qsthxje-TfBics8PnIzCHzsZeUPI_LH2tcsMpoI2qVIs0B8Yll8dcvYK99eY5xXN/w640-h480/20210904_202955.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some funny iceberg shapes - is this a Mumin Troll or an Arctic Loch Ness monster? <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatY5g0_VPdFghuYprrQf4-2PRgPXCVoJmBpFKRPvfneyDjwjHqtyxXf8ESuevNwBjyFprm42Vkcqtwh6ncoJ9cik4nWTbCLd1cyh9Tq_STaXrihYyUkffRo5WZIqkB5iKooDfjEQkitV3/s2048/20210906_134245.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatY5g0_VPdFghuYprrQf4-2PRgPXCVoJmBpFKRPvfneyDjwjHqtyxXf8ESuevNwBjyFprm42Vkcqtwh6ncoJ9cik4nWTbCLd1cyh9Tq_STaXrihYyUkffRo5WZIqkB5iKooDfjEQkitV3/w640-h480/20210906_134245.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greenland is vast, and it's so forbidding and beautiful.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The next day was great. We sailed to Upernavik Iceflow, and had the whole afternoon to ourselves exploring the views, taking photos, even bathing in a glacier waterfalls (for the bravest). The iceflow gives birth to immense amount of icebergs, and they were a delight to sail through. Navigating, sometimes in zigzag, was very fun this day. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTR1_8v_XDYW2NTih40CLKLdloAbMkevvo-vfjraaoZtXHO3YBM62BxgJE-C3yxDQ0OujRsV9qahuhUGhvgPod1a97nkAeLMw8_T45TwPWYJ0_e0AgdJWrqTcN3Vpe_nZXFKPCQdRzU7Z/s2048/20210905_142105.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTR1_8v_XDYW2NTih40CLKLdloAbMkevvo-vfjraaoZtXHO3YBM62BxgJE-C3yxDQ0OujRsV9qahuhUGhvgPod1a97nkAeLMw8_T45TwPWYJ0_e0AgdJWrqTcN3Vpe_nZXFKPCQdRzU7Z/w640-h480/20210905_142105.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close contact with ice, most of the time</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkcJdZhIQABBTxZha4VZ62AtmhNVVHjni2lOh5D3ehCiqxBMvHv8AWtCirgdI5S6U4a9xeb7oqqahNQZBPH23m3chOcVkcT-TJNSsLeOf8Sp2kDiK0LGHzzm0dVGQyWL-eZAoOo68oVE2/s2048/20210905_174344.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkcJdZhIQABBTxZha4VZ62AtmhNVVHjni2lOh5D3ehCiqxBMvHv8AWtCirgdI5S6U4a9xeb7oqqahNQZBPH23m3chOcVkcT-TJNSsLeOf8Sp2kDiK0LGHzzm0dVGQyWL-eZAoOo68oVE2/w640-h480/20210905_174344.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The glacier end near the Iceflow. Lots to explore and take photos of!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQv66Vh6JSR3icmYfdcz2qN5bZey_X7ia-BS0Biy2Sg6E5gkHToeCV_PKT_RFmNqXEwM77jzWfp6zlFY2589MDFAAPgonzPmlWOr42nHSNnZfb7mn_azRjbNpnaOcnHRY6zUB8qO3_-9Ro/s2048/20210905_173300.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQv66Vh6JSR3icmYfdcz2qN5bZey_X7ia-BS0Biy2Sg6E5gkHToeCV_PKT_RFmNqXEwM77jzWfp6zlFY2589MDFAAPgonzPmlWOr42nHSNnZfb7mn_azRjbNpnaOcnHRY6zUB8qO3_-9Ro/w640-h480/20210905_173300.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boat, at anchor.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>However, the anchorage had to be redone in the evening, as the anchor was dragging, so we did not sleep too well.</p><p>It also turned out that a very early morning was awaiting us all. The skipper made a point about having everyone wake up at the same time, and hour before departure, have breakfast, ease anchor and sail off. We did not have set watches during the day, although we asked him for it, so that resulted in everyone getting pretty tired. The following days were about getting up at around 4-5 in the morning, motorsailing the whole day, getting to an anchorage at night, reanchoring two or three times, and getting to sleep very late - just to repeat again. We had to keep anchor watches too, so those days we did not get much more sleep than maybe two hours at a time.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbPY7ezcorm0IYTCRmWeHWriQ3X01WVs6JeaGuuBCXyADZhPh2LVXPEz_YOTLitZuFqXvLgTsSAscsmU_OhaieXTFNavX6sXHfn1flsoAXDoK1G9ePnZs5b8eOMo60tFdySxhPhklXcFK/s2048/20210904_214242.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbPY7ezcorm0IYTCRmWeHWriQ3X01WVs6JeaGuuBCXyADZhPh2LVXPEz_YOTLitZuFqXvLgTsSAscsmU_OhaieXTFNavX6sXHfn1flsoAXDoK1G9ePnZs5b8eOMo60tFdySxhPhklXcFK/w640-h480/20210904_214242.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sailing through ice requires constant attention, early morning through late night.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After a few of such days, the crew was tired. We never got any time to rest, because the skipper had apparently made a plan and wanted us to keep it. At last, we got to know at least what legs were planned for every day and how long they were in nautical miles, but the weather reports, possible anchorage spots and other considerations were at the discretion of the skipper. The lack of information did not add to the motivation on board. Different people tackle that kind of things differently, and there is no right and wrong - however, there are better ways (direct communication, questions, suggestions) and of course less costructive ways, like swearing. Also, therw are of course differnt approaches to being a skipper, running a business and treating people in general.</p><p>I've done an interview for <a href="https://www.oceansailingpodcast.com/" target="_blank">Ocean Sailing Podcast</a> about leadership on board, if you want my fair opinion then it's there (Episode 52, but do listen to the rest of David's podcast, it's full of insights and exciting takes on sailing).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1QwuPqoTpoTs8sSrSEr16vvjmLAz8q1moB14dQGx8JKF1uqmJB2tyYwwBUrkeXFtvwG-mRlJgKqnhg41K1y2W6Sf02pSNTRhusmPknLkQ34-TXbQ8qZaR4FDN959D53W9TJCq-l2dl5Y/s2048/20210909_180148.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1QwuPqoTpoTs8sSrSEr16vvjmLAz8q1moB14dQGx8JKF1uqmJB2tyYwwBUrkeXFtvwG-mRlJgKqnhg41K1y2W6Sf02pSNTRhusmPknLkQ34-TXbQ8qZaR4FDN959D53W9TJCq-l2dl5Y/w640-h480/20210909_180148.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Are you as a skipper leaving a clean wake, or heavy skies behind you? It's all up to you.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After an iffy night on anchor in front of the Illorsuit settlement, with the risk to be blown on shore, we headed off across the Uummannaq bay towards Disko Island. By this time, the legs were getting a bit shorter. Also, we refused to get up all at the same time, and had two people lifting the anchor and two continuing to sleep, which allowed for a longer resting period. During one of the nights, I took all the anchor watches to let the rest of the crew sleep, and then be able to have a rest myself. So things were getting a bit better. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9klzt7VFbM-GkrNvnhL-otaT98GI8CHJmBbkh5BNTmcSV6N4DtVPQjoqX4nneZw7yJPh4FPOPHLgzjeVxymRst9Mh6wmuT9EpLoXy0afNy6V_n8mFTHTfkbSKZWVWdpVUQH0zUQyQ0iE/s2048/20210909_183023.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9klzt7VFbM-GkrNvnhL-otaT98GI8CHJmBbkh5BNTmcSV6N4DtVPQjoqX4nneZw7yJPh4FPOPHLgzjeVxymRst9Mh6wmuT9EpLoXy0afNy6V_n8mFTHTfkbSKZWVWdpVUQH0zUQyQ0iE/w640-h480/20210909_183023.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe even a bit of sunshine!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>However now we were beating against the wind, and had some very slow going which threatened with another late night arrival, reanchoring and frustration. We were also surprised that the quite hefty sum that we paid to join (to cover food, water, fuel, berthing, Covid support, and arctic boat maintenance, plus payment to the skipper for his work) did not cover much at all. We were forbidden to take food on own initiative, but rather relied on the skipper's cooking, with an agreed lunch at 13, snack at 17 and dinner at 19. In reality, we had a cold breakfast at around 5 am, and then had to wait until lunch which some days was served at 15. The "5 o'clock snack" was most often forgotten by the cook, or rescheduled to as late as 19. Finally, the evening meal was sometimes not ready until very late at night, long after we've anchored, even after reminding a few times and asking if we could help in some way. Once I was sleeping, so I did not get a lunch at all. Tired, cold and hungry is not a great combo. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLYz96vaLzgp3qZLA90nOlHCRGDRnLOg1wpaoZp8TifLvGJzzX2_Pu9Gd3a8wy98xiNiDOEz9cioKA3cixEbZ-Owe95E9TgNpGajdh4FN1LTSRiwbzjL0Wh-JqwiE44XRP41mg1rH7_lQ/s2048/20210906_131755.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLYz96vaLzgp3qZLA90nOlHCRGDRnLOg1wpaoZp8TifLvGJzzX2_Pu9Gd3a8wy98xiNiDOEz9cioKA3cixEbZ-Owe95E9TgNpGajdh4FN1LTSRiwbzjL0Wh-JqwiE44XRP41mg1rH7_lQ/w640-h480/20210906_131755.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A crew member warming some tea water on the diesel stove, and roasting the stale bread that was on board. Myself, I do not eat bread, so I had to skip a lot of meals and improvise with own snacks.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Not only the timing, but the choice of the food was also surprizing. A lunch could be a "make it yourself-sandwich" of cold canned fish on a stale piece of bread - or some instant noodles. It may be excellent for a snack, but not as a main meal. On the other hand, I'll be fair - there was always a possibility for me to take some old canned soup I left on board in 2018, as I was preparing for an Arctic circumnavigation on this boat, and did not want to have instant noodles every day. The noodles are actually from the same time period, most of the food is well past "best before date" on board. Usually, foods can actually be eaten past "best before date", as long as they do not look, smell or taste foul. But here, the art of "saving on every little thing" is taken to a next level, as veggies are not eaten until they start to rot or mold, and therefore are "ready and ripe" - not before then. It's been like this all years I've sailed with this skipper, and I don't think I ever complained too much - after all, I was brought up in the Soviet and we were taught how not to waste food. However, not all crew members support this approach, and I do understand them. Would you agree to eat yoghurt that is 3 <i>months </i>past "best before date", if you knew there was lots of other, fresh yoghurt on board? That you personally brought after being asked by the skipper? Well, I think most people understand the situation. It was not an emergency, after all. It was a commercial trip, with possibility to provision fresh food every week.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKZ-OmcmOalgj-tC8v1Gihc98qtRkcdzTXNwsGX0k__dPwKu0enNRfm2Ji3qBVyCqIbeccd0iNF16mBgCjj-8UNxkENZq2Rj9fTiTUgyY-mAiQO3Q9MnaxE9pcx-AkF_32aemOBEcOYmO/s2048/20210905_153802.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKZ-OmcmOalgj-tC8v1Gihc98qtRkcdzTXNwsGX0k__dPwKu0enNRfm2Ji3qBVyCqIbeccd0iNF16mBgCjj-8UNxkENZq2Rj9fTiTUgyY-mAiQO3Q9MnaxE9pcx-AkF_32aemOBEcOYmO/w640-h480/20210905_153802.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner's served!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Even with scarce provisions on board it's possible to take good care of the crew, like it was during the <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2019/04/crossing-tasman-sea.html" target="_blank">Tasman crossing</a>, with only the Tasman Sea stretching between us and Antarctica, the island of Norfolk behind us. Multiple failures lead us to spend much more time at sea than planned, thus we were running out food onboard. Even then, we got hot breakfast, meals served exactly at agreed times, and even some freshly baked cake. Also, with every year, I've met more and more Arctic sailing boats and realized that naturally they do not have the same conditions on board as there are on this particular Arctic boat I now was sailing Greenland with. On the other boats, it's been clean, always warm as soon as the crew is freezing, and there has been the most amazing food, in abundance. Once I was served the freshest newly baked apple cake in the middle of the Barents Sea, with a sea state that would make some question food preparation altogether. Or a piping hot cheese fondue, upon arriving to Kirkenes in Arctic Norway - how about that? An excellent grilled dinner north of Lofoten... now I have to stop because I'm getting hungry!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0IL69dIEN8WYnHMk5a6XLD6qRr17waYXqeqdvrHifG5X3FKrgQx6Ndad37fHnu2lrqqGFJBOjhm4n0HJ1tNZMszigf_s-_R0Gw1fYUtK2ge3NpuKfcjeNnr-V1zLmUZpfTsN-uvvO5Kg/s2048/20210906_151010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0IL69dIEN8WYnHMk5a6XLD6qRr17waYXqeqdvrHifG5X3FKrgQx6Ndad37fHnu2lrqqGFJBOjhm4n0HJ1tNZMszigf_s-_R0Gw1fYUtK2ge3NpuKfcjeNnr-V1zLmUZpfTsN-uvvO5Kg/w640-h480/20210906_151010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another iceberg in the snowstorm</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Lastly, there was the safety concern. A good practice is to always go through the safety procedures as soon as the new crew steps on board. Here, apart from being given lifejackets, there was none such. Apparently, there was a liferaft and emergency suits for everyone, but no briefing - and my suit was stuffed away in the skipper's bunk. No info about flares, medical kit, MOB procedures, satellite phone or EPIRB. Of course, most of these things are fairly straightforward, and as arctic sailors we are trained and experienced. But all crew need to know where the safety gear is located, how it works and whether it actually works. During a polar sailing like this, there is no cell phone coverage for long stretches. Not even all sat phones work in polar areas. There are few ships around to VHF for help, usually we saw none at all. And even if a Mayday is sent, the rescue attempt may take hours, even days. Survival time in cold water is very short, so everyone on board needs to know how to act correctly, immediately.</p><p>To sum this up: happy crew is the skipper's responsibility, and it's no black magic. You have to communicate the plan to them, so they know what's coming and why. You have to make sure they get meals at agreed times, preferably tasty, warm and healthy food. And you have to be positive and constructive. It's also good if you lead by example and participate in watches. And you have to care for the crew's safety. I think that the passage would be happier and easier on the crew if more of that was the case.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0J8Ifhu6_f-0Tg5Ny9vCPPB5TSCdSpnQ49ek3GCbbgF_Befs_s3WPwik2IPgDhrWiofOKhvDOGUMCXNbmRNvnP8dXnQqR25y_87YrbrPUMj995NeOcW8fcApsSxkQCNIOojakchdwvM5S/s2048/20210908_194251.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0J8Ifhu6_f-0Tg5Ny9vCPPB5TSCdSpnQ49ek3GCbbgF_Befs_s3WPwik2IPgDhrWiofOKhvDOGUMCXNbmRNvnP8dXnQqR25y_87YrbrPUMj995NeOcW8fcApsSxkQCNIOojakchdwvM5S/w640-h480/20210908_194251.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even if the going gets tough, there are things to enjoy! The views are stunning.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We were still moving along the coast of Greenland, and the weather became colder, followed by heavy clouds. To lighten things up, the crew made sure to celebrate every anchorage, and to find some opportunities to enjoy. As the rain stopped and turned to heavy snow, we had a snowball war on deck! Then, a snowman was built. Sometimes, the snow stopped and gave way to brilliant sun! The coast was now coated in white, which added to the Greenland feeling - it's otherwise rather gray because the icecap starts further into the land, the coasts being bare rocks with a glacier or two reaching into the water at some places. We took photos after photos. Rainbows came after the snowfalls, they looked fantastic!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmhIWo6psxpT0QLEfiHIVBsHYr3RovRMr3R7wSWjyuCEmunKIliLhTbwTlVHyeaHTffs2S35Y-696IjpS_KGNIG6jQGUkC-ORFs4XYhoqIioEXqnt2S3A0QLNrAYAcHrq1KFGiLrk-31G/s2048/20210906_101227.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmhIWo6psxpT0QLEfiHIVBsHYr3RovRMr3R7wSWjyuCEmunKIliLhTbwTlVHyeaHTffs2S35Y-696IjpS_KGNIG6jQGUkC-ORFs4XYhoqIioEXqnt2S3A0QLNrAYAcHrq1KFGiLrk-31G/w640-h480/20210906_101227.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merry Christmas! In September though, but nevertheless!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cVVAjlZBrQ6KlTGOlVlFhZONoCIWrwEIuNyubgwNgD9-Jhb_z6AFcJecGnvCzmSS1yP6u6zd7AGwz65teIQCdJyKk3LbVCS55cfhWNP8MfLHsAiORVoBZ79gNu4hxv83sSxav5AgUmx_/s2048/20210906_181806.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cVVAjlZBrQ6KlTGOlVlFhZONoCIWrwEIuNyubgwNgD9-Jhb_z6AFcJecGnvCzmSS1yP6u6zd7AGwz65teIQCdJyKk3LbVCS55cfhWNP8MfLHsAiORVoBZ79gNu4hxv83sSxav5AgUmx_/w640-h480/20210906_181806.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotta take care not to slip on this snowy ice rink.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUzV38u-12hwnMQ6n3n5JFO4hPDAVRglHpCKm6DW-FnTTQZhWNg_J1jwdAlb3-WqzgJa7p6LWkaL_TviKorkX4TCMIwJSDAVoeAjej4YBje4hiXEYGtqQOWvrCpN92ea966i6pjI3z0NF/s2048/20210906_212141.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUzV38u-12hwnMQ6n3n5JFO4hPDAVRglHpCKm6DW-FnTTQZhWNg_J1jwdAlb3-WqzgJa7p6LWkaL_TviKorkX4TCMIwJSDAVoeAjej4YBje4hiXEYGtqQOWvrCpN92ea966i6pjI3z0NF/w640-h480/20210906_212141.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Testing to snowboard! Or snowsurf? At least give everyone a smile!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUc3Y5XVL8UxGSMGG0XbjW7kjevwKFDy9yl-fKqXFag3TJCbECTIJ9NcwJ1UlPPsqU7_b5SgjHHC1vG7NswQf6ANERNf_icVWDCrv69iBYOb8baKttyGbjTVM4eA56SyqAmsvDX6HZecNr/s2048/20210906_221054.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUc3Y5XVL8UxGSMGG0XbjW7kjevwKFDy9yl-fKqXFag3TJCbECTIJ9NcwJ1UlPPsqU7_b5SgjHHC1vG7NswQf6ANERNf_icVWDCrv69iBYOb8baKttyGbjTVM4eA56SyqAmsvDX6HZecNr/w640-h480/20210906_221054.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White sails. After a snowstorm, just before a night anchoring.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Every snow cloud gave a squall, wind direction depending on which side the cloud was being passed on. Inside of them, ther was a full snow storm! We were singing Christmas songs and wearing ski masks as protection, as large flakes were thrown into our faces and everywhere else - onto the deck, onto the sails, into the water.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjwAPitPi-_49LeUtVQPOzNPr3VSh_voo4sIZxj9gKgh6wE5OhwuRK3Gqn-ziiDG7s6tdcDMGFaTbe4kD19PmKX0FGNQiYGTe3ACcFHUg9ZI6bV0moxZvwCm5rZFqzAgX_hCCCOHSmo5l/s2048/20210922_114520.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjwAPitPi-_49LeUtVQPOzNPr3VSh_voo4sIZxj9gKgh6wE5OhwuRK3Gqn-ziiDG7s6tdcDMGFaTbe4kD19PmKX0FGNQiYGTe3ACcFHUg9ZI6bV0moxZvwCm5rZFqzAgX_hCCCOHSmo5l/w640-h480/20210922_114520.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowstorm incoming! Just look at the airstreams.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8D1yEOrqZBjVmhmnxEHW_CXeVWIx92Dc4wJLGd6qghlrG-tEgpwMPjLhqRO9isuLTtItC684j3raOvFtMOAgAoj4Ma77MPjlJ_KcletZhJM9gsi0fubK_a3S2rArlNsZbbGSh1B4Bddhr/s2048/20210907_151502.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8D1yEOrqZBjVmhmnxEHW_CXeVWIx92Dc4wJLGd6qghlrG-tEgpwMPjLhqRO9isuLTtItC684j3raOvFtMOAgAoj4Ma77MPjlJ_KcletZhJM9gsi0fubK_a3S2rArlNsZbbGSh1B4Bddhr/w640-h480/20210907_151502.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few smaller and medium-sized bergs are about to hide inside the cloud.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Recz4mQvVdtk5Er088YASPLeroPfPPInAN9lw7VzzROt6zUX0mZPL24Ij8RhVa50XOLNIf4_IHcCyjEk31xacHa6lJAsAj8UsQxZJ11M2WTzgF2_CeTTI_2SD5B48lTQFOy-M7fllG4S/s2048/20210907_152239.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Recz4mQvVdtk5Er088YASPLeroPfPPInAN9lw7VzzROt6zUX0mZPL24Ij8RhVa50XOLNIf4_IHcCyjEk31xacHa6lJAsAj8UsQxZJ11M2WTzgF2_CeTTI_2SD5B48lTQFOy-M7fllG4S/w640-h480/20210907_152239.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The downfall itself is beautiful, and resembles a watercolor painting.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0BalsBJ1KLsS8ZPXD5dlODsNuw_y9SRaxdwpc4pG_tqFMxVUy3NTmoKVVqgAezVKITImxSuccKJnkeEtZ25CktGSkZ6cK6Up6z6v5ioJ1sF25AKY1Y8QL9W2gbRiQUxx3tG91G1gM_St/s2048/20210907_100531.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS0BalsBJ1KLsS8ZPXD5dlODsNuw_y9SRaxdwpc4pG_tqFMxVUy3NTmoKVVqgAezVKITImxSuccKJnkeEtZ25CktGSkZ6cK6Up6z6v5ioJ1sF25AKY1Y8QL9W2gbRiQUxx3tG91G1gM_St/w640-h480/20210907_100531.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As it hits, lumps of snow fly across the air, and visibility is cut to a hundred meters or less.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The visibility was down to less than a hundred meters at times. The snowstorms would block out the radar, so sometimes we'd discover that we are passing too close to an iceberg the height of a multi-storey house. It can be very dangerous, because of the foot of the iceberg being very far out under the water, and even sometimes risking to break off and break the boat from the underneath. Also, if a large iceberg would melt too much under, lose balanse and flip over, then a wave could knock the boat down. Or, actually, the iceberg itself. So we really struggled to avoid these monsters.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZWimdVF4u7tK91OArUexXNbCq5EkMOHEnnGIKjNvT4dcg7h5AzkEscDXrRxppWpejJ6hWijYG69fwvcvzi5BgC2KvvEBl4qh05UxJmI8DzHZD4BQ51Enj0awvHMRd0fxgbQ20e1v1Lmxb/s2048/20210909_112235.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZWimdVF4u7tK91OArUexXNbCq5EkMOHEnnGIKjNvT4dcg7h5AzkEscDXrRxppWpejJ6hWijYG69fwvcvzi5BgC2KvvEBl4qh05UxJmI8DzHZD4BQ51Enj0awvHMRd0fxgbQ20e1v1Lmxb/w640-h480/20210909_112235.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example of a larger iceberg. These would emerge from the fog and snow, too close to the boat to be comfortable.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrBqUXr8C1x-VsbxfUrzlFz3PREMEZ4-VFHI4cuFzd5_JFiembiejYr3NMuZ9e4PnlQitx7vygWpiIWmaDAORnMoW2hxG_7vHoG40E2wRxjf2oFWRXyMU1SrRuMTxDkt9-JWRPM1WJgi0/s2048/20210910_181851.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrBqUXr8C1x-VsbxfUrzlFz3PREMEZ4-VFHI4cuFzd5_JFiembiejYr3NMuZ9e4PnlQitx7vygWpiIWmaDAORnMoW2hxG_7vHoG40E2wRxjf2oFWRXyMU1SrRuMTxDkt9-JWRPM1WJgi0/w640-h480/20210910_181851.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The land too was hidden as the snowstorms swept over. Luckily, it was at least charted! However, the charts were offset, sometimes up to 300 meters, so we had to sail by echosounder end eyeballing.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The heaps of snow stuck to the sails and the rigging. As we shook out reefs, we could shake out bucketwise of loose snow, brrr! The snow that was left could thaw a bit during the sunny moments, and then freeze up to ice chunks. As the seastate increased, some of the chunks came down onto the deck! It was not too bad at first, but then one of the ice chunks from the spreaders fell right into my face, hitting my left eye! Luckily, it did no other damage than momentary pain. I decided not to challenge fate, and grabbed a helmet to wear for the rest of my shift.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFxvhvwYG_DZZDj6uqFFl5dUUcTkd16d0bnV_U-AJu39MgzCtUCyz9yR9_evbEzQpfHPbRDPmAvHjeYK89vkguzhueJHYbHt0eRJAZ7CiNYLYhkM8IM2mQhRIERVYD0_0Q1GKbCrYMvov/s2048/20210908_195600.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFxvhvwYG_DZZDj6uqFFl5dUUcTkd16d0bnV_U-AJu39MgzCtUCyz9yR9_evbEzQpfHPbRDPmAvHjeYK89vkguzhueJHYbHt0eRJAZ7CiNYLYhkM8IM2mQhRIERVYD0_0Q1GKbCrYMvov/w640-h480/20210908_195600.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It isn't often I've used helmet during sailing. This time, the icebergs were apparently attacking from several angles, so I had to stay safe.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfjLYTJ-YgR1cg5RZ2dbLZl0zQuKB6zhAIK3MBQzrHf8uJa1I49hjGJleXuXV5IkfWIVMl5_Cq-ohdwRi3fpheycXLXhNQFP0L5s6yJrOMV5nqHCO_5-QBiJk-yzpZBGzIE-BoXdr2w9p/s2048/20210908_153547.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfjLYTJ-YgR1cg5RZ2dbLZl0zQuKB6zhAIK3MBQzrHf8uJa1I49hjGJleXuXV5IkfWIVMl5_Cq-ohdwRi3fpheycXLXhNQFP0L5s6yJrOMV5nqHCO_5-QBiJk-yzpZBGzIE-BoXdr2w9p/w640-h480/20210908_153547.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After each snow cloud the sails and rigging collected snow. Some of it could be easily shook off - some turned to ice and threatened falling down on the crew.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Snow shifted to sun, then back again, and once it was heavy hailing - like the icebergs tried to attack us! With the right gear, it was OK. Sometimes, the sunglasses went on, sometimes my favourite cat balaclava. A good winter sleeping bag I brought made sure I slept comfortably. Good gloves were a must - not regular sailing gloves because they freeze up in a second. I had the mitten liners that a friend knitted for me, and a water- and windproof shell mittens. Sometimes I changed to rubber gloves with a built-in warm lining, usually used by the fishing industry of the North. Perfect for handling wet gear.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbksU6CmqLHoOvMnEiKfS9CC444JgOrJjHq4bEgZ3txsGRScZytDL3pnU0YI26uxu1JdKwwM0KPvioUwOwg-EW_w_cSTcSbeSc7sq7Mr5nZzo_Rt0re4UZH1KeZRj1GQzcn1Lc42key7MA/s2048/20210908_153510.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbksU6CmqLHoOvMnEiKfS9CC444JgOrJjHq4bEgZ3txsGRScZytDL3pnU0YI26uxu1JdKwwM0KPvioUwOwg-EW_w_cSTcSbeSc7sq7Mr5nZzo_Rt0re4UZH1KeZRj1GQzcn1Lc42key7MA/w640-h480/20210908_153510.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside a snowstorm. Cat balaclava doing its work. Or maybe I just forgot to shave?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Finally we were anchored off Disko Island. I was always dreaming to come here for some Disco! Actually, the island is named that because of the disk shape, and there is only one larger settlement that has any party possibilities. We were anchored in a secluded bay on the other side of the huge island, which by the way has its own icecaps and is good for weeks and weeks of hiking, dog sleighing and adventure. Secluded or not - a party is a must!</p><p>I took a round fender and clad it with aluminium foil. A perfect disco ball! Then, we used the different flashlights and head lamps (flashing, blinking, red or white) to make some disco lights. Bring out the rum! My attempt to make Pina Colada without coconut milk or pineapple failed miserably, but we all had a good laugh. Some music and everyone was dancing! Disko Island, what an awesome place!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTk8d2BcbXuQv3smKIcfOcCXXkxg0RPvZSevc8-j89gHZUWSD9XhV-TUEWUE1cxfcTDXAdpLY0XDCuyz3Z7MR95UEU-1yfSOOCdB9sBzHb56GGtwZnS0TW4-7SCqi7ahRcfCK9-EKxdxmS/s2048/20210909_193043.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTk8d2BcbXuQv3smKIcfOcCXXkxg0RPvZSevc8-j89gHZUWSD9XhV-TUEWUE1cxfcTDXAdpLY0XDCuyz3Z7MR95UEU-1yfSOOCdB9sBzHb56GGtwZnS0TW4-7SCqi7ahRcfCK9-EKxdxmS/w640-h480/20210909_193043.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disco on board - upon anchoring off Disko Island!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The next day, we made for Qeqertarsuaq (Godthavn), the main settlement and port on the south coast. We came very late and nobody wanted to go ahore except for me. I was longing to experience the local vibes! And would you believe it, I found a disco. At the municipality house, there was a local discotheque - everyone welcome. The second floor had disco lights, and a stage where a Greenlandic band was playing. The bar was selling sodas, crisps and tea/coffee. I had a cup of tea, and then was adopted by some Greenlandic ladies who were there to dance and party. I got to sit with them, and gave the dancefloor a go several times! Finally, happy with my dream coming true, and not wanting to lose too much valuable sleep, I headed back to the boat, rowing the dinghy into the Arctic night. I was rewarded with an amazing sight from the deck, as the Northern Lights furled out their unreal show across the night horizon, painting the skies with glowing green fire.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxFzxAvwhuOR__0AfcN_a7EVsZHiUxc5deV5Qdiy6UUzgde-6Jr9QNXT-Y6LKKtal34aJqABF2LmmzMl7XCucHxnnjUOOMOwApVa193KOPG1OUijRUmBkAs2J74lpFcOi9FR_bNoj4Tl5/s2048/20210922_114929.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxFzxAvwhuOR__0AfcN_a7EVsZHiUxc5deV5Qdiy6UUzgde-6Jr9QNXT-Y6LKKtal34aJqABF2LmmzMl7XCucHxnnjUOOMOwApVa193KOPG1OUijRUmBkAs2J74lpFcOi9FR_bNoj4Tl5/w640-h480/20210922_114929.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local disco at Disko Island! The inside of the municipal hall illuminated to resemble Aurora Borealis.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We were told to hurry up and keep the visit ashore short the next day, as the skipper decided to change plans and lift anchor a day earlier, ridding us of a rest day. But when we made ready to go, he decided once again that he'd go back to the previous plan. A bit surprised, we assembled the dinghy again and headed on shore once more. As we hurried through the sightseeing in the morning already, we now had a possibility to go for a long hike with a picnic. And a hot shower, the first one in days! It was amazing.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAiq3N9m5S67wmblwHgLz7GaZ6cFXpLrb3jaCkvW0SmNK5Xc9s193ZEFGTjaNEbCqxSrDtzBhMCfwVSeqYZ4IyP5UiFFrseo9iakV9VSgzI4nmI_LuLcuwyB-ehqnalvZUl_D_2fdVE2b/s2048/20210911_082055.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAiq3N9m5S67wmblwHgLz7GaZ6cFXpLrb3jaCkvW0SmNK5Xc9s193ZEFGTjaNEbCqxSrDtzBhMCfwVSeqYZ4IyP5UiFFrseo9iakV9VSgzI4nmI_LuLcuwyB-ehqnalvZUl_D_2fdVE2b/w640-h480/20210911_082055.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visiting the black beach. Stranded icebergs make a great photo op!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We had a dinner in the only place in the settlement that served food and drink (Disko Hotel), and tumbled into the boat late at night. The party did not stop at that. Disko Island! Love this place.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXr8xSTPXe8xLxDaxPi5Cg9DID8Q1bR7k_LHDPtR_zEOsFL_qt29LCBfvmYAjioxWUJvCvtyq3MnFohVqoIvX9A4UxPkEjPmtxIVQCbszwytgJsuepAfZ77uaTscgEYCkNfNF8ye7eTMX/s2048/20210911_082741.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXr8xSTPXe8xLxDaxPi5Cg9DID8Q1bR7k_LHDPtR_zEOsFL_qt29LCBfvmYAjioxWUJvCvtyq3MnFohVqoIvX9A4UxPkEjPmtxIVQCbszwytgJsuepAfZ77uaTscgEYCkNfNF8ye7eTMX/w640-h480/20210911_082741.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing sights of Disko Island</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Feeling a bit less festive the day after, we headed for Aasiaat. There, the skipper decided to berth at the local dumpster, because it was a free spot that he normally uses. There is a regular dock near the city, but apparently he chose this because it was free. It was a bit disappointing to come there as the last stop on this sailing trip. We had to take care not to cut ourselves and get infected while berthing, and had to row all the way ashore to the Seamen's Home, without being able to walk straight into town. Of course the sight of the dumpster was aweful too, the rotting jetty towering above us, housing all kind of rubbish. At least we did not get pestered by seagulls or rats though, I guess it was too cold. But this is another example where excess saving on every little thing really spoils the experience. Too bad to have this as the last memory. I've recommended this boat previously, and have had a great timne on board, with the skipper who is a full-feathered adventurer, but after this trip I would be ashamed to invite any friend or colleague on board unless the conditions will get suibstantially better. Just the fact that the skipper washes his dishes and hands in our common toilet bowl, to save a few eurocents per liter of fresh water, is appalling.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixc34BcMBHyLBUGZ_T_mt4-PSLIWb7-uIYHImDHI1x1Exqb9kjlAD8jZ_f1WxL_l8fQCIFbCESf-kMlzw3SGbP_QgFlNyu5ut0bFz8BtP0uN_6EiprQGOSK7vxT-0hhlwd0g4ejrs7WGG4/s2048/20210913_091212.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixc34BcMBHyLBUGZ_T_mt4-PSLIWb7-uIYHImDHI1x1Exqb9kjlAD8jZ_f1WxL_l8fQCIFbCESf-kMlzw3SGbP_QgFlNyu5ut0bFz8BtP0uN_6EiprQGOSK7vxT-0hhlwd0g4ejrs7WGG4/w640-h480/20210913_091212.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The choice of berthing by the skipper of the boat - it was not an official dock for boat use, but was for free. Not a nice last memory.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojSLaB86I6nu2dJMME86sdW5_6rqqSiGYl9iNeXaVKKDzSwrcNAR58VN72UPGM73Rx7K4BEKSJhmdyX-XPPA75fQV3gpjb-4hD1A-gkBOvP69eR_ar20P4lhD1JZaJB-cmheYv-A4quec/s2048/20210912_180834.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojSLaB86I6nu2dJMME86sdW5_6rqqSiGYl9iNeXaVKKDzSwrcNAR58VN72UPGM73Rx7K4BEKSJhmdyX-XPPA75fQV3gpjb-4hD1A-gkBOvP69eR_ar20P4lhD1JZaJB-cmheYv-A4quec/w640-h480/20210912_180834.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the boat - the rest of the crew had to experience it for 2 more days. I love abandoned places, and nothing wrong with a dumpster, but not for living. And not if there is a perfectly good dock nearby.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I left the sailing boat with mixed feelings, as you probably understand from this post. I'm normally up to any challenge, any hardship - from sleeping in a snow cave to sailing the harshest passages or living the simplest self-sufficient life. However, there is a line where hygene standards are surpassed too far. The same with other basic standards, and the safety. Normally, I'm not even paying for passages - as a professional adventurer and sailor I charge money for sailing, guiding and other adventures. So when I need to pay what I otherwise would be charging, and I do it to support Arctic exploration that got some business damage from Corona pandemics, then there's a limit to what I can accept on board. I hope you do not get the wrong idea about Arctic sailing generally, because there definitely are alternatives.</p><p>I would have wanted to stay longer, I would have loved to explore more. But it's OK - I definitely will get back to Greenland. And I've had great time on this boat before, and I will always bear those memories with me!</p><p>(To be continued - I was still due to do a cool adventure in Illulisat. Stay tuned!)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizY2SHiGSlDN3fcBbqkLBbpde1Xa31G15JDLsYew_xUYXQkLNdek1iKF2sMicyCStK68D3VYJJYZGDA_Jai2Iagi4lDMArx_t8AfkyYvaeONcxS4IJSTaUYJpZUqtuKqz_Eh8mMUbQvxmG/s1600/signal-2021-09-11-093222+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizY2SHiGSlDN3fcBbqkLBbpde1Xa31G15JDLsYew_xUYXQkLNdek1iKF2sMicyCStK68D3VYJJYZGDA_Jai2Iagi4lDMArx_t8AfkyYvaeONcxS4IJSTaUYJpZUqtuKqz_Eh8mMUbQvxmG/w640-h480/signal-2021-09-11-093222+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hold on to the good memories, and keep on smiling!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWglke9qiMnjeOPHrgFiU2m7wz0_zN9H-pGE5q_PUJxfaviQRLko5Ih98Z7ZvRjLm8IRwCHkji77jlvDmoTmdSf_wr399cRpEcDDBqYoXYSLQlVAfVbwK3BucNUogMLGWytDwmvuiwFfV/s2048/20210913_100903.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWglke9qiMnjeOPHrgFiU2m7wz0_zN9H-pGE5q_PUJxfaviQRLko5Ih98Z7ZvRjLm8IRwCHkji77jlvDmoTmdSf_wr399cRpEcDDBqYoXYSLQlVAfVbwK3BucNUogMLGWytDwmvuiwFfV/w640-h480/20210913_100903.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to the airport, I visited a local fireman station! Just professional interest, had a look inside and it's nothing like in my station at home, but altogether the same really.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-24760728147724021482021-09-16T08:58:00.002-07:002021-09-16T08:58:10.323-07:00Sailing Northwest Greenland: beginning<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtfueUIgPBiNJcOlTGwSaEXAoFdocHAIvwNk97BwQRWATrAH2vI9fUoIGnIDfsJDEDgYm4HLl8r9WKf4O4Hv4vZ-87NdyHzlDJu8t7I-MQPbgMBm5gnjHcFlTbdBOdU8ohqGaMZH6ELRW/s2048/20210902_131259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtfueUIgPBiNJcOlTGwSaEXAoFdocHAIvwNk97BwQRWATrAH2vI9fUoIGnIDfsJDEDgYm4HLl8r9WKf4O4Hv4vZ-87NdyHzlDJu8t7I-MQPbgMBm5gnjHcFlTbdBOdU8ohqGaMZH6ELRW/w640-h480/20210902_131259.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ilulissat iceflow, a detail</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">At last, a new sailing through the Arctic waters! Polar sailing has long been a tradition for me, something I I've done during summers for several years, and I'm very happy to be able to revisit the harsh but beautiful landscapes and waters of Greenland.</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAr3XrR8idaAF4wFptO6QpJrKSI1-Zk1P4_UttiSFmJqIp4tUOWAeEGiOngQn0gMEQVILtbjxrh1Ya_spX7AgRCd_cZEmcHaliJHbarcUeoTg44FPkaO3IXZ1u-1fik-Efh75BL4zb74z/s2048/20210902_163813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAr3XrR8idaAF4wFptO6QpJrKSI1-Zk1P4_UttiSFmJqIp4tUOWAeEGiOngQn0gMEQVILtbjxrh1Ya_spX7AgRCd_cZEmcHaliJHbarcUeoTg44FPkaO3IXZ1u-1fik-Efh75BL4zb74z/w640-h480/20210902_163813.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Ilulissat Iceflow, which I was about to experience.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">The high Arctic has long been closed for visitors because of the pandemic. During Summer 2021, enough control has been gained to open up gradually. At first, the far-off Greenlandic settlements remained a closed zone. Next, they were open to visitors who had undergone a two week quarantene. Then, finally, they were open to those who had undergone a full vaccination. Still, a very limited amount of travellers were allowed to enter the country. I was lucky to secure a flight ticket at a very early stage, when there still were no entry guarantees. After the reopening, most tickets into Greenland were sold out. Buying the tickets before the place was reopened was a bit of a gamble, especially considering the price, but taking risks is all part of being able to create the most amazing adventures. On the turn of September, I was ready to go.</span></p><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcWjlN5LC9IATfBc7Nwh8mSJbx3Sd9-9j5L7bzXq68aS_QPv0pQC9Y19npN49Ktl59G3yWZBJ7mHAgpDX_kg1A7aAFUFfTQUIepb_srQAIZE9c9bv0FqSQn-a8PylZGUjiW-n5R_UQHF0/s2048/20210902_142247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcWjlN5LC9IATfBc7Nwh8mSJbx3Sd9-9j5L7bzXq68aS_QPv0pQC9Y19npN49Ktl59G3yWZBJ7mHAgpDX_kg1A7aAFUFfTQUIepb_srQAIZE9c9bv0FqSQn-a8PylZGUjiW-n5R_UQHF0/w480-h640/20210902_142247.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Travelling with the sailing gear on, to save luggage space and weight</td></tr></tbody></table><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDVX2DZBL8EaM-iBlTaGSIdta8rlexMFAhNdQ9pL23rebAMCAtH80aMRM3d0IgIr2l3VUwJ0fmCL3LCv7tUNvW39dtYziIFCZDtw3DbrHDZIezIBE1hbeNrG22n-Icn50NGb99F-eEPHz/s2048/20210902_120030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDVX2DZBL8EaM-iBlTaGSIdta8rlexMFAhNdQ9pL23rebAMCAtH80aMRM3d0IgIr2l3VUwJ0fmCL3LCv7tUNvW39dtYziIFCZDtw3DbrHDZIezIBE1hbeNrG22n-Icn50NGb99F-eEPHz/w640-h480/20210902_120030.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The airport hub of Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland - far away from it all.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">I was joining a sailing boat that was already on the Western coast of Greenland, and has been there for two years. The sailing plan had failed because of Corona, so now it could only sail Greenland. I've already sailed </span><a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2016/09/east-greenland-cruising-and-crossing-to.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">Eastern Greenland</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">, </span><a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2015/07/sailing-to-svalbard.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">Spitsbergen</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">, </span><a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2016/06/sailing-faeroe-islands-iceland.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">Faeroe Islands and Iceland</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> with the same boat, also arranging </span><a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2017/07/midsummer-and-solstice-on-svalbard-2017.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">guided tours of Spitsbergen</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">. Now it was time again.</span></div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">I was joining in Upernavik, a small town located in Northwest Greenland. Then, I'd sail south towards the Disko Island and disembark in Aasiaat, just before the boat sailed the last distance to its wintering spot.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhcRBNkjACKO7KSYP_7vKRtLeAF5QBE-mOJF2JLAtwVZeRmpkMEaKNVCto8OiAWG7FCCsTYFPKnwydDCh8fDIKwQKvMQRITbJoOFVPyLxeRJwnzjjSE5Ovt8WenUNQdRM2WwycjAiXLkz/s2048/20210902_184111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhcRBNkjACKO7KSYP_7vKRtLeAF5QBE-mOJF2JLAtwVZeRmpkMEaKNVCto8OiAWG7FCCsTYFPKnwydDCh8fDIKwQKvMQRITbJoOFVPyLxeRJwnzjjSE5Ovt8WenUNQdRM2WwycjAiXLkz/w640-h480/20210902_184111.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice and more ice! Here, just outside of the window of my involuntary visiting site.</td></tr></tbody></table><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Both me and the other crew's plans got greatly affected by technical malfunctions of Air Greenland's flights. A plane got to turn around, others got cancelled. One of the crew lost a week waiting for a flight. Myself, I got stranded in Ilulissat for two days. I throroughly enjoyed the days though, it's truly a beautiful place!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxaPkGbRRFUWiJCkg79V14srO0jCjKaKkEuZfnAQ04QeXjczDreXnu-nBy7MQMyVrsJP-qRyLaDjlVHasMDjN7Ote0FFZJ73kJeUJHOiKOpyL0lVZTapM_jYpKNLXgknSbFqJFYqdWkU8/s2048/20210902_184723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxaPkGbRRFUWiJCkg79V14srO0jCjKaKkEuZfnAQ04QeXjczDreXnu-nBy7MQMyVrsJP-qRyLaDjlVHasMDjN7Ote0FFZJ73kJeUJHOiKOpyL0lVZTapM_jYpKNLXgknSbFqJFYqdWkU8/w640-h480/20210902_184723.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I seized the opportunity to explore and taste Greenland throroughly. A snow crab for dinner, with the view of the bay!</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">In Ilulissat, I spent one of the days working in film industry. They were shooting season III of Borgen, a Danish series, and I was featured as an extra. I've done a lot of gigs like that in Sweden, Denmark and Norway - now, working in Greenland was a new, exotic addition to that.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1UkIc5w2yeQcbc8yI-YrCnUEglL6-WiKmhiNrwZnrja5YhwO98hJhSH9ivivAvCrazXuNM_uhZGYWE12VkPU5QPtOtl3KXCWdVbFz_OiBL2QkQ-fARqAtCPoF-b-BliPiHkujxwJswtb/s2048/20210902_195641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1UkIc5w2yeQcbc8yI-YrCnUEglL6-WiKmhiNrwZnrja5YhwO98hJhSH9ivivAvCrazXuNM_uhZGYWE12VkPU5QPtOtl3KXCWdVbFz_OiBL2QkQ-fARqAtCPoF-b-BliPiHkujxwJswtb/w640-h480/20210902_195641.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo of the icebergs in the bay, taken at sunset, walking from work to home.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Apart from working, I visited the Unesco World Heritage site of the Ilulissat Iceflow. The glacier that meets the sea here, called Sermeq Kujalleq, calves immense amounts of icebergs into the water, and is the most productive in the world - except Antarctica. Every day, it delivers 100 million tons of icebergs into the bay, in all possible sizes and shapes. These stay around for months, sometimes years - and then continue around the North Atlantic. It is most probable that the iceberg that sank Titanic came from this very bay.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyO_z8qRbgX6KXzHJm9TtqgNLbB_C7_OqYQZCGlHCo4nWLGHokoGSv1dlYf3p2go5_EgwGFMtKvEhuQTZyVzMrKPD6BKrBb7WODLNIEqhyHA7RcQ6JPVionGpkHtwYxgfrfJVfykt1WB4x/s2048/20210902_160531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyO_z8qRbgX6KXzHJm9TtqgNLbB_C7_OqYQZCGlHCo4nWLGHokoGSv1dlYf3p2go5_EgwGFMtKvEhuQTZyVzMrKPD6BKrBb7WODLNIEqhyHA7RcQ6JPVionGpkHtwYxgfrfJVfykt1WB4x/w640-h480/20210902_160531.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note how the beaches are washed down, even in high tide. There's a reason for that.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">When the icebergs break off, split or turn around, some very big waves can be formed. Tsunamis of up to 10 meters are known to sweep the beaches, so the access to the water close to the glacier is prohibited. Sailing close to the big icebergs is very dangerous for the same reason. Also, they can have an underwater foot that extends a long way out, which is a risk for the boat to hit and damage the keel - and in case a bit of the foot breaks off and reaches the surface, it can of course hit the boat with all kinds of possible consequences, none of them positive. A usual rule is to keep the distance at least three times the iceberg's height, if possible more.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHPRaeoTrUzjlhWpV9rr1Yl_jyjzFnWRpcdpeePlxU4LfnMv3Oi_vO1soP1YSHHXxFpGaOJtdCsopncdPoNd0px1antARrovACIXj4Cs9XgR1Cmz84LX2pZm6eG9yXL7-VMhjaDsBvCsX/s2048/20210902_155602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHPRaeoTrUzjlhWpV9rr1Yl_jyjzFnWRpcdpeePlxU4LfnMv3Oi_vO1soP1YSHHXxFpGaOJtdCsopncdPoNd0px1antARrovACIXj4Cs9XgR1Cmz84LX2pZm6eG9yXL7-VMhjaDsBvCsX/w640-h480/20210902_155602.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hiking trail as it starts in the old Heliport, near the beautiful exhibition hall.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">There are a few great hiking trails with breathtaking views of the Iceflow. Because of tourist restrictions, it was quite deserted. I walked around practically alone, watching a passing fishing boat or two, finding arctic mushrooms along the way, and taking what seems to be hundreds of photos.</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPskbpyqoDuiMkrKtMydkPwJ1N9TxXYaedO8vYA4SjNqqosgU7mYvoOBiCImms-0x7qh1f2XeCudCEvUEBij9nfFE8MpFTt-uctX8Z3ReW55jpHYXOoMj2xorQE4f0STkVnBxRXi8n5OU/s2048/20210902_165001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPskbpyqoDuiMkrKtMydkPwJ1N9TxXYaedO8vYA4SjNqqosgU7mYvoOBiCImms-0x7qh1f2XeCudCEvUEBij9nfFE8MpFTt-uctX8Z3ReW55jpHYXOoMj2xorQE4f0STkVnBxRXi8n5OU/w640-h480/20210902_165001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking the Red Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbRFRiI-Q-icgt9KmfePnbrFm2q8_Vc3kyJKxirjAdAL8mugU2GdKQvPt9vx711bXGahP_yvIBfEblLRoDsMHgHV-jQflsJvXkrwn7jdCXwMf_WQyzEzz0MGNiG7eQB4YfPpMYv8bhU7F/s2048/20210902_163107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbRFRiI-Q-icgt9KmfePnbrFm2q8_Vc3kyJKxirjAdAL8mugU2GdKQvPt9vx711bXGahP_yvIBfEblLRoDsMHgHV-jQflsJvXkrwn7jdCXwMf_WQyzEzz0MGNiG7eQB4YfPpMYv8bhU7F/w640-h480/20210902_163107.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking the Blue Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">The path from the city leads along a cliff that is called the Suicide Gorge. Here went those who were tired of life, or old and sick and not wishing to be a burden on their family. Anorher way was to take the qajaq and set into the sea never to return.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrXpTOvSsSPsht6N093fTxdLNDCfuKh6udnzate6bZDhyLnPUZCHavgOoMdMlrL2xca2M1rRgTaRr_x0wH4tnVudmyTh-0MexbvTmKfS26ACTcV7bNw8PomzaEsFTMie6l9mlts27b1x2V/s2048/20210902_161000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrXpTOvSsSPsht6N093fTxdLNDCfuKh6udnzate6bZDhyLnPUZCHavgOoMdMlrL2xca2M1rRgTaRr_x0wH4tnVudmyTh-0MexbvTmKfS26ACTcV7bNw8PomzaEsFTMie6l9mlts27b1x2V/w640-h480/20210902_161000.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near the Suicide Gorge. The bright sun shines onto the dark side of Arctic reality.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Suicide is still a big and serious issue in Greenland, worsened by alcohol abuse and the cultural disconnection that happened when the Danes introduced the Inuit to "civilization". There are support centers to help turn this around. Alcohol is very expensive to control the use. Several settlements have a dry policy and do not sell alcohol at all. The culture is also evolving, and many young Inuit seem to have an identity that combines the old and the new.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNLkTRJb0KvK7NhvEll7SPALOovAxPhCFI3E-k11YHT2h7nBv9A9DtFqQ9IidnZ2l9W4Vq09vH_FC3WOTnXRuIt5EoKYA7ZCzIAHhnyqbuWBUJxllp8fYIcMo-WxwAzoYh3o0d7MV7IET/s2048/20210902_143226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNLkTRJb0KvK7NhvEll7SPALOovAxPhCFI3E-k11YHT2h7nBv9A9DtFqQ9IidnZ2l9W4Vq09vH_FC3WOTnXRuIt5EoKYA7ZCzIAHhnyqbuWBUJxllp8fYIcMo-WxwAzoYh3o0d7MV7IET/w640-h480/20210902_143226.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishing boats co-existing with the icebergs.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGuK6Nql4Dh4Ycu8vcUmQXaxzzv86aBYs5Oo0OxVyP_Ut_GNNjz3lYbfq1M-uR3cVpbabzD7uHDoQHdFECFONZ9ZLqaV2XTz9nBZet0aueFqY1U5Aia5sk9uDzOo3B-dUvrKfXvqNpVE4/s2048/20210902_150940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGuK6Nql4Dh4Ycu8vcUmQXaxzzv86aBYs5Oo0OxVyP_Ut_GNNjz3lYbfq1M-uR3cVpbabzD7uHDoQHdFECFONZ9ZLqaV2XTz9nBZet0aueFqY1U5Aia5sk9uDzOo3B-dUvrKfXvqNpVE4/w640-h480/20210902_150940.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful church at the coast of Ilulissat.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Finally the watiting game was over, and I was welcomed to board a Dash-8 plane to Upernavik. Along with me was Hilde, an arctic sailing veteran from Norway. And on board was Sergej, a friend who had joined me earlier for sailing in West Indies, </span><a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2017/07/midsummer-and-solstice-on-svalbard-2017.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">Spitsbergen</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">, and also </span><a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2013/10/sailing-in-greece.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">in Greece</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">. He's done several Clipper Race legs and was going to do the Northwest Passage, but due to Corona restrictions the journey was rerouted to Greenland only. (To be continued)</span></div></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclAzswj2EBjk63B5S3QfXGGcwdmnIaP66oKKQybxgSySIommdO-fh3A_abiyJvkVMW0BC4qMu-q4oRE-mKQ3mRU5i-nL5Q94xDyy6cTtJrn9XnZrpVr2IvQZ4k9nS0TFDFyoVkSxZkfRZ/s2048/20210904_105221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclAzswj2EBjk63B5S3QfXGGcwdmnIaP66oKKQybxgSySIommdO-fh3A_abiyJvkVMW0BC4qMu-q4oRE-mKQ3mRU5i-nL5Q94xDyy6cTtJrn9XnZrpVr2IvQZ4k9nS0TFDFyoVkSxZkfRZ/w640-h480/20210904_105221.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Onwards - to the sailing adventure!<br />All the flights have been climate neutralized.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-85444566219349373752021-07-16T11:16:00.005-07:002023-12-16T05:09:42.781-08:00Why not a superyacht? You can come too!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJC4-F5lL8TmBkvZTKO5B8N2UsXR0P-EtCugN6FXqWc1O8V3O_-lbysNiZpWXKiixkeRUqxrS46faLS8J70HyIqnFIe8Q77NngJ6FCUCpIAzJsbuaQIHq6iacrmquwdthumPLnxGzRrdp/s1499/0+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="1499" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJC4-F5lL8TmBkvZTKO5B8N2UsXR0P-EtCugN6FXqWc1O8V3O_-lbysNiZpWXKiixkeRUqxrS46faLS8J70HyIqnFIe8Q77NngJ6FCUCpIAzJsbuaQIHq6iacrmquwdthumPLnxGzRrdp/w640-h280/0+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sailing superyacht seen from the above. Quite a dream? In fact, reality.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Now I will tell you about something I have wanted to write about during a long time, but never got to it. So here goes!</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>During last Spring, just as the pandemic wave swept over the whole world and made everything uncertain, I got an opportunity to jump onboard a very daring project.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGBRcC6U5TFX-nJgAYVkwv0sdt-VHAPnEiCm72E-KFiWJxLaR1iowUTi2A15MyqWtZ3sl6sBq7dt709J7m9i6vVMrVIrTSGjrhZ1pN79ZigS69RZb1Llnazo0cBte7ZsCz4FlOamROqw7/s1600/2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGBRcC6U5TFX-nJgAYVkwv0sdt-VHAPnEiCm72E-KFiWJxLaR1iowUTi2A15MyqWtZ3sl6sBq7dt709J7m9i6vVMrVIrTSGjrhZ1pN79ZigS69RZb1Llnazo0cBte7ZsCz4FlOamROqw7/w640-h480/2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ocean crossing wave. All of my projects are quite daring - but this one is different.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I was contacted by the skipper and owner of Ocean Gem - the boat I've competed in Sydney to Hobart in <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2018/01/rolex-sydney-to-hobart-yacht-race-2017.html" target="_blank">2017</a> and <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2020/01/my-second-sydney-hobart.html" target="_blank">2019</a>, won <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2019/08/racing-brisbane-to-hamilton-island.html" target="_blank">Brisbane-HI race</a>, and <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2019/04/crossing-tasman-sea.html" target="_blank">crossed Tasman Sea</a> on. </div><div><br /></div><div>David Hows runs the <a href="https://www.oceansailingpodcast.com/podcast" target="_blank">Ocean Sailing Podcast</a> at the same time as <a href="https://www.oceansailingpodcast.com/sailing-calendar" target="_blank">racing and expedition sailing</a>, and has been awarded the Queensland Offshore Sailor title among others. You probably recognize him from the podcast episodes I have been sharing - many sailors do, especially in Australia and New Zealand where he mainly sails.</div><div><br /></div><div>David had a proposition, for that time exclusively for those who had already sailed and raced with him. He was looking into bigger boats for the coming expeditions and racing, and had found a 72 ft sailing boat, more of a superyacht. Given the Corona situation, there was a possibility to buy it for a very good price. However, he'd need investors to get her up to speed - here is the podcast episode he recorded at that moment, called "Honey I bought a superyacht". This was about the time when I got to hear about this. </div><div><br /></div><div><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="90" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/14522984/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/010101/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="100%"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>He packaged the proposition so that a few exclusive memberships were offered, with a high payoff (the larger the investment, the higher the dividends). With a full investment return after 5 years, a fair deal of gift vouchers and discounts on sailing events/expeditions etc, and a sound risk plan, it was a no-brainer. So almost exactly a year ago, I became a superyacht investor! At that time, the memberships were getting oversubscribed, but I was lucky.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuu_EBvBlR4mqCNXrUV5CZiTnam-AWihmY4opk_P4AVVcf5vct78zZgvsXtZbM5IPmCDMslQibpiKUuHiQiLyP0MMemGMziXnFxjpIKCalz6rFxJUblaeUgGMJ0k1UCSsCbMPLq5ju9L8B/s1500/4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="999" data-original-width="1500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuu_EBvBlR4mqCNXrUV5CZiTnam-AWihmY4opk_P4AVVcf5vct78zZgvsXtZbM5IPmCDMslQibpiKUuHiQiLyP0MMemGMziXnFxjpIKCalz6rFxJUblaeUgGMJ0k1UCSsCbMPLq5ju9L8B/w640-h426/4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful 72 ft expedition yacht is called Silver Fern.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>My plan was to come and sail during the racing events and expeditions, but with the current restrictions that was not possible. Instead, I could follow the yacht sailing between all the amazing destinations down under, and be happy for the guests and crew - at the same time seeing how the investments are steadily put into use, and cared for. <a href="https://www.oceansailingpodcast.com/the-yacht-silver-fern" target="_blank">Here is the full info about the yacht</a> - or you can see the short video below to have a glance.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="325" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HGxL2AD73eE" width="391" youtube-src-id="HGxL2AD73eE"></iframe></div><br /><div><br />As the Covid19 situation is rapidly changing for the better, I hope to be away sailing along Silver Fern soon, maybe already during the coming winter. But even if I would not sail it at all, it's still a great investment - with the dividents ticking, and the buy-back guarantee making sure that I'll have the money back. Of course, I'm putting all the extra money into my own boat. But there is no chance I can own a superyacht by myself - therefore it's great to be able to enjoy only the best parts of it, and also get a revenue.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GcsgjE3peQLi27Y1Ryzr5Ia9kUqoP7OR_-BJDh2KO_VJqUFDpA-7J2FW-b35S99ndJ9-Vl5-mra-4HN85qyCs_63uU1t1psAOph8Nv9EkWarn3Dk-yFXrsblegSbbedWrS6FwnKiYi-e/s750/7.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GcsgjE3peQLi27Y1Ryzr5Ia9kUqoP7OR_-BJDh2KO_VJqUFDpA-7J2FW-b35S99ndJ9-Vl5-mra-4HN85qyCs_63uU1t1psAOph8Nv9EkWarn3Dk-yFXrsblegSbbedWrS6FwnKiYi-e/w640-h426/7.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race is on! Photo creds: adventuresofasailorgirl.com and oceansailingpodcast.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The first investor memberships were sold out within just days. In fact there was an over-subscription, so now David had open an opportunity for anyone - sailors or regular investors - to come along for the journey. </div><div><br /></div><div>The new investment round will cover the latest upgrades and reparations, as well as provide even better conditions for revenue growth. In return, you get a payback that you would only dream of if you keep that amount of money sitting in the bank. And as the term is finished, you get back the investment.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGX168pk-4ix1eeTTVicmNG-2aoyal7AB1vtcRGdQ6RmeCZ_7Chw56x0ZsHSGBj_YQFmzxr-i1dtlLO-1ro6ayvOpqads0cZ3a5oZ8y625uw-jEyx7iCkTc_KNq4QH_mnKpDjCRk0GV5V/s1500/6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1500" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGX168pk-4ix1eeTTVicmNG-2aoyal7AB1vtcRGdQ6RmeCZ_7Chw56x0ZsHSGBj_YQFmzxr-i1dtlLO-1ro6ayvOpqads0cZ3a5oZ8y625uw-jEyx7iCkTc_KNq4QH_mnKpDjCRk0GV5V/w640-h428/6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome on board!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>To apply, you can <a href="https://www.oceansailingpodcast.com/membership" target="_blank">contact David through the site</a>, where all the information can be found, including the business plan, terms and conditions etc. Here is a podcast episode describing the ongoing work and investments from December this year, and also the opportunity to invest at the moment. You will see the amount of commitment David is putting into this project - truly remarkable.</div><div><br /></div><div><iframe allowfullscreen="" height="90" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/17366768/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/010101/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="100%"></iframe><br /><br />As you can see, the conditions for investments are quite advantageous, so the amount of investors are limited. There are still spots left at the time of writing, so I'm very happy to forward this opportunity to blog readers that feel interested. Say hello from me, and hurry up before this opportunity also gets oversubscribed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvSqse9qKWdFipAzWIi_wc5vRMb4KrT6fsw1a5pebk4AGFL34bHy-D3K1rnXqnx5owYYo_kn9O_YKcAJR3fSymOQbIm5eohC32IFscZuAiI0Ae1G2VIg1VzgW_Y8Ar4f74PtOnVB5NmvJ/s1500/5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="999" data-original-width="1500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvSqse9qKWdFipAzWIi_wc5vRMb4KrT6fsw1a5pebk4AGFL34bHy-D3K1rnXqnx5owYYo_kn9O_YKcAJR3fSymOQbIm5eohC32IFscZuAiI0Ae1G2VIg1VzgW_Y8Ar4f74PtOnVB5NmvJ/w640-h426/5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sail on, friends! Life is beautiful.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><i>(This post is not sponsored by any way, neither do I get a kickback from recruiting new investors. David is a friend and a sailor I'd trust with my life, and I sincerely hope that the support will grow even more. Also, I want to give this opportunity to my readers, as it is quite exclusive and one of a kind. Consider it a favour from one adventure lover to another.)</i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-4283496729344543212021-06-07T11:51:00.000-07:002023-12-16T05:11:56.374-08:00Gibraltar Strait again - and the long shot delivery<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjXsJLtR3EHYo57NOTniTmnX7mjaZKJ7s0FUS_ZbNxObuPSL7NRlemSYlOOgtOaNW2ZOQHhrNLPt8Xtrg0t1rtkZWFrs3hY2n7mKGuLMt1rPjaejj9CvSyP6rglwjcVqTmxMBG8Yzxz2K/s2048/20210503_132039.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjXsJLtR3EHYo57NOTniTmnX7mjaZKJ7s0FUS_ZbNxObuPSL7NRlemSYlOOgtOaNW2ZOQHhrNLPt8Xtrg0t1rtkZWFrs3hY2n7mKGuLMt1rPjaejj9CvSyP6rglwjcVqTmxMBG8Yzxz2K/w640-h480/20210503_132039.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yachts on the anchor in the midst of the Mediterranean - stopping off, ready to go forth!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Time to open the sailing season in Europe. I was contacted about crewing on a catamaran which I already had sailed on earlier. The boat was going to be moved to UK and I now opted for joining from Montpellier to the Atlantic.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>To start with, there was a little bit of work on the boat, and a little bit of sight-seeing. There are some really amazing spots in this area, and I'd recommend anyone to see them! Old forts, vintage-futuristic cities, natural reserves, fishing towns... you can have it all.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwDcswIT1nrvKCvZM7SB_80ZBjywW2QFMXVJkFlf5BXcjqym6kjznPkd4Q_Eab3HoLJJkOnJuNlD_1T-X9K11gGUkKS_shCnkBafR9vi9VQjSYEHTgorL0KXXWBQL72t-3g6wD2SrKYab/s2048/20210430_172955+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1405" data-original-width="2048" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwDcswIT1nrvKCvZM7SB_80ZBjywW2QFMXVJkFlf5BXcjqym6kjznPkd4Q_Eab3HoLJJkOnJuNlD_1T-X9K11gGUkKS_shCnkBafR9vi9VQjSYEHTgorL0KXXWBQL72t-3g6wD2SrKYab/w640-h440/20210430_172955+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flamingos? In France? Who would have thought!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The first days were long - I was longing for the sea but we were waiting for another crew. We went provisioning, looked at local flamingos, tasted the sand wines and swabbed the decks! Really, this is what life at port is like.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjzkeC_RbHPmLdGWU3M3tzrpzaXOMnArGnb5qIirT52XtgJys4I4C-u9CgkYuDhXsJ3VmrbXNr9TBCG3oxQMEghN7JyBsLu7vaRqDPAYEspdkpoJQDRJMOlm8IhH5zm8a6hvUB30lTgQd/s2048/20210429_165034.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjzkeC_RbHPmLdGWU3M3tzrpzaXOMnArGnb5qIirT52XtgJys4I4C-u9CgkYuDhXsJ3VmrbXNr9TBCG3oxQMEghN7JyBsLu7vaRqDPAYEspdkpoJQDRJMOlm8IhH5zm8a6hvUB30lTgQd/w640-h480/20210429_165034.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boat itself is a bit futuristic, seen from the right angle. The rain is on its way!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div>The first day of the sailing was done in adverse seas, which made for a slightly shaky start. There was an area with strong winds that we wanted to avoid, but at the same time it meant beating against the waves. The seas were only 1,5-2 meters high, but steep. That's much for a multihull, so there was a lot of motion and noise onboard. As we turned southwards, the going became easier.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVkQg2HTtEOGmffOoH5YbInziNGsMzjLGzEZQgcdWd7aQhYZzEqHnqqsrJeqsH5mD8SsmyxHbup1VncyxifG9zsqlQYG_CVo4CBGEPdlxId7eBbFBG2OqZ-BAYSUv0lGeana3xwjDvDWQ/s2048/20210502_063639.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVkQg2HTtEOGmffOoH5YbInziNGsMzjLGzEZQgcdWd7aQhYZzEqHnqqsrJeqsH5mD8SsmyxHbup1VncyxifG9zsqlQYG_CVo4CBGEPdlxId7eBbFBG2OqZ-BAYSUv0lGeana3xwjDvDWQ/w640-h480/20210502_063639.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From a night watch at some point off Southern France...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The plan was to anchor off the Balearic islands. The port of Sant Antoni de Portmany became the choice for the intermittent spot after arriving. The restrictions made it possible to reprovision a bit, and even take a look around. It was a bit post-apocalyptic, all the venues empty and closed. I've never been to Ibiza before, so I don't have much to compare with, but the sight of the party places empty and fenced off was a bit depressing. Who knows what's gonna happen with the tourism industry? A few places were open, attracting guests - mostly Spanish tourists.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoS3xIIXXnidAbEUyhCiCaohuVG-qUZSi059GX-qo1a1ii1otvgEL8g8F3yMqEjX3A8tGOWh9B9PfVEd4rn5bRnYzkDTMEv8H6jHmaeAqe8-TxSo0SKws90JXI7lFP35-fnUomiVBP73oQ/s2048/20210503_173635.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoS3xIIXXnidAbEUyhCiCaohuVG-qUZSi059GX-qo1a1ii1otvgEL8g8F3yMqEjX3A8tGOWh9B9PfVEd4rn5bRnYzkDTMEv8H6jHmaeAqe8-TxSo0SKws90JXI7lFP35-fnUomiVBP73oQ/w640-h480/20210503_173635.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to capture all the empty streets - but here's an example of a party place closed for the pandemic. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYsgXsdhcGTcNJ5Rg1ywt7ffa9MZfG2UM6_3sm2Qkrsf5Z6VVE2qGoKPuyhhHwaFWBD2Lt9Yq-H3ldZl9Q_93KSXawPjjLn2N7H9a2p0EiqSGj_GD8-2U_mb9wLine2fFt2nIRcXmkk0W/s2048/20210503_174457.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYsgXsdhcGTcNJ5Rg1ywt7ffa9MZfG2UM6_3sm2Qkrsf5Z6VVE2qGoKPuyhhHwaFWBD2Lt9Yq-H3ldZl9Q_93KSXawPjjLn2N7H9a2p0EiqSGj_GD8-2U_mb9wLine2fFt2nIRcXmkk0W/w640-h480/20210503_174457.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yours truly wandering about in full armor.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The next days were spent in light winds. Just like the saying goes - in the Med, you either have no wind, or all the wind (in the wrong direction). We motored a lot. Sometimes, we could make a few knots under the lightest sails. At night, the starry sky blended with the faraway lighthouses of Costa del Sol. The Milky Way was showing clearly, and below the boat the biolumiscence would light up as the water was gently disturbed by the hulls.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAC2p0usxL9l2GqgQ10iM8-1U74v6lX5x1KUcyAyghaJPBUjXUvF4fMn4qdB8BLq1K0T759GMrD9zulItPHIvZz4N88FBMUSNko4G2sekvTSm54N6dlF5CQFk6_FzikvOxzioNJwdK7Np7/s2048/20210504_091441.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAC2p0usxL9l2GqgQ10iM8-1U74v6lX5x1KUcyAyghaJPBUjXUvF4fMn4qdB8BLq1K0T759GMrD9zulItPHIvZz4N88FBMUSNko4G2sekvTSm54N6dlF5CQFk6_FzikvOxzioNJwdK7Np7/w640-h480/20210504_091441.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calm waters leaving Balearic Islands</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEl8cqPxwhxvLmwIqFgca0aKhOOHyE_dTwFEP25BKrUzb3fM_eCkOcLi5NDGefOggfR7Psx_0qcUtq85iASFK8l-akGqlUFcrKqya2KOoNAZwfGo8N5trGUE3vJNQnuWkZ4HtoHQDGt2Dg/s2048/20210506_200105.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEl8cqPxwhxvLmwIqFgca0aKhOOHyE_dTwFEP25BKrUzb3fM_eCkOcLi5NDGefOggfR7Psx_0qcUtq85iASFK8l-akGqlUFcrKqya2KOoNAZwfGo8N5trGUE3vJNQnuWkZ4HtoHQDGt2Dg/w640-h480/20210506_200105.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calm waters closing in to Gibraltar Strait</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The dolphins were frequent visitors. Even at night, they'd come and play near the boat for a while. This time, I only saw pilot whales once. During the times when the boat was moving slower, we were able to see the marvellous play of these animals. It's almost like they know that they are being watched.<span> </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-JEA59DqkLkcWawQzKrIX6YeqsFqlh4hjY-eFaoQvtd0Dwr3jklT84pw1jROaXeEh5wUTyxIlY_CX7SJ-2kBr1-JAlXLSwsace8zmSFOAE9aqMZ2pw3empkANvIBtYS47NESgwJDPGfM/s2048/20210507_175235.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-JEA59DqkLkcWawQzKrIX6YeqsFqlh4hjY-eFaoQvtd0Dwr3jklT84pw1jROaXeEh5wUTyxIlY_CX7SJ-2kBr1-JAlXLSwsace8zmSFOAE9aqMZ2pw3empkANvIBtYS47NESgwJDPGfM/w640-h480/20210507_175235.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzg2s2KQW_tzbcMtUa1-QXxi4NePOh-Yf1xg_Ya3ApWAP1trUcCEQ4_pXVskGQjNomU52tgdrnya-0ZHc-yn0-M7LMRDYjgLxY1hX1uvF9JbGOeFttD9EFndpioThyphenhyphenTrcpD0dnEhEtIhO0/s2048/20210507_175240.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzg2s2KQW_tzbcMtUa1-QXxi4NePOh-Yf1xg_Ya3ApWAP1trUcCEQ4_pXVskGQjNomU52tgdrnya-0ZHc-yn0-M7LMRDYjgLxY1hX1uvF9JbGOeFttD9EFndpioThyphenhyphenTrcpD0dnEhEtIhO0/w640-h480/20210507_175240.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MkhmGPO-VZZQ-ea79Ha2gcCaXXLWkuGrfwJU0S0VVDCkt8wKKLX4Zuak4O2ZYYpxUQqlPpj8_XB8jb3ZyBJOXQjE4Ip7xXOdpqO_MABn_hTXSztPjwWl_GtHY99YlIu2jk-lX-0gUwAz/s2048/20210507_175242.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MkhmGPO-VZZQ-ea79Ha2gcCaXXLWkuGrfwJU0S0VVDCkt8wKKLX4Zuak4O2ZYYpxUQqlPpj8_XB8jb3ZyBJOXQjE4Ip7xXOdpqO_MABn_hTXSztPjwWl_GtHY99YlIu2jk-lX-0gUwAz/w640-h480/20210507_175242.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>We went to Gibraltar without any more stops, and anchored for an hour to rest and wait for the fuel station to open, to get some less expensive local diesel. There is a dock where refuelling can be done without stepping on land, which is good because Gibraltar is not part of EU. The Covid regulations would make life difficult if leaving EU and reentering. It's nice they grant that possibility.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wybKDlqejeoD6XP-HyvKY_ub_9RijLxlC2NQD1igkAysVNb0aBX5gP6KWSw9K0QIcGrnuJ9aObX2LHmU88MXIY_OZTdRaZ1AHzSIv9nq2gJyPcCyzskkm4ojDNmKgPoZcGPYAKrddOT8/s2048/20210508_073856.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wybKDlqejeoD6XP-HyvKY_ub_9RijLxlC2NQD1igkAysVNb0aBX5gP6KWSw9K0QIcGrnuJ9aObX2LHmU88MXIY_OZTdRaZ1AHzSIv9nq2gJyPcCyzskkm4ojDNmKgPoZcGPYAKrddOT8/w640-h480/20210508_073856.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66uKwutO0QUITjQtQSQS_-CgzZlnxs_RDK_rprvCF54Ikh3EgRKbqiYGBcfmt2OAcH2LaSPhDnZfNuv5Ae-6hKM3q6N_WEpBSCwAxcXQIgX4smm1oTFwWm4RtFk4BwdRSRM6inbprcFSD/w640-h480/20210508_083651.jpg" style="color: #0000ee; text-align: center;" width="640" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-Lvzs5YDEtgX8zPexuIIwzDY4Kxx-HzJDUe0PM5q4K26BmRtpsXev7CJ6s2EgPxEQgHcWuRL2m16fYJkeNa5b9DEy_xSUCK-KZXZ_7y2txK6TEL7_n1Be7BotDlDGgsoqK1cjUFCsvQ8/s2048/20210508_084906.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-Lvzs5YDEtgX8zPexuIIwzDY4Kxx-HzJDUe0PM5q4K26BmRtpsXev7CJ6s2EgPxEQgHcWuRL2m16fYJkeNa5b9DEy_xSUCK-KZXZ_7y2txK6TEL7_n1Be7BotDlDGgsoqK1cjUFCsvQ8/w640-h480/20210508_084906.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />After fueling, we made for the Strait. The navigation around the bay is always tricky - thousands of lights, cargo ships and sailing vessels, fishing nets, tidal streams and so on. At night, the darkness made it even trickier. In the morning, a fog rolled in. Luckily, it stayed mostly over the land. We continued towards Tarifa, the southernmost point of continental Europe - and the border between Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. The Spanish coast on our starboard, the North African mountains on the port.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPcUlTmHDiwBRn2wsE0St0o2_njGQHDvg3eGsYN3zNWkDoCmiyKTeiIey3kfZsPLBUe5TTo62lEUS-7X_1obS95lOh5JY1KDASvuTm4Y6T-_fZV1gLNRko1JT_OhRsIhMWFqmxb2wEEjY/s2048/20210508_110953+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPcUlTmHDiwBRn2wsE0St0o2_njGQHDvg3eGsYN3zNWkDoCmiyKTeiIey3kfZsPLBUe5TTo62lEUS-7X_1obS95lOh5JY1KDASvuTm4Y6T-_fZV1gLNRko1JT_OhRsIhMWFqmxb2wEEjY/w640-h480/20210508_110953+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The idea was to wait at anchor until the tidal streams would turn. There are a few anchoring spots, on both sides of Tarifa. There are beautiful waters, and a lot to see if it's possible to get on shore. I was exploring Tarifa many years ago as I was doing the around-the world sailing and changing boats in Gibraltar. So I was looking forward to seeing it again.</div><div><br /></div><div>But why wait, why not continue? Well, there's a East-bound current of 2-3 knots at a rising tide, which would lower our speed and cause choppy seas against the wind. If the wind would be westerly, the current could build up to 6 knots, making it hard if not impossible to get out. So it would be better to wait, and to use the reverse current to pop out to the Atlantic like a Champagne cork!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsq3lY9JSiCxWgsTiL4dMo6q5UyMjWGnRxpYgWe_0IXCFqAaT4aMqhmsjRkcPeIrshmeZQO4OVvdgfmzz6CQ1AIVA6SgSG5GpvyPdIsnzHpAG2M_X-CdtHE2nCX1_q8LML4WXxWQUhcY_/s2048/20210508_113604.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsq3lY9JSiCxWgsTiL4dMo6q5UyMjWGnRxpYgWe_0IXCFqAaT4aMqhmsjRkcPeIrshmeZQO4OVvdgfmzz6CQ1AIVA6SgSG5GpvyPdIsnzHpAG2M_X-CdtHE2nCX1_q8LML4WXxWQUhcY_/w640-h480/20210508_113604.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many things I could tell you! The sailing maneuvers, the food making, the everyday chores or the safety attitude. At the end of the day, there was so much perspective. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>At the same time, we knew that the next day would bring a change in the weather. A front was coming in with at least a week of westerlies, which would mean that in case we wouldn't make the passage prior to that then we'd have to struggle a lot to get out. So we decided against anchoring - we wanted to see how the going would be, and whether the currents were negotiable.</div><div><br />It turned out that it was indeed possible to sail along the coast! We were not slowed down as much as we expected, in fact we barely noticed the current. After a few hours, we were getting 0,5-1 knots of extra push from the tidal waters. That was great! We were flying along.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLTmzDxu0G1ZyHNB7FIjuy_fEWChOnZoq5HNCZ8g0y0k1v_K0Uhm_WP3ZymCip6j2sM70oHS48TBiJowueoeIlbV15_eawPfMcaRfGo2sNpwBxdL1RutldUxFzLtp3zy7LHBhAerZf1dP/s2048/20210508_185328.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLTmzDxu0G1ZyHNB7FIjuy_fEWChOnZoq5HNCZ8g0y0k1v_K0Uhm_WP3ZymCip6j2sM70oHS48TBiJowueoeIlbV15_eawPfMcaRfGo2sNpwBxdL1RutldUxFzLtp3zy7LHBhAerZf1dP/w640-h480/20210508_185328.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br />The W-SW winds would not allow us to anchor off the beautiful beaches along the way and rest, and the swell was building up. We made for the protected harbor of Cadiz, that we reached in the evening the same day! The low draft of the multihull allowed us to anchor well into the channel past the new bridge, a very nice opportunity given the choices.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtzXkUyw9Lst9toCMzwS2kysBoliH3IsXNWA_2VvzUXBtmJYRyMp09M_Kz-qQDprrjCUgnBGNmjZ5AYMyMOEaXhCO2mF_zuxJob_76a9QFFweK6wvK4U6zYCLmRcMAiozpXC9BD9ZgXfkM/s2048/20210508_214733.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtzXkUyw9Lst9toCMzwS2kysBoliH3IsXNWA_2VvzUXBtmJYRyMp09M_Kz-qQDprrjCUgnBGNmjZ5AYMyMOEaXhCO2mF_zuxJob_76a9QFFweK6wvK4U6zYCLmRcMAiozpXC9BD9ZgXfkM/w640-h480/20210508_214733.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bridge of Cadiz during the night, lit up just like a Christmas tree. Grabbing an anchor place there.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>From there, it was possible to get to land through the local yacht club. However, they were difficult to negitoate with, and wanted to get extra payment for landing there with the dinghy. I'd understand the cost if there were services - but they closed the club and therefore limited our time on land, that was a bit of a bummer. But we still got some time in Cadiz old town and the amazing beach!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqom0c9UWjRt6qqqpXj2J3rWtLSe9gt0EVKhBkzUNLsmjFyueMQvvzSakus0v8MGO59USpN5FKOzLTuK7XrjdPys61YUjtJ-64FCj4tuIDLWqvHVGfUK9N8VT7NV3iBct0cdACIT48WZda/s2048/20210509_185538+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqom0c9UWjRt6qqqpXj2J3rWtLSe9gt0EVKhBkzUNLsmjFyueMQvvzSakus0v8MGO59USpN5FKOzLTuK7XrjdPys61YUjtJ-64FCj4tuIDLWqvHVGfUK9N8VT7NV3iBct0cdACIT48WZda/w640-h480/20210509_185538+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFqrNbl0vBDaeuLLvTmLq3eNARX8Ha8am-E7N0H7cc61bkvC87eUWf8CfOpboqr6p8SJq2IaSVfzU10e6BarJVwnVq5tq8ikgwgwBbMJeK-jN-KWC9057OZnOKjoKuGcpeFgdEajuoXPP/s2048/20210509_205501.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFqrNbl0vBDaeuLLvTmLq3eNARX8Ha8am-E7N0H7cc61bkvC87eUWf8CfOpboqr6p8SJq2IaSVfzU10e6BarJVwnVq5tq8ikgwgwBbMJeK-jN-KWC9057OZnOKjoKuGcpeFgdEajuoXPP/w640-h480/20210509_205501.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLOqP8ret4QHVbYlwrnb482MoDSqdhekcSxSQA_szVl0_P0Rag3nHI6iqi-EP5WpSrH8OTge2WMfVIyymkDZImc5RSn4i42AK0dl59OUP1PeXXOg9hcUbSXJjUctPtlqMPcbHU6FITcPF/s2048/20210509_211705.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLOqP8ret4QHVbYlwrnb482MoDSqdhekcSxSQA_szVl0_P0Rag3nHI6iqi-EP5WpSrH8OTge2WMfVIyymkDZImc5RSn4i42AK0dl59OUP1PeXXOg9hcUbSXJjUctPtlqMPcbHU6FITcPF/w640-h480/20210509_211705.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The next stop would be Portugal and Azores. I did not have the possibility to be away long anough to go to Azores, and did not want to end up in continental Portugal with their tough restrictions. Instead, I chose to desimbark in Cadiz. It was with a heavy heart, as I really enjoy being on board that boat. Sailing and sharing the daily life with the owner is a great pleasure - a knowledgeable, respectful, intelligent and fun skipper.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, the last crew to come on board in Montpellier, Véronique, was a treasure to sail with. Always helpful, always alert, always aware of the situation, always willing and able to do whatever task is needed, always keeping a few steps ahead - and at the same time so positive, sweet and easy-going. This is what a good sailor is like, a prerequisite of a good crew and a successful team effort. She and I share a lot in common in our life stories - just like me, she also quit the rat race at some point in time. Happy to be free and sail the world, a sailor sister.</div></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGg6kaqSCGqebJp02M-LiXjfVYSi9UYvKA69beF_sIxN7nFvh87pwMaY4biPcutRxJS_6hmxf13Cvc4N6kNSInvTuTyiv0_bTzZ3j6ssRUJm6HnhH9i6_awkPkEPVaRZ4B4g1qBqUqwcA/s2048/20210510_101937.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGg6kaqSCGqebJp02M-LiXjfVYSi9UYvKA69beF_sIxN7nFvh87pwMaY4biPcutRxJS_6hmxf13Cvc4N6kNSInvTuTyiv0_bTzZ3j6ssRUJm6HnhH9i6_awkPkEPVaRZ4B4g1qBqUqwcA/w640-h480/20210510_101937.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;">Véronique is sailing forth, on the ongoing adventure! Sea you some day!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-54483370170140088252021-04-29T22:00:00.034-07:002021-09-22T07:23:57.558-07:00Kullaberg weekend: climbing and sight-seeing<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYNrEVm3pK0-jJuc56-yN_RYRSHxem01nvPq1rDR6815b2o6lo46fW5HrEncUDuJ-kK9Ris-Wp3FUQPWs2ZVI6wtzdNoyjlqWu666q0vCTXFcL4oryQFkcfjSz0aLO95vmjMtkT1hAf2F/s2048/DTwRlJsQ+%25282%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYNrEVm3pK0-jJuc56-yN_RYRSHxem01nvPq1rDR6815b2o6lo46fW5HrEncUDuJ-kK9Ris-Wp3FUQPWs2ZVI6wtzdNoyjlqWu666q0vCTXFcL4oryQFkcfjSz0aLO95vmjMtkT1hAf2F/w640-h426/DTwRlJsQ+%25282%2529.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">During a climbing session at Kullaberg.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Last weekend, I revisited the beautiful peninsula of Kullaberg. It's a relatively short drive from where I live, and there is so much to see there! I've been here before, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">here's a mad photo on Instagram</a> where I'm free-climbing a short portion of the cliffs.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><br />This time, there was a possibility to get a few more photos, which I'm very happy and thankful for! Usually, your buddy is busy climbing, so taking photos is not safe, but this time I got help from Lars to get some shots. It's difficult to see the height of the cliffs, but you can see the sea water far below.</span><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1y1Y35-nFkBidhNySGNXrcGWVv8bHs9kIkQSdUj5U0A3HTVOn6-_Rg2l_B1nynT2riCH3t17s6VGSKMIzVg9JTebfQd1_wt96wBJM12tkdFy7lGKGNRry8pD4PYCfS3v1IeyoqyVATJL/s2048/9EBqH4UA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1y1Y35-nFkBidhNySGNXrcGWVv8bHs9kIkQSdUj5U0A3HTVOn6-_Rg2l_B1nynT2riCH3t17s6VGSKMIzVg9JTebfQd1_wt96wBJM12tkdFy7lGKGNRry8pD4PYCfS3v1IeyoqyVATJL/w640-h426/9EBqH4UA.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting back into the saddle! Only upwards, only forwards.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: helvetica; font-size: small;">To start with, there is the climbing. Kullaberg has got world-class crags, there's something for everyone. No matter what the weather is, it's always possible to find a protected place with many different routes. The water meets the cliffs down below, and it's breathtakingly beautiful.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_gxkTvzezfZeZtTCgVZ-xMnEEhUdZmhgdrGJ8mQovu9e_PJ0EqscKInyYTJrQ83f0g9NVduA1kicFDOHnW78yL4IkO-eoizHyndYXAdyHhDI5A8MK2PG6-XLKb568Er-JjjdtSlDEMRC/s2048/20210429_102911.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1669" data-original-width="2048" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_gxkTvzezfZeZtTCgVZ-xMnEEhUdZmhgdrGJ8mQovu9e_PJ0EqscKInyYTJrQ83f0g9NVduA1kicFDOHnW78yL4IkO-eoizHyndYXAdyHhDI5A8MK2PG6-XLKb568Er-JjjdtSlDEMRC/w640-h522/20210429_102911.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the top, I snapped this photo of another climber at the same cliff section. She's also an on-call fireman!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Me and a friend from Skåne climbed for a while, attempting a very nice chimney among others. The sun was warm, and while the cold northern wind was ripping at the vegetation on the top, we were protected by the warm cliffs while climbing. The chimney was still cold, otherwise it was t-shirt weather in my opinion!</span><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVijTUMtbn4owEuMqXh3HiKruO27221YBD4h3JO7TOP-LYOwf6cR5H0tzHC20-YZ2yc1uPfmOdey-ex3lfPt5PYJCNZmkXqr0EHOfsiZAxc_5myuegpmEaZ1rjVSmXEpMZE_katIM4TPU/s2048/buvN_3dQ.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVijTUMtbn4owEuMqXh3HiKruO27221YBD4h3JO7TOP-LYOwf6cR5H0tzHC20-YZ2yc1uPfmOdey-ex3lfPt5PYJCNZmkXqr0EHOfsiZAxc_5myuegpmEaZ1rjVSmXEpMZE_katIM4TPU/w400-h266/buvN_3dQ.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chimney climbing in Kullaberg</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4L3-twjg0hAKAL1lQYDdjkerVxaG648gCdBArJQvIxCWa8MZQaSpFjPS5bL49XhY1rsTomTIqzj0Intr41mj9gwq_bgummmTu6KfaaRCNxPSzlzdwfMV7ZF1VRnUuY5KgulFdwva3u_Qi/s2048/04.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4L3-twjg0hAKAL1lQYDdjkerVxaG648gCdBArJQvIxCWa8MZQaSpFjPS5bL49XhY1rsTomTIqzj0Intr41mj9gwq_bgummmTu6KfaaRCNxPSzlzdwfMV7ZF1VRnUuY5KgulFdwva3u_Qi/w400-h266/04.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside of a chimney, solving the upclimb</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">For me, it was the first step of getting back into the saddle after the </span><a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/04/abrupt-end-of-trip-in-padjelanta.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">accident in the swedish mountains</a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> in February. Proving to myself I still can climb, even though I need to choose the easier routes, is an important step - and through baby steps, I'm heading back to where I was before. I'm still recovering, but I believe I'll be good as new in just a couple of weeks from now!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: small; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4c04rPcnLIjQVbrV6936UD_JTB-6rhjxRzQH-mqNS53x-uEZ-wW0EQ94VWqEGaz80zo4jCx4HvgY3LL_lzUY1mSovt5-OaMmcREm4AVf2ZEXK39pXjj1vLdfrTbvrBk9fxwRdGUIdpass/s2048/20210425_113758.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4c04rPcnLIjQVbrV6936UD_JTB-6rhjxRzQH-mqNS53x-uEZ-wW0EQ94VWqEGaz80zo4jCx4HvgY3LL_lzUY1mSovt5-OaMmcREm4AVf2ZEXK39pXjj1vLdfrTbvrBk9fxwRdGUIdpass/w640-h480/20210425_113758.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's not only about the climbing. Amazingly beautiful surroundings are waiting to be discovered!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Apart from climbing, Kullaberg has great walks, beautiful lighthouses, some nice caves, and nature to admire. A path that is unmarked on any official map leads to the rocky beach along a steep terrain, probably difficult in wet weather. Suddenly it turns into an artwork, you come into it and become a part of it. You also enter a micro-nation, Ladonia. The long-debated <a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimis" target="_blank">Nimis</a> is still there to fascinate and to draw crowds of adventure-seekers, art lovers, and just curious tourists. The debate and the juridical processes around it are all considered a part of the conceptual art. The structures are organic, as if built by an alien civilization of insect-like beings, on a planet with less gravitation that ours.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPMJEwDDxEyoc9Tp-LVcIoyki8EoJsOkw0gycx2HZ8E-mfuNOEZALUwtuRvul-jK7pwJYqC2jUGQyX6DUjADhQoQqGwhkKBbHm2S54iVV-lfDVPGfQvmltcxkZp6VmURk0oeAFf67uQ7j/s2048/20210425_111943.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPMJEwDDxEyoc9Tp-LVcIoyki8EoJsOkw0gycx2HZ8E-mfuNOEZALUwtuRvul-jK7pwJYqC2jUGQyX6DUjADhQoQqGwhkKBbHm2S54iVV-lfDVPGfQvmltcxkZp6VmURk0oeAFf67uQ7j/w640-h480/20210425_111943.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sculpture of Nimis, a detail.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nimis too can be climbed - at your own risk! My professional interest in the hazards had me asking about the local rescue efforts, and my guess was correct - there are a lot of people getting stuck or injured around here, mostly on the way here or back. For those that are humble about their capabilities, there are possibilities to carefully walk around. A fixed rope is put in place at the steepest part.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The nearby sculpture of Arx is also epic, resembling something from yet another civilization. Probably termite-like aliens, the organic shapes towering against the maritime horizon. The story behind it is as fascinating as Nimis. It's supposed to be a book about the "unsayable", and is also registered as a book, stones marked with numbers to represent pages - so that it was protected by the law of free speeach and publishing, just like a regular book is.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8iu6GfzFawWauAzphzZIbi6s-rT0takEvHAbXv0Pu5T3JZeF4RP-EMuTHuuakgD9m7mXUS4eOOoc1eGm9FnEiES8cTKquV-KkOD6621QKOBbGyQo3EIooK3ARxl0wrbgIeF8oABcBuVf/s2048/20210425_114230.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8iu6GfzFawWauAzphzZIbi6s-rT0takEvHAbXv0Pu5T3JZeF4RP-EMuTHuuakgD9m7mXUS4eOOoc1eGm9FnEiES8cTKquV-KkOD6621QKOBbGyQo3EIooK3ARxl0wrbgIeF8oABcBuVf/w640-h480/20210425_114230.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sculptures of Arx.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Vilks" target="_blank">artist himself</a> is highly debated, because of more modern controversies. You can read more about him here. He has produced lots of books, one being about using authorities as an art medium.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apart from controversial art, there is a lot of other down-to-earth creations to enjoy. This is the well-known pottery area, Höganäs being the most known place, and there are more tiny potteries, garden shops and cafés. At any tiny village, you can find pittoresque places to have a Swedish Fika; one of my favourite is of course the Fire Station in Mölle. The old station was rebuilt to become a café and a small shop, retaining all the charm and beauty of a vintage small town by the sea.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzaRBAC1KKcc3AausWcJi8m1cGwK_zzQyoAd16v3hojtrRBlU6W925XvQaInrfgMxZKtdOXL86zcUz793aeWDYEOi0Ee-VU7iESfL75wTFghXnMMSfRWopFyHp04XuD3pdn-naUKiZ2CU/s2048/20210423_195144.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzaRBAC1KKcc3AausWcJi8m1cGwK_zzQyoAd16v3hojtrRBlU6W925XvQaInrfgMxZKtdOXL86zcUz793aeWDYEOi0Ee-VU7iESfL75wTFghXnMMSfRWopFyHp04XuD3pdn-naUKiZ2CU/w640-h480/20210423_195144.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gazebo by the vinyards, made for resting and enjoying life. A perfect after-climb!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The agriculture blooms in the Kullaberg microclimate. The lamb are grazing in the green grass. You can find farms growing asparagus, tomatoes, strawberries, and lots of flower markets. And last, but not least - apple and grape farms. Here is a great place to taste Swedish wine from locally produced grapes, at three vineyards at least. Also, dry cider is being made. I'll be working on an article concerning the wine only - stay tuned!</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtCkdb2WXOusK5jAkruejJs64yuNb90_4P9GWb3xIa-PPvHDA9S3D2Gs9z1iwvfXcMRbCUZWYXUg9Gzi6_-pIK8MPjHi4TlcUgVPvYul9MmvjSM4GKBQU8MBoSpeROeL6_fTNNOS35Kmi/s2048/20210425_125324.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtCkdb2WXOusK5jAkruejJs64yuNb90_4P9GWb3xIa-PPvHDA9S3D2Gs9z1iwvfXcMRbCUZWYXUg9Gzi6_-pIK8MPjHi4TlcUgVPvYul9MmvjSM4GKBQU8MBoSpeROeL6_fTNNOS35Kmi/w640-h480/20210425_125324.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The food tradition here is amazing. Perfect to be enjoyed by the sea, with a glass of local wine.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, you guessed correctly, I'm already longing to get back. The spring/summer season is already here, in contrast to where I usually live and climb - the nights are still freezing cold, and it hails or snows during daytime despite the bright April sun in between. But at the moment, I'm preparing for yet another adventure to take place in early May. I'll tell you more in the next post.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-39970817037970313852021-04-22T04:13:00.007-07:002021-09-22T07:24:17.860-07:00Using satellite unit for emergency: lessons learned<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEyiyHw6auDExcSeuA7zABOYSnx2b040mh5GRvmg9DeQ2zUGQsojNNIEooOoX7k2MTUobpAQe4_l_OV-AsNiYlNBK6fh7nAi9804-rlvR1tpJzq4HuHaBniqZpShCGbUe-cVtCPJUVMy_/s2048/20210327_124020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEyiyHw6auDExcSeuA7zABOYSnx2b040mh5GRvmg9DeQ2zUGQsojNNIEooOoX7k2MTUobpAQe4_l_OV-AsNiYlNBK6fh7nAi9804-rlvR1tpJzq4HuHaBniqZpShCGbUe-cVtCPJUVMy_/w640-h480/20210327_124020.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arctic travelling on a snow mobile, outside of the National Parks where it's still allowed</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">After the
<a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/04/abrupt-end-of-trip-in-padjelanta.html" target="_blank">incident</a> in the remote Arctic mountains, I have received a lot of questions about
how a satellite messenger device works during a distress call. Let’s take a look at that, and hopefully you will
also be able to use satellite devices to ensure greater safety in the
wilderness!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Normally, my
use of satellite units relates to <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2016/10/sailing-log.html" target="_blank">sailing</a>. The simple possibility of dropping a line or
two to the friends and family (or even business partners or customers) makes a
huge difference when sailing great distances and being away from mobile coverage
for days or even weeks. The technology has evolved greatly during the
past ten years, so today it’s easy to set up the sat unit to receive detailed weather
reports, which makes long distance much safer – and also, to send a tracker
position, so the whereabouts of your vessel are updated seamlessly! You can even
choose to send update messages to be shown together with the position. Here’s a
<a href="https://www.oceansailingpodcast.com/live-tracker" target="_blank">good example of how it may look</a>.
With possibilities to charge onboard, it’s easy to pair the satellite device with your
regular smart phone and use a more familiar interface to send messages. Often, Iridium satellite products are used, but there are plenty other alternatives depending on where you sail and what your needs are.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This winter,
I undertook a <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/04/sarek-solo-winter-hike.html" target="_blank">solo ski hike to Sarek</a> and further on to the <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/04/visit-to-inaccessability-point.html">Swedish Point of Inaccessability</a>.
After heading well into Padjelanta, I <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/04/abrupt-end-of-trip-in-padjelanta.html" target="_blank">accidently fell and hurt my leg</a> so I could no longer walk or ski. Being alone in the most inaccessible areas of the wilderness, the Garmin Inreach Explorer satellite unit became the key factor for being rescued and avoiding a greater danger.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZK6ckRfCkw9zxv-Em-UcKvoR8Lf8Py5ZEmmz5eoNXojsWiPFwnhqMbco99RvZWUb_-S8K4T0MPU0BJJJPmBmASFhHDoOMGJLfZ8LEUUUOUCrcVUAWmO-rdvZ2rYRAmgc4NbaFJuWazfC/s1850/20210422_114050.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1486" data-original-width="1850" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZK6ckRfCkw9zxv-Em-UcKvoR8Lf8Py5ZEmmz5eoNXojsWiPFwnhqMbco99RvZWUb_-S8K4T0MPU0BJJJPmBmASFhHDoOMGJLfZ8LEUUUOUCrcVUAWmO-rdvZ2rYRAmgc4NbaFJuWazfC/w640-h514/20210422_114050.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are quite a few emergency phones scattered throughout the national parks. However, it could take hours even for a healthy person to reach one of these, and that can mean leaving the injured behind, harder to find. (Check out the note telling users not to panic.) A satellite unit is a better alternative.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I rented my
satellite messaging unit from <a href="https://www.satellitesos.com" target="_blank">Fjällcom</a>.
Currently I do not have the need to own one myself – usually there is already
an satellite unit on the boats I am sailing. For wilderness hikes, renting a unit
is the best and most cost-efficient alternative. I chose Fjällcom because of
their fast reply, a fair and clear cost model, and the possibility to receive and
return the unit by postal mail, no matter where in the country (or the world) you reside. I chose the Garmin Inreach
Explorer unit, because I wanted to have access to topographic maps and the GPS
position, as a backup to my paper maps/compass and the topographic maps with GPS
in my smartphone. Fjällcom has many different devices for rent, all depending
on what kind of adventure you are setting off to, and what kind of risks there
may be. There are some lightweight devices with less functionality, and also full-blown sat phones with voice calling and everything. The weight of the unit was not too important for a trip with a pulk, but the function was.
However, I did not have the need of voice calls, so I settled for this choice
as being the best for a solo winter ski hike.<o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBnCuC350hFSxu09sSBRaCV2YyjPgF8eYbzuOlbi7CmlPKenJNqvkPjHJ37cIK925lF82xK88HWKHw4e4lUtxG5x5VFs2Llq61YZUUEClOVd1iajIFyDuKpXAo_E3us8-D0RNxOXQRjqM/s2048/20210408_070008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBnCuC350hFSxu09sSBRaCV2YyjPgF8eYbzuOlbi7CmlPKenJNqvkPjHJ37cIK925lF82xK88HWKHw4e4lUtxG5x5VFs2Llq61YZUUEClOVd1iajIFyDuKpXAo_E3us8-D0RNxOXQRjqM/w640-h480/20210408_070008.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the Garmin Inreach Explorer sat unit that I had rented.</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">To begin
with, I used the device for sending a tracker position. At the start I was sending it too often, which was draining batteries, but I noticed that and changed it to every two hours. Those
who had the correct link, could see my position on a map, normally updated as I started moving in the morning and every second hour until the evening. I sent an additional
position for every night’s camp, and then turned off the device during the night
to save batteries. After a few days, I started downloading weather reports, which
was a great feature. During the trip, a weather warning with high winds, fog and heavy
snow came through. I could not do much about the weather of course, but it was great
to be mentally prepared – and be able to set the camp to withstand the changing
winds during the night.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I also used
the device for communication via mail, albeit sparingly. It was not only the
question of battery time and data volumes – during a sailing for instance, I’d
have a possibility to constantly recharge the satellite messaging unit, and oftentimes have a
package with unlimited amounts of simple text mails. No, this time it was also
because of time management. Usually, I would ski during the whole day, only
making a very brief stop for lunch. But for every mail to be sent, I had to
stop skiing, remove any warm gloves, and spend a few minutes typing. That meant lost time - and lost heat, risking starting to freeze. The device has an awkward keyboard – it’s QWERTY, but you have to move the cursor with
arrows and manually choose every letter, then confirm it. Naturally, each mail
takes a long time. This is easily remedied by connecting your smartphone to the
Inreach device, and just writing the mail through the phone’s keyboard. However, that
would cost batteries, so I chose to sacrifice the comfort of plentiful
communication to the safety of well-charged devices. And of course, I tried not to send too many messages because they cost me time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWB3lECEKmS_UXPQ8nKd5HgKQcX35_ZAsvngMLBCo3w_3HQCN9Tvi2NAzGDKi477lZPiDv0uAYTFdV0hz4JIbY73d-sQkzTkn37gNQHYpfLjlHHalsbAube2Ad9OTZQ8IqkJtJJyycDjR/s2048/20210422_114833.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWB3lECEKmS_UXPQ8nKd5HgKQcX35_ZAsvngMLBCo3w_3HQCN9Tvi2NAzGDKi477lZPiDv0uAYTFdV0hz4JIbY73d-sQkzTkn37gNQHYpfLjlHHalsbAube2Ad9OTZQ8IqkJtJJyycDjR/w640-h480/20210422_114833.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The interface is easy to understand. Here, my movemebts are tracked on the topographic map. It also shows where the position update was sent (yellow dots) and where I sent a message (blue icons).</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">On the
point of batteries: apart from fully charged devices, I brought a battery bank,
and a set of solar panels that double as an extra battery bank which is both
chargeable through USB and solar power. I could, however, not rely on the solar
panels alone, as the weather deteriorated after a few days, and the sun had a
hard time to shine through the dense fog and heavy snowfall. The power banks
were used to top up the Inreach unit, and also my smartphone and the GoPro. If the
satellite messaging unit was used conservatively, the battery would probably have lasted between
4-7 days. I was happy that I topped up the charging when I had to send the SOS
signal, because it drains the batteries a bit faster. However, while charging
from any power bank, I needed to warm up both the device and the source of power
– often by my body heat, stuffed into my sleeping bag to charge for a while before going to sleep (to avoid a fire hazard at night). Stuffing
them into your clothing during the days won’t do, because you sweat as you
move, and do not want the humidity to harm the electronics. Also, it restraints
the moving ability. There’s so much you want to keep warm during an expedition
in a cold environment – like the phone, the camera, extra batteries, any power
bars, maybe a camelback, some pieces of clothing that need to be dried and so
forth… so at the end you almost build an extra clothing layer made of gear and
food, which does not improve neither the insulation, nor the ventilation. There
are better ways to manage all of that, like only bringing power bars that stay
soft in cold temperatures.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXU2gDb7YKCSd_Svy0738MOkPjqHBDpLLRBhU-xQP_N3tzb4ZJFVVI6e-V4ISu8eu8DBH8f6rWXbMBqwbefW7AJ2CyiVFjkeALqlNQ9aUtNALYwcOftzacz_eNFN_HdVh-2ISBt8fg1WQi/s2048/20210328_115424.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXU2gDb7YKCSd_Svy0738MOkPjqHBDpLLRBhU-xQP_N3tzb4ZJFVVI6e-V4ISu8eu8DBH8f6rWXbMBqwbefW7AJ2CyiVFjkeALqlNQ9aUtNALYwcOftzacz_eNFN_HdVh-2ISBt8fg1WQi/w640-h480/20210328_115424.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The expedition pulk - in sunny weather, I always attached the solar cell power bank on top of it.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So how does
the Inreach Explorer work when you need to send a SOS signal? There is a big button on
the side, where it says “SOS”. Pressing it won’t help though – it’s a
protective cover! You need to open it, and push the smaller button inside. Then,
if I remember correctly, you’ll need to confirm that you will switch to SOS
mode.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_M69D6FxZRkEK0LRmONT5Y9UzsTEnsEzqUgqalvpWmWhyobfq1zGnBYMkQA3CCI5Bn-RsxXVP9jYI9GoktAwsvLvXmSX6RsluXT46zRu9DA90n-xJDOlWxabra1mJL1Fb60CbB63XZJF/s2048/20210408_070021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_M69D6FxZRkEK0LRmONT5Y9UzsTEnsEzqUgqalvpWmWhyobfq1zGnBYMkQA3CCI5Bn-RsxXVP9jYI9GoktAwsvLvXmSX6RsluXT46zRu9DA90n-xJDOlWxabra1mJL1Fb60CbB63XZJF/s320/20210408_070021.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SOS-button on the side</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSWAPBStwjqysk3Q6cIMOwP5xPHzQh0CDjUUKtiZVE9dnxVjhvCOsXOX5DCI4rBb_7-eYmd4nNqC_B_pp2h7L6nNztCPPHawHAQUx2heZpSh_cHeifR_ULXXFfe6o6DzlRlqn0n0pfYsM/s2048/20210408_070050.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSWAPBStwjqysk3Q6cIMOwP5xPHzQh0CDjUUKtiZVE9dnxVjhvCOsXOX5DCI4rBb_7-eYmd4nNqC_B_pp2h7L6nNztCPPHawHAQUx2heZpSh_cHeifR_ULXXFfe6o6DzlRlqn0n0pfYsM/s320/20210408_070050.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open the cover and push the button</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br />As soon as
you do that, two things happen. One is that the <a href="https://support.garmin.com/en-IE/?faq=sa9pEawRiF8HhPRC2htbd9 " target="_blank">Garmin Emergency Response Coordination (GEOS)</a> is contacted. The other one is that an on-call person from Fjällcom receives the SOS
signal and <i>immediately </i>starts a return communication, checking what the
emergency is – and what needs to be done. Then they organize further action,
which can be anything from practical questions to coming in touch with the
rescue services of the correct nature and geographical proximity. This is a service that is included in renting the device. It's great - normally, you'd contact someone at home but you cannot expect them to be on-call 24/7, and check mails for an emergency message every minute.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As I called
for help, the GEOS were not able to do much. However, the Fjällcom contacts
were quick to reply, and very helpful in contacting the correct services so an
evacuation could be started. I was notified that several units were on the way.
The units themselves received a link to communicate to me directly – however they
did not attempt communication. So during the SOS call, the Fjällcom staff was
my primary contact and source of information. The tone was calm, competent and
helpful, which helps a lot when there is a crisis. The replies came from different senders, which was a bit unclear, but the important part was to get the communication through, which worked perfectly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioinc-D8zXY6-Mo8e2vHMyiCLxTqwC1N-wR-q39gdqWfKAFIT48DzopF3JqYmHROHKm32MCkKn4bO7i1_7RGzXKpkuWFszGetq_YxOEwiGvamVFtvPcBwa6FVqZkMal8uTeFPVCmo6aXf6/s2048/20210331_142800.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioinc-D8zXY6-Mo8e2vHMyiCLxTqwC1N-wR-q39gdqWfKAFIT48DzopF3JqYmHROHKm32MCkKn4bO7i1_7RGzXKpkuWFszGetq_YxOEwiGvamVFtvPcBwa6FVqZkMal8uTeFPVCmo6aXf6/w640-h480/20210331_142800.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The medical training kicked in, I stabilized the leg using any accessable gear, kept the damaged limb in a raised position, and took care not to get too cold.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I also sent
a SOS message to my husband, who also contacted the rescue coordination center. However,
they could not give him hardly any information at all, so he could not confirm
whether help was already on the way, or whether I should seek shelter, dig a
hole in the snow, or try to crawl down to the valley. Trying to move with an
injured leg was very painful, and I was afraid I would not be able to balance
properly, risking more falls, and more injuries – not only worsening the damage
to the leg, but potentially damaging other limbs, or the spine or skull. I chose
not to risk it, and got a confirmation to stay where I was – the SOS signal
sends an exact position. Yet I needed to do something, and picking the right strategy was tricky without information. It could be counterproductive to start off with something that is based
on rescue coming within some hours, when the rescue is coming within a few
days. Or the opposite.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Because I was told that units were on their way, I switched to the mindset of getting
rescued before nightfall. It’s a risky mindset, meaning I did not make any
preparations to spend the night and ride out the worsening weather. However, in
a situation where pain is a major factor, it’s a very comfortable thing to fall into. An after a while, I actually got the confirmation and ETA for a rescue unit, from the contact person at Fjällcom! Now it was clearer, and I was very happy for that information.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I made myself as visible as possible, with criss-crossed skis above. I unwrapped and spread out the signal-colored cover from the pulk, which I chose for this reason exactly. I wrapped myself in as much warm clothing as possible, created an isolation layer between me and the snow, and protected myself with a wind sack, hiding from the wind on the lee side of the pulk. The wind was getting stronger, so both the sack and the pulk cover were flapping violently. I tried to distance myself from the worrying by pulling out all sweet snacks I had close by, and taking out my camera to look at the photos from the start of the expedition. The photos helped to distract myself from the ongoing situation, and the desperate waiting did not feel as prolonged as it otherwise would.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91JtOZfQWLXue3hJ64kLxv5cEeZ3yOR9UvxftjBUlt3DJ3SIh0tVcxltvBucVW-ausYz8BX8zvTND61OE0qtoydEZxzBO1Qp8rMyip9wU-18tnAUL_oyqEtY3ZQJKD6nUaRfAYSefSVvq/s2048/20210331_160640.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91JtOZfQWLXue3hJ64kLxv5cEeZ3yOR9UvxftjBUlt3DJ3SIh0tVcxltvBucVW-ausYz8BX8zvTND61OE0qtoydEZxzBO1Qp8rMyip9wU-18tnAUL_oyqEtY3ZQJKD6nUaRfAYSefSVvq/s320/20210331_160640.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signal-colored textile is essential</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9reAbnpLxC9Pft2m22aWOwT_CgiOB1RxiB_Hjin1jXG94dUn8l4VvmeC5_q1knTJcZF8JA-0rUcmgGcUCB8cRrlwtaNU0eNqXAzRnrQfk5OZ04zZeC3VDzwlfgIiafw5aG3tmy3JeGq-N/s2048/20210331_160642.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9reAbnpLxC9Pft2m22aWOwT_CgiOB1RxiB_Hjin1jXG94dUn8l4VvmeC5_q1knTJcZF8JA-0rUcmgGcUCB8cRrlwtaNU0eNqXAzRnrQfk5OZ04zZeC3VDzwlfgIiafw5aG3tmy3JeGq-N/s320/20210331_160642.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossed skis are easy to spot, too</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">At last, one
of the units came within reach. What a relief! The rest of them never showed up though. I was asked
to leave my pulk (including all the gear) behind, because we needed to leave as
soon as possible due to the weather. I thought that other rescue units
would take care of it, but that was incorrect. It would be left in the nature, where snowmobiles are not allowed to drive. I could not retrieve it myself – impossible
to get out to another 10-14 day expedition with an injured leg. Luckily, with
some help of Laponia Adventures, and a helpful local who had the possibility to
rescue it, the pulk was retrieved. It is still not in my possession, and
sending it from a cargo terminal in the Arctic can be a little tricky, but I
will be happy to retrieve as much of the expedition gear as possible. And after
all, leaving gear in the wilderness is definitely not a good idea. But I do
understand that at the moment of rescue, the priority is the human life and
health – not the physical things.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimx3m4KtvlSB-u5k0lzGnW77GMsoGfUj8KNKt-4tuYX8M2dPkaGT2q6IMXkI_eX7Y81PJi99IfjzKEqlg4gJ0K3pTlCbDr-7sR1iW71dNQrv_aZzUK2KDCdVBFEnNQzX_U14J0ciP-3E-y/s2048/20210330_090852.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimx3m4KtvlSB-u5k0lzGnW77GMsoGfUj8KNKt-4tuYX8M2dPkaGT2q6IMXkI_eX7Y81PJi99IfjzKEqlg4gJ0K3pTlCbDr-7sR1iW71dNQrv_aZzUK2KDCdVBFEnNQzX_U14J0ciP-3E-y/w640-h480/20210330_090852.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's what the weather was like just the day before, during midday. There was so much snow and fog that it was almost dark, and the visibility was close to nil - the textures you can see were very close to the camera. There was a risk it would get just as bad that day.</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">During the
evac, I turned the satellite unit off. Then, I realized it would be wise to keep
it on in case any part of the rescue organization wanted to come into touch. So
I turned it on as I was entering the ambulance car, which would drive me to
Gällivare emergency care. I got the best professional care possible. All the
stuff were amazing. The leg is actually already much better at the time of writing, some three weeks later. I've been doing the training ordinated by a physiotherapeut, and manage to walk and function more or less properly - although still limping. And I’ve already been to a
local rescue assignment myself, very happy to be able to pay
it forward.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The only
thing that I could have done differently was that I could have left more information about the SOS function to my near and dear. I actually thought that the signal was only available to the rescue team. What I did not
know was that that was also visible on the tracker map. I never made the link
to the map public, it was only for close family. However, as they saw the SOS,
they became worried. That’s the last thing I wanted to happen. My lesson from
this is that if I share the link with anyone, I also will need to share information
about what SOS signal means and what kinds of initiatives could be constructive.
Here are a few points off the top of my mind:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The SOS
does not mean that someone is dead or soon will be.</span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The SOS
call is not necessarily issued for the primary user of the sat unit. Could be
anyone in distress along the way.</span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The fact
that the SOS signal is sent during several hours does not mean that nobody saw it, or that help is
not on the way.</span></li><li><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">If you have
not received action points for a SOS call, you do not need to take any
initiative. Try to stay calm and be patient. Be informed that professionals are
already handling the issue, see above.</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpTHYs8U1Mq6SFEggjih0PRqmj-JLN8d8leRZWnkSiWbGzw6XPE-_NZx9d5jgyfN01gtuxlfrlY05g0QndliX-f1ibw0L3UdZsNRK27dBT1nshB4CssYQXvp-SXPYAhcsejD27_pX-s2n/s2048/20210327_162129+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpTHYs8U1Mq6SFEggjih0PRqmj-JLN8d8leRZWnkSiWbGzw6XPE-_NZx9d5jgyfN01gtuxlfrlY05g0QndliX-f1ibw0L3UdZsNRK27dBT1nshB4CssYQXvp-SXPYAhcsejD27_pX-s2n/w640-h480/20210327_162129+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group of winter hikers setting camp in Sarek. Even in a group, it's essential to have a sat device - calling for help from an emergency phone may require hiking for hours or days, which can be dangerous in rough weather. People around you is not a guarantee for rescue.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">To sum up:
in a situation of distress, where mobile coverage is not reliable or non-existing,
using a satellite communication device is imperative for your safety. My
situation was that during a winter solo skiing trip to the most inaccessible
areas of the country, I badly injured my leg and could not continue, alone in
the wilderness with the weather starting to deteriorate. The possibility to
call for help allowed me to be evacuated by a professional team, and to get a
timely medical attention to treat injuries at an early stage. The Inreach
Explorer unit that I rented from Fjällcom was what made the difference between
a scary and uncomfortable situation ending happily – and a tragic accident that
may have ended with much more serious injuries, such as further damage to the
limbs and spine, pain shock, frostbite and hypothermia – just to give a few
examples.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The
Fjällcom team have been communicative and helpful, and I will definitely rent satellite
units from them again, whether I’m on a solo adventure or am leading a group. The
presence of other people at an emergency site is not a guarantee of containing
the situation! But the possibility to contact professionals and coordinate an
evacuation definitely is.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-22702970086691894162021-04-12T07:13:00.007-07:002021-09-22T07:24:38.261-07:00Potential crew for space trip around the Moon<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsr5Gu65rniaId2fYXvituiX8S3XhmPxfxGjjqaYNdCL8ZcKwHMwmMMAGysAT0oAOjOwX5PvcltEB6sJFrAwLfdkZ-BSG7EAGx3DyMhPuISDTsvmE-4AddV3qGE1n2yOz6vwX3KR4wqov1/s799/m%25C3%25A5ne.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="799" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsr5Gu65rniaId2fYXvituiX8S3XhmPxfxGjjqaYNdCL8ZcKwHMwmMMAGysAT0oAOjOwX5PvcltEB6sJFrAwLfdkZ-BSG7EAGx3DyMhPuISDTsvmE-4AddV3qGE1n2yOz6vwX3KR4wqov1/w640-h472/m%25C3%25A5ne.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The moon - own design based on a Nasa photo</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I've done so much exploring on this planet - everything from the seas and oceans, to the high mountains and remote Arctic areas. Now, there is potential to do some exploration outside of our planet! I have applied to join a space trip around the moon.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p>I've been dreaming about space travel since I was a kid. Growing up in Soviet Union, I wanted to become a cosmonaut - the Russian word for astronaut. I read a lot about space, the Moon and the stars - in the science magazines and children's books alike. Already as a kid in the kindergarden, I would keep metal parts and trinkets that I found, hoping to find a use for them in my space rocket. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwTVP_TO4-jG9SEHSGhRKklc7-OovNqBx4gw4-Bi9xaGbpc3tb2PXyJ3YA29XuFkWr2VK60RylOO11QNqDguT35Sgdq2wNlP0dmZGZ5k4R1xbwcEyGbBwd4uKP_uwk_yy-4M_jjTplqih/s1536/signal-2021-03-26-140424.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1536" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwTVP_TO4-jG9SEHSGhRKklc7-OovNqBx4gw4-Bi9xaGbpc3tb2PXyJ3YA29XuFkWr2VK60RylOO11QNqDguT35Sgdq2wNlP0dmZGZ5k4R1xbwcEyGbBwd4uKP_uwk_yy-4M_jjTplqih/w640-h480/signal-2021-03-26-140424.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Personality shows all the way through, already as kid. Here, in Siberia, 1980-s</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I was an adventurous child, actively seeking to fulfil my dreams, and reaching all the way to space felt absolutely possible! As I grew older, those dreams gave way to something more down-to-Earth, pun intended. Imagine how happy I was to find out that there will be a civil mission to the Moon, and that the application was open! The <a href="https://dearmoon.earth/" target="_blank">dearMoon</a> project is executed by Mr. Yusaku Maezawa, who was originally planning to bring 8 artists with him on this circumlunar flight, but then decided to open the opportunity to everyone, since the definition of "artist" is ambiguous. The total amount of people going will be 10-12, and the rocket used for the project is the "Starship", currently developed by SpaceX.</p><p>The pre-registration ended in March 2021, and a week later we sent in more information for the initial screening. In total, about a million people applied - from all parts of the world! Every country is represented. The idea is that the 8 that come along will help other people and make the society better in some way, do something bigger. There are two key criteria: you want to make the world a better place, and you're willing to support others in their attempts to make the world better. So imagine the potential, for a million applicants to make our society, our Earth, the world so much better by doing what their passion is. It's fantastic!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDQmt22QokSb0a10unVywhR_UtObUKj8Ibhv7pDHcN4-WCmSFpy0_0qft6ahAcw3QKQGdgWamsLyCuhzJcKeucSStV3xrChGonJJGh5Mxe-5NE8CZEyK3GD_CWhQ57qsS_GT4usm_p4QL/s2048/20210330_110056.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDQmt22QokSb0a10unVywhR_UtObUKj8Ibhv7pDHcN4-WCmSFpy0_0qft6ahAcw3QKQGdgWamsLyCuhzJcKeucSStV3xrChGonJJGh5Mxe-5NE8CZEyK3GD_CWhQ57qsS_GT4usm_p4QL/w640-h480/20210330_110056.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visiting <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/04/visit-to-inaccessability-point.html" target="_blank">the Inaccessability Pole</a>, shortly after applying to go to the Moon.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Today, the 12th of April is the Day of Cosmonautics, sort of "The Space Day" in Russia - thís day, 60 years ago, was the day Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. I celebrate it by working hard, dreaming hard and training hard. There are about three weeks left before the next stage of the crew assignment is completed. After this, there will be online interviews, and the final interview and medical check-up. Already this summer, the crew constellation will be known. The training will then begin, and continue until the lift-off. The trip is to take place in 2023, the schedule and the flight plan <a href="https://dearmoon.earth/schedule.html" target="_blank">are available here</a>.</p><p>For me, it feels very natural to apply for this trip - I have been training for it for my whole life. To start with, I'm experienced used to dangerous and unusual adventures under all kinds of stress and pressure - I have now worked as a professional adventurer for years. <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2016/10/sailing-log.html" target="_blank">Sailing around the world</a> in a small sailing boat is a bit like being in space - you are all alone, not wanting to lose the tether, while everything around you is trying to kill you, despite being astoundingly beautiful. I had to learn to be my own mechanic, plumber, electrician, cook and medic. I was often in close quarters with crew, and had to be able to collaborate - even in stressful conditions, which teaches you to be respectful and patient.</p><p>Apart from being an adventurer, <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/01/nytt-uppdrag-inom-raddningstjansten.html" target="_blank">I am a firefighter</a>. The rigorous training and health tests required show that I should have an adequate physical condition and a good mental strength needed for space travel. Also, I have been working with IT since 15 years ago, and I can imagine that these technical skills may be useful onboard a highly technological vessel. My training and certifications within management and group dynamics ensure that I can function within a team, and execute properly whenever it is needed.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBI3AaUFPgpZU41fx6uICPRxcs35vVvo1JL1Q9rXowSJA4PwbSa2OG_R1rIt7sRP8YPyhEIxFazpXXy2jXB_h7ZCJH1GSb5zoEJz4u-sugXAFP-NYOB-6cOv4ye3NyCmGFAtUmaR3b1_0t/s6000/DSC04442a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBI3AaUFPgpZU41fx6uICPRxcs35vVvo1JL1Q9rXowSJA4PwbSa2OG_R1rIt7sRP8YPyhEIxFazpXXy2jXB_h7ZCJH1GSb5zoEJz4u-sugXAFP-NYOB-6cOv4ye3NyCmGFAtUmaR3b1_0t/w640-h426/DSC04442a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lena Wilderäng, in firefighter uniform</td></tr></tbody></table><p>During my life, I've shown that I'm able and willing to make the world a better place. I've done amounts of hands-on volunteering work, both in hospices for homeless, asylum seeker camps, and a trafficking shelter. I've made artistic creation available to refugee kids, done assignments for the Red Cross during training of medical staff, executed garbage picking in remote places in the wilderness, and helped to make art available to as many as possible during the pandemic - through digital exhibition in a public environment.</p><p>Apart from speaking English, I master fluent Swedish and Russian, as well as some Norwegian and Spanish - which can make the collaboration with other international team members more easy-going. Currently, I am also learning Japanese, because I am looking forward to be speaking to MZ in his native language! Learning a new language or a new skill is always a fun thing, and it keeps the brain trim and happy.</p><p>Finally - I <a href="https://ateljeangsjodal.se" target="_blank">am an artist</a>, which should fall in line with the original plan of synergy between a lunar mission and artistic creativity. I do painting, drawing, sculpting and design. I'm fond of photography and am a member of a local photography club. I've produced both photo and video projects, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6lo87sIzw6BgEQOEQ82w1w" target="_blank">have started to document some of my adventures in videos</a>. I've written songs, poetry, and co-written two books. Most importantly, I like to experiment and try out new techniques, new materials and new ways of thinking. Therefore, I believe that a trip around the moon will result in a lot of creative productivity.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHgJvLsqISCuQ23EqnMl7J7iH8GJBlzmu_I1uhEO4f3Y8x3vDg3qnZzIH5o1xAXfw47YFIHMTtN08Of3GANjZOEmDQ0aLTKRZ-EN4xGxXFIeD-ZjjuIA8qyZ4NiS1xh7b2J3v8mBQLN11/s2048/20171130_194642.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHgJvLsqISCuQ23EqnMl7J7iH8GJBlzmu_I1uhEO4f3Y8x3vDg3qnZzIH5o1xAXfw47YFIHMTtN08Of3GANjZOEmDQ0aLTKRZ-EN4xGxXFIeD-ZjjuIA8qyZ4NiS1xh7b2J3v8mBQLN11/w640-h480/20171130_194642.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modelling during an artistic project about future society, in a interactive game form</td></tr></tbody></table><p>For me, adventure is a part of life, dreaming is a way to survive, and art is the only way to leave a sustainable trace in the eternity. Of course, I hope that my experience, merits and attitude will help me to become a part of the dearMoon crew. In case there are other people that are more qualified to join, I will enjoy supporting them and following their journey from start to the end and beyond. Just the very fact that I could apply for a space trip made me happy, inspired and kicked off a lot of creative activity - so I'm very grateful for that already.</p><p>I truly hope to be able to continue to inspire people, and hope that the dreamers of the world will look at the moon and the night skies with another eyes, in the light of possibilities to come. Don't ever stop dreaming!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupxDpzN0Eg7zUsGW1N_3XqLqPVwzOYVc3_bzAeXRz7sBCXmymO0UGGPOlzJ7LuLMXd_iIYNCya1hHUXc1Un6ngmbfOCwWjguSRBXnsifFW1KRxzWZRYh1TzVyNJFNjRlXaOD0G2kosA3L/s960/sea.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupxDpzN0Eg7zUsGW1N_3XqLqPVwzOYVc3_bzAeXRz7sBCXmymO0UGGPOlzJ7LuLMXd_iIYNCya1hHUXc1Un6ngmbfOCwWjguSRBXnsifFW1KRxzWZRYh1TzVyNJFNjRlXaOD0G2kosA3L/w640-h480/sea.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The moon above the sea, photographed from my boat as I sailed around the world.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-89496449478205931882021-04-05T14:33:00.009-07:002021-10-24T11:17:55.642-07:00Abrupt end of the trip in Padjelanta<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSkGdMstDirNZ9yNPVmJjunJYuOJu_m2H7U5Byx5lchSpJJmOSajtJNktOw03NXOVYRpVcWnllHR0D75zR0B-ac8oXxijBYXrDyNbELCR3g5OtGAzcZizK6ItvKpSKsukMIzd7KDx_Ncp/s2048/20210331_135653.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSkGdMstDirNZ9yNPVmJjunJYuOJu_m2H7U5Byx5lchSpJJmOSajtJNktOw03NXOVYRpVcWnllHR0D75zR0B-ac8oXxijBYXrDyNbELCR3g5OtGAzcZizK6ItvKpSKsukMIzd7KDx_Ncp/w640-h480/20210331_135653.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Padjelanta.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>As I <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/04/sarek-solo-winter-hike.html" target="_blank">crossed Sarek</a>, passed the <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/04/visit-to-inaccessability-point.html" target="_blank">Point of Inaccessability</a>, and moved into Padjelanta, the weather did not get much better. The wind, the snow and the fog continued to conspire in order to make visibility scarce, and navigation as difficult as possible. However, at times the clouds dissipated and an amazing view opened up - in all hues of blue! There was still wind though, and the cover of fog threatened to roll in any second despite the occasional bright sun.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfB67i5q9zVfIX-pnNpycOlmzT4zisJ4PbzDP-SijGP8SeKURN0TutYRtXuNuZ3leaMHpg4IAqVGU42WeF6vnSYawFaKwphuVbt7QptOhMYIVi17_AU7zawM3eqeKhOOLPDU0nLMOt9GO/s2048/20210331_135233.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfB67i5q9zVfIX-pnNpycOlmzT4zisJ4PbzDP-SijGP8SeKURN0TutYRtXuNuZ3leaMHpg4IAqVGU42WeF6vnSYawFaKwphuVbt7QptOhMYIVi17_AU7zawM3eqeKhOOLPDU0nLMOt9GO/w640-h480/20210331_135233.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As soon as sun gets out, the snow deteriorates quickly. Here, a major avalanche hazard. I needed to avoid such places.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I was still skiing solo, with limited supplies including fuel. The plan was to continue as fast as possible through Padjelanta, and to come to the border of the national park which would take several days. There, it's possible to be picked up by a snowmobile, and there is a couple of hour's travelling distance to the nearest road. From there, it takes about 24 hours to get to the nearest large city. But there was still a lot of snow to put behind the skis until then.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8x_xaMt9nyEtndnsJ8NcmHSNFq7Mwa99JRYAJEJ16zJ9SkWqcRjK9tFxHFg974iQu5nA7roAeNDOSfBxLwRFiJqhPPYXqfFr58a0AdLIXO853iKfUj5INnYXkMy6oAY2tlhvJilH2ifUH/s2048/20210331_135402.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8x_xaMt9nyEtndnsJ8NcmHSNFq7Mwa99JRYAJEJ16zJ9SkWqcRjK9tFxHFg974iQu5nA7roAeNDOSfBxLwRFiJqhPPYXqfFr58a0AdLIXO853iKfUj5INnYXkMy6oAY2tlhvJilH2ifUH/w640-h480/20210331_135402.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun's out over the wilderness, time to make some photos!<br />Expedition pulk making traces across the remote Arctic areas.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After passing Duottar, my objective was to reach the foot of Aras. At the saddle between Stuor Dijdder and Unna Liemak, near the lake Njallajavrasj, I found lee behind a large stone and had a lunch, mended the abrasion sores on my feet, and headed forth without much ado, as usual. Now, the terrain was sloping downwards, there was a good visibility for once, a little bit of sun, and the going was much faster!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmnJYFijNtCZ-4XueXoq9wyPAnmNPwQF4TCraSaVCkFCTg4Ogw9UwIlEQaplM2y7UiLCCOdYjQetOUEfw57BzHKnDdZMjS0naEocGjyR-IlABSuMHOg94lKL2d7xGNFWuJ40To-idr3vO/s2048/20210331_130037.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmnJYFijNtCZ-4XueXoq9wyPAnmNPwQF4TCraSaVCkFCTg4Ogw9UwIlEQaplM2y7UiLCCOdYjQetOUEfw57BzHKnDdZMjS0naEocGjyR-IlABSuMHOg94lKL2d7xGNFWuJ40To-idr3vO/w640-h480/20210331_130037.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finding lee behind a large stone - lucky to find one in this landscape. Otherwise, the wind finds great speeds here as nothing really stops it.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Allowing myself to relax, I continued down. As I was skiing downwards, suddenly the left ski lost grip - probably because of uneven surface. My leg got twisted and I fell over it, the ski stuck dead in the wrong angle, the weight of the pulk rushing over me and crushing the joints. I felt the damage in slow motion, the knee and the ankle twisting and almost detaching under the pushing motion of the expedition pulk heading downhill. The acute pain cut through the reality together with the realization of how bad this is.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7nsNo93QEUe_e_PwbwKraUIU7KeAs_aNqQVkOh2N-aCE3UCBGFGfcth7vLxjb7aA45DLgbHzgDsrLZk5tDnS81XHGB4BaUOC-HLHGqWaWhSaqxhj_qEyzwBmEuT54wOIGjht0s9untJK/s2048/20210330_133737.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7nsNo93QEUe_e_PwbwKraUIU7KeAs_aNqQVkOh2N-aCE3UCBGFGfcth7vLxjb7aA45DLgbHzgDsrLZk5tDnS81XHGB4BaUOC-HLHGqWaWhSaqxhj_qEyzwBmEuT54wOIGjht0s9untJK/w640-h480/20210330_133737.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does not matter how beautiful it is, when you've hurt yourself and the pain is the world<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>At last I fell over to the ground. The pain made me creep into fetus position. It took me a while to gather myself after the intense pain shock. I tried to get up, but realized I could no longer stand, let alone walk or ski.</p><p>The training kicked in. I called for help on the Iridium phone. I stabilized the leg by putting a jury-rigged splint on both sides, fastening it with duct tape - now, the pain was easier to control and it was bearable to do some movements with upper body without triggering severe pain. Next thing, I put on all the warm clothes I had, got into a wind sack, and arranged a mat to sit or lie on while I figure out what to do next.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgBfhVhLYOx_RifBmG6svWjbmfI7SS4eyfFHtFBnDDENrZHmWmkkCO6dwvHp981CxmLxcI0eEbqApAwU1TfuHBOt4mlGsuqb-DQM93sB-9egNF5NqpCwTtcI9gMAB6NFtuNCfMSybncy5/s2048/20210331_142800.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgBfhVhLYOx_RifBmG6svWjbmfI7SS4eyfFHtFBnDDENrZHmWmkkCO6dwvHp981CxmLxcI0eEbqApAwU1TfuHBOt4mlGsuqb-DQM93sB-9egNF5NqpCwTtcI9gMAB6NFtuNCfMSybncy5/w640-h480/20210331_142800.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jury-rigged splint on the bad leg. Iridium unit at the left.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The choices were to try and camp or dig into the snow right here, in case help would take many hours or even days. Or continue waiting in the same position. I could try to move forth, but the risk of hurting myself even more was imperative. The weather was deteriorating fast, the sun had turned into clouds, the wind was blowing harder, the fog was rolling in and the visibility was getting quite bad. I downloaded the weather report and it confirmed what I was seeing - the weather was getting back into close to white-out. I was realizing that help may not come through.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVV7Cz9iRECFmcoP6AmKTwdk16WtG9IWhPEb4eu0BVhqLrSZwoRYudxo6EYl7twHjKjqST1CkuMCYP_MWKtsRZBdME6p118vGwIE5oM8gBf-cQ5AcivWo5PlPtdLaGUjkT1t2uwFKqIE7g/s2048/20210331_160642.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVV7Cz9iRECFmcoP6AmKTwdk16WtG9IWhPEb4eu0BVhqLrSZwoRYudxo6EYl7twHjKjqST1CkuMCYP_MWKtsRZBdME6p118vGwIE5oM8gBf-cQ5AcivWo5PlPtdLaGUjkT1t2uwFKqIE7g/w640-h480/20210331_160642.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skis marking my spot, together with signal-colored fabric from my pulk.<br />You can see the visibility getting worse.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>At last, I got a reply about multiple units being on their way. However, only one unit made it to the destination that day. After a total of 2,5-3 hours in the snow, wind and cold I got picked up by trained professionals, and transported into a hospital. All the respect and creds to these amazing individuals doing their jobs, in any conditions. I would give them multiple hugs and high praises, would I not have been affected by pain, cold, painkillers and post-traumatic stress.</p><p>The hospital staff got me X-rayed, which also meant I had to remove the splint. I had made it out of the avalanche shovel handle, and the avalanche probe - two pieces of equipment that were long, sturdy and close to hand. After all, if you carry safety gear, then you gotta make use of them - right? I should rather have used the extra ski pole I carried in the pulk, instead of using the shovel handle which I might need to camp - but the ski pole including everything else was at the bottom of the pulk, too far away to reach for when I was affected by pain and all.</p><p>The X-ray showed no skeletal damage, only soft tissue damage. Lucky for me, as I was otherwise worried about the long rehabilitation period that would jeopardize my coming adventure plans, as well as firefighter duty. Since there were no fractures, the emergency room could do nothing more for me - so I was sent off to the cold Gällivare night, limping and aching. The knee was swollen to the size of a coconut, the ankle also swollen, stuffed into the skiing boot. Walking on my own was impossible - luckily I could use the ski poles as crutches. I finally got into a hotel and had a torturous night, pained not only by the bad leg, but also by the heat. I had been sleeping in sub-zero temperatures for some time now - suddenly, I had to endure room temperature and thick blankets. I literally bathed in sweat the whole night.</p><p>Then I booked a train ticket home, and spent around 24 hours getting there. A very abrupt end to the adventure, however I'm happy that it was not much worse than that. I'm extremely happy to have brought the Iridium unit, otherwise I would risk hurting myself even more, stuck in the middle of nowhere with a bad leg and bad weather.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTqa3k5Jr_8s4tBDv1HevHMU_mXsBE56ZwHTMvvXl2A2gdBBHSQ0z9T7xxtHS6v_BJlkgq2zqf6PwjAm-d8Lb-DKVhclYe21dqLToWx1qZetZNwnZJslckGLIXvUOE-OhhQjhsTvQ18sUX/s2048/20210401_191833.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTqa3k5Jr_8s4tBDv1HevHMU_mXsBE56ZwHTMvvXl2A2gdBBHSQ0z9T7xxtHS6v_BJlkgq2zqf6PwjAm-d8Lb-DKVhclYe21dqLToWx1qZetZNwnZJslckGLIXvUOE-OhhQjhsTvQ18sUX/w640-h480/20210401_191833.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the Laponian poetry wall, in central Umeå.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>This was my first ever evacuation, not counting all the exercises and training. I guess that keeping in mind all the dangerous stuff I've done this far, it makes good statistics. I'm very happy I'm alive, I'm thankful to all the staff who helped me, and I'm making the best effort to heal and get back on the horse. Thank you all for the support - see you soon in other blog posts! The next adventure starts in about three weeks, but up until then I have several exciting things to tell. All the best!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-62634519671812821552021-04-05T09:49:00.004-07:002021-09-22T07:27:39.708-07:00Visit to the Inaccessability Point<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubib617XDgzq6bynMQMahB183ZSFInja1J11mxoG3fiRYZFb8qhUpT4f8soOPpt3ExK1HylioQ18Q5CtLAUjhKm0QkLGqBn5HSczI2VgJ7CoJdkG93J0FHnLsSkih8T5lO47NCqYu6RDU/s2048/20210330_110004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubib617XDgzq6bynMQMahB183ZSFInja1J11mxoG3fiRYZFb8qhUpT4f8soOPpt3ExK1HylioQ18Q5CtLAUjhKm0QkLGqBn5HSczI2VgJ7CoJdkG93J0FHnLsSkih8T5lO47NCqYu6RDU/w640-h480/20210330_110004.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Otillgänglighetspunkten.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>I had started the <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/04/sarek-solo-winter-hike.html">solo skiing trip by crossing Sarek nation park</a>. On the way, I passed <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/04/chapel-at-end-of-world-alkavare-kapell.html">Alkavare Chapel</a>, and then continued past the Sarek border, to Padjelanta. It's a national park as well, without trails or roads, also very large and full of wilderness and snow.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p>My objective was to visit the Inaccessability Pole of Sweden - and actually of the whole Western Europe. It's the point on the map that is furthest away from civilization, that is to say cities, roads, and other infrastructure. This point has been measured by Claes Grundsten. It's located near the lake of Rissajavrre, in the arctic wilderness of Padjelanta, near the border to Sarek.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBT9JLmUWSp8J9_rqnUdKXSZ2O_m3K62LGCZxqtRxizTOHgsyFoQ7_4s6G6UNPSuBoKzYUK9LmSLE7eWBJ_vOnoOevZRbwaEy7Ljt4VwwDanX2okm5tzkgRQSscdn73DjtxBmfhM9JJdx0/s2048/20210330_083940.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBT9JLmUWSp8J9_rqnUdKXSZ2O_m3K62LGCZxqtRxizTOHgsyFoQ7_4s6G6UNPSuBoKzYUK9LmSLE7eWBJ_vOnoOevZRbwaEy7Ljt4VwwDanX2okm5tzkgRQSscdn73DjtxBmfhM9JJdx0/w640-h480/20210330_083940.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Already while packing up the night camp, I saw the weather conditions worsen.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>During the Corona pandemic, it's been important to keep a social distance. For me, this was the peak of social distancing - being here absolutely alone, after several days of skiing in this remote area, and on top of that reaching the point that is furthest away from all civilization. It was quite a feeling! <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/04/happy-easter.html">Here's the Easter greetings video I recorded there</a>, hoping that others also would keep away from others during the holidays.</p><p>The weather was deteriorating fast. Apart from the high winds, there was the precipitation in the form of snow. The clouds were low, effectively forming a fog. The wind wipped up the snow and blew it in drifts. The united action of all of these factors resulted in a very poor visibility, almost a complete white-out.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4_fn-u9AcXYClA9nLdpTy6euVpIk9bPQ1p4YDAopfhkK_vFOxjYoGQmCwigaNXnHVdvKUEYV3ISJE40PRIzHscAFNHJOWanK7Gt2x2KoqSPdUlPx1X_ZozL6tSi5XO7eyXOO4eok_blu/s2048/20210330_110013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4_fn-u9AcXYClA9nLdpTy6euVpIk9bPQ1p4YDAopfhkK_vFOxjYoGQmCwigaNXnHVdvKUEYV3ISJE40PRIzHscAFNHJOWanK7Gt2x2KoqSPdUlPx1X_ZozL6tSi5XO7eyXOO4eok_blu/w640-h480/20210330_110013.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The big white.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The navigation was tricky due to the visibility, also it was hard to see the gradient of the terrain, quality of the snow and the optimal approach around the ridges. I had to rely on the compass, the sense of balance, and on what I saw a meter or two in front of me. Oftentimes, I could only tell the slope tilt by the behaviour of the skis. So I had to be particular about holding the same height even though it was not always the straightest line to where I was going. During the worst moments, I'd throw some snow in front of me and see whether it would roll down or not. It did not help though, because the wind just blew it away. I just had to take it easy, go slow and take precautions to stay safe.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3XTroy3q-xlK6vTqy2B_sfDTU2winQL1ucQYOohaYsofJ7tsOgwOQeMqbzDl_JErlHwiU_aIbyHi5ouB6_CulbTTBOfNitb3whYulSi4MIaChyphenhyphend1dvRKj6o_tKv0T8oXIy_vsmbTxSRd/s2048/20210330_083944.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3XTroy3q-xlK6vTqy2B_sfDTU2winQL1ucQYOohaYsofJ7tsOgwOQeMqbzDl_JErlHwiU_aIbyHi5ouB6_CulbTTBOfNitb3whYulSi4MIaChyphenhyphend1dvRKj6o_tKv0T8oXIy_vsmbTxSRd/w640-h480/20210330_083944.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow melts into the ski and the fog, and there are just a few navigation points left.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The fog opened up at times and got denser some moments. I was a bit worried abut not finding the actual point of inaccessability, but there was a small but distinct cairn, and my navigation was precise enough to see it despite short visibility distances. This place was very inaccessable indeed!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgssvwDcAyHzKw268d-T62JSKMWOAFx7GjIyJycTwR9c-dJwzKw50Ruex9f9Ma50wPzHeUCjAEohNzOfAk-fck8U_V9nbsVI3RebPB-lmYH7iJGE3bGMILnAyaajSabqfxPVy0MSLYQIS/s2048/20210330_105953.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgssvwDcAyHzKw268d-T62JSKMWOAFx7GjIyJycTwR9c-dJwzKw50Ruex9f9Ma50wPzHeUCjAEohNzOfAk-fck8U_V9nbsVI3RebPB-lmYH7iJGE3bGMILnAyaajSabqfxPVy0MSLYQIS/w640-h480/20210330_105953.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lena Wilderäng, Point of Inaccessability of Western Europe</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I was happy for all the navigation training and bad visibility training I've done this season, otherwise this would be even more tricky and even dangerous. During weather like this, especially when there is a weather warning, it's often best to dig into the snow, make a safe camp and wait for better conditions. However, I knew that conditions would not improve for quite some time, and I did not have enough fuel to be stuck in the literal middle of nowhere for too long. Therefore, I took advantage of all and any visibility to move further on.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiss6oFQb45rGNBvIGVLb1-o7G4mNA4rWe7CG39LAlO1hm1wwde45iH9HMaI7xd685eZiqFzknAE8gKFLegMhjG83zWt-wvVWftF9nKrZYKzyyInNVlIzU-Lhyphenhyphen-8WBekZh6A80-XDNbjXCu/s2048/20210330_105905.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiss6oFQb45rGNBvIGVLb1-o7G4mNA4rWe7CG39LAlO1hm1wwde45iH9HMaI7xd685eZiqFzknAE8gKFLegMhjG83zWt-wvVWftF9nKrZYKzyyInNVlIzU-Lhyphenhyphen-8WBekZh6A80-XDNbjXCu/w640-h480/20210330_105905.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow is flying through the air, and the Most Inaccessable Place is bathing in fog and clouds.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The navigation was a bit like helming a boat in complete darkness, which I've done many times - both during <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2020/01/my-second-sydney-hobart.html">Sydney-Hobart</a>, <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2019/08/racing-brisbane-to-hamilton-island.html">Brisbane-HI</a> and of course while sailing around the world. Sometimes, you may catch a glimpse of light from the sun or the moon. Sometimes, you can navigate by the wind on your cheeks. And sometimes, you just pick a course and hold it. An importan t part of this was that I had an idea of the terrain, had seen the landscape from afar and knew what to expect. I would not do the same thing near gorges or cliffs. Padjelanta is generally less steep than Sarek, the hills are undulating and m ore predictable.</p><p>After stopping for a moment and enjoying that I reached the Inaccessability Point, I continued further into Padjelanta. Next post is on the way!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-40983707555659036422021-04-04T02:06:00.003-07:002021-09-22T07:27:18.510-07:00Happy Easter!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkSzF1BxRqxIU9cYDXXunFOhdL_3K9ccF0-nUYsNUbAF1nwKyVa8Z1J7JInuRokT27PurrCzw7Vz0WCRUOAokhYB9kgf08p5GcTO2ccL8hKLd6WDeNf3ASIfXfvUlAAhTEhrNtC9zrplM/s2048/20210330_110056.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkSzF1BxRqxIU9cYDXXunFOhdL_3K9ccF0-nUYsNUbAF1nwKyVa8Z1J7JInuRokT27PurrCzw7Vz0WCRUOAokhYB9kgf08p5GcTO2ccL8hKLd6WDeNf3ASIfXfvUlAAhTEhrNtC9zrplM/w640-h480/20210330_110056.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lena Wilderäng - at the Inaccessability Point of Sweden</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Wishing you all a happy Easter! Hope that all of you are keeping a proper social distance. Here's video footage from my social distancing to the max - visiting the Point of Inaccessability of the country, and actually the whole Western Europe, on my <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/04/sarek-solo-winter-hike.html">solo skiing trip through Sarek</a>. Check out the video!<span></span></p><br /><a name='more'></a><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ez4MWpwhCwk" width="320" youtube-src-id="Ez4MWpwhCwk"></iframe></div><p>There will be a blog post specifically about this, stay tuned!</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-139487536549670742021-04-04T01:39:00.004-07:002021-09-22T07:25:37.858-07:00Chapel at the end of the world: Alkavare kapell<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyx_bqtQj7xFB1b3fgTxH9kOWh83paOvBJvmPGAj6KW5MGmINR0tdPbIOsuc4zaaibL48mIxMxTFP9a_rTJxje6jRXgWSQzQmZZalevcR6kJyGH4wEWFpmyaumt-8o4qU9aGhJPTZR2Y1T/s2048/20210329_134140.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyx_bqtQj7xFB1b3fgTxH9kOWh83paOvBJvmPGAj6KW5MGmINR0tdPbIOsuc4zaaibL48mIxMxTFP9a_rTJxje6jRXgWSQzQmZZalevcR6kJyGH4wEWFpmyaumt-8o4qU9aGhJPTZR2Y1T/w640-h480/20210329_134140.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alkavare kapell - with my Amundsen touring skis resting agains the outer wall.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/04/sarek-solo-winter-hike.html" target="_blank">I started the solo winter hike on Sarek's Eastern border</a>. After several days of skiing right through the wilderness of Sarek national park, I was coming close to the opposite border in the West. There, an exotic destination was beaconing - literally, a spiritual experience in the middle of wilderness, as remote as it gets, many miles from the nearest road or settlement.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>The chapel of Alkavare (Alkavare kapell) was built 1788 in this Arctic wilderness area, abandoned a few decades later, and then was restored and open once again in 1961. It overlooks the lake of Álggajávre, overlooking the nearby mountains, valleys, and the border to Padjelanta - the next national park. There is nothing but rock, water, snow and ice here.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkf_v2qUQjFwqC3XFFurple074MqhRGwQMOeam-7KR7iHprb6KH4Nk9NVEAQO1Azq19KK5w6xlTLaQ5Dw-MQUC3rWRhGbTRQAzFiYgknbrhMX8L-vsUtV1jLTltVN0UkDYWMmUDqKdq-9/s2048/20210329_133031.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkf_v2qUQjFwqC3XFFurple074MqhRGwQMOeam-7KR7iHprb6KH4Nk9NVEAQO1Azq19KK5w6xlTLaQ5Dw-MQUC3rWRhGbTRQAzFiYgknbrhMX8L-vsUtV1jLTltVN0UkDYWMmUDqKdq-9/w640-h480/20210329_133031.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alkavare Chapel</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The chapel holds a service only once a year - last Sunday in July. The Saturday before that, there is a prayer service at 18:00, which is followed by a morning service on Sunday at 11:00. It's actually possible to get married there, when the priest is present. But that has to be arranged beforehand, and you have to be good for some serious hiking, serveral days before and after the ceremony - no honeymoon luxury and lounging around!</p><div>The chapel is located at some height, winds caressing it from all sides. The thick walls are local flat stones meticulously stapled on top of each other. The tarred roof had been carried here from Kvikkjokk, the nearest road which is sixty kilometers from here. The windows are closed with heavy shutters; the door faces West. As you open the heavy door, you enter the chapel and see how small it is - only one room, just a couple of meters across.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc6s2vvQW2o_g5PTq1aimK6h5IZunQ14MCsUotvnarxy1W4ZmfdAMWAAOKn3nm5CxHn2meTfCTv1LMiX22qWahEMpz9vpA72ysKSFb7_2EvwugR0UJoencWGBwO0k3X8WSSqUkrZ_Zzv0/s2048/20210329_133848.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc6s2vvQW2o_g5PTq1aimK6h5IZunQ14MCsUotvnarxy1W4ZmfdAMWAAOKn3nm5CxHn2meTfCTv1LMiX22qWahEMpz9vpA72ysKSFb7_2EvwugR0UJoencWGBwO0k3X8WSSqUkrZ_Zzv0/w640-h480/20210329_133848.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign above the entrance. The door is never locked, only properly closed.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I was alone here, with the silence. <The floor, the benches and even the walls were covered with snow. The howling wind finds its way into the smallest holes between the stones, no matter how thick the walls are, and stays here. Even the chandeliers are covered in snow. It definitely adds to the eerie feeling of absolute remoteness in this winter wonderland, even in April.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88ecjJjmSs8zJFg8QUpIjU37AzeztZ80J6HGLeQtvlegBbF5KHz7KpxwOxvuyczt59iCAMYfgcwHUE34NV7rRK0qyCBEwPkoo9ryMTe5uxvwDGExOGcjsYZ5ErL7-nQkIs5817QgC9Ty8/s2048/20210329_133933.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88ecjJjmSs8zJFg8QUpIjU37AzeztZ80J6HGLeQtvlegBbF5KHz7KpxwOxvuyczt59iCAMYfgcwHUE34NV7rRK0qyCBEwPkoo9ryMTe5uxvwDGExOGcjsYZ5ErL7-nQkIs5817QgC9Ty8/w640-h480/20210329_133933.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deep snow covering the altar</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeannH1v7jltfe3_Rr3wTvSsd4YJO6T2gxRkO-bN6dSGlrSzCUB3RbxHRVdAgrxrAZOb0KWFVEfxrpjV6KdkU2vOZapc3Q35VBE9WVmhozXpESYYAMmZh3E50tJCV7iOzGnMq6cIwcG7h/s2048/20210329_134435.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeannH1v7jltfe3_Rr3wTvSsd4YJO6T2gxRkO-bN6dSGlrSzCUB3RbxHRVdAgrxrAZOb0KWFVEfxrpjV6KdkU2vOZapc3Q35VBE9WVmhozXpESYYAMmZh3E50tJCV7iOzGnMq6cIwcG7h/w640-h480/20210329_134435.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walls are covered with snow from the inside</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK540skIKXKxqWU2CvBolH74q9U2JP4D0nSuhTHlT1s87fh9RfJz9OE2kay7Ruwx7YFDe0wMjClxEO_IarHGyIkuD0Qk5P4gLrM6k5A788ISghxtmpfA94EsG0v7Xcmy-FJOCjy6L4jsda/s2048/20210329_134509.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK540skIKXKxqWU2CvBolH74q9U2JP4D0nSuhTHlT1s87fh9RfJz9OE2kay7Ruwx7YFDe0wMjClxEO_IarHGyIkuD0Qk5P4gLrM6k5A788ISghxtmpfA94EsG0v7Xcmy-FJOCjy6L4jsda/w640-h480/20210329_134509.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chandeliers on every wall, waiting to be lighted for that special service</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The guest books are locked inside wooden boxes to protect them from humidity - I had to dig them out from a big pile of snow. The first one has notes that date back to 1970's. The following one is from the 90's. Then, there is the one that I will write in. The last person who wrote there was here in September last year. But I see foot traces in the snow, and I definitely saw some pulk traces outside. Could be weeks, or months old - it's hard to tell. Anyway, I'm not the first person here this season. Who knows, maybe I am the last one before the summer.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQ0Lz89C2E4nBq9DIRcN3yL4NHwuQldRUgKf3fW9HCm6cwEZDWyGYPfhak9nQ9pthfaYYp_CtncNNKdErOm68l7OIiqLrgHarXiQryVMvHTA6vSHZdmrAvrvRZV71TszxwU3yna-_F7Wq/s2048/20210329_134843.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQ0Lz89C2E4nBq9DIRcN3yL4NHwuQldRUgKf3fW9HCm6cwEZDWyGYPfhak9nQ9pthfaYYp_CtncNNKdErOm68l7OIiqLrgHarXiQryVMvHTA6vSHZdmrAvrvRZV71TszxwU3yna-_F7Wq/w640-h480/20210329_134843.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the guest books </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I spent some time here, meditating, looking at the guest books, drinking some hot tea and having some food. The wind was still howling outside, beating up snow and throwing it around. Inside, it was quiet and still. It was just a few degrees below freezing point, and magically beautiful. The stark constrast between the shiny blue mountains and the rustique interior of the chapel definitely added to the unforgettable experience of this very special, very spiritual place.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-C6AetoUIaUh8yD5Fb9u8AL3nPg2LIfCkpUfzWvPk4JFDlg6B0VBCvzfAj5BSCxM5fSy4cm0ZAc3sETWGyBPjvEX8Mc6Pud7a9C1-fYUr67FgkzXkgIV_zM0SF-zdXwKaZZQZzWkQ2tR/s2048/20210329_134440.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-C6AetoUIaUh8yD5Fb9u8AL3nPg2LIfCkpUfzWvPk4JFDlg6B0VBCvzfAj5BSCxM5fSy4cm0ZAc3sETWGyBPjvEX8Mc6Pud7a9C1-fYUr67FgkzXkgIV_zM0SF-zdXwKaZZQZzWkQ2tR/w640-h480/20210329_134440.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The locked box, holding the religious mystery</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The most inaccessible church in the world is considered to be the Abuna Yemata Guh church in Ethiopia, located on a 700+ meter cliff. However, it seems that it is accessible by a couple-of-hours hike - for this chapel, you need many days. The Church of St Maximus on Katskhi pillar in Georgia would be a worthy competitor, if it were not for the iron ladder to the top of the pillar. I would definitely agree that Alkavare Chapel is the most inaccessible place of worship at least in Sweden and EU. In fact, it's located just a few kilometers from the Point of Inaccessability of Sweden - and of the whole Western Europe.</div><div><br /></div><div>Apart from being inaccessable, it definitely is one of the most special, charming and personal places of worship to visit, especially if you love a long (very long) hike in the mountains.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeH7_Ye86wgzsMmd9aZM3iHPwBCi7g5m6isJUOcZOmTJoz5pS1wAyuZTTmaB8M3V2kJMVrNxgelDQ3GTDhxE20ddRfr3KE9VBOuqSCudU6GDRdwXO5-vA9Uj7HoDUhfQStmnNT_XP2UHj/s2048/20210329_134425.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeH7_Ye86wgzsMmd9aZM3iHPwBCi7g5m6isJUOcZOmTJoz5pS1wAyuZTTmaB8M3V2kJMVrNxgelDQ3GTDhxE20ddRfr3KE9VBOuqSCudU6GDRdwXO5-vA9Uj7HoDUhfQStmnNT_XP2UHj/w640-h480/20210329_134425.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The roof chandelier, in hand-wrought iron, decorated with stones. It's deducated to Margit, buried in Alkavare at 51 years of age.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVMxzwhf-40sg2EAI5HwMK2h1-ocj0FhEohQLp5qcvhdyn1ruIxotEkTMzD0dKO-vvOMe9SPO1kNuOXk_CTubhuYc0YJ01kSLP2XL4rV_k7NHPoMAC3Zs9WvDNjyw0QFjY-Eo7jWELYK2/s2048/20210329_133610.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVMxzwhf-40sg2EAI5HwMK2h1-ocj0FhEohQLp5qcvhdyn1ruIxotEkTMzD0dKO-vvOMe9SPO1kNuOXk_CTubhuYc0YJ01kSLP2XL4rV_k7NHPoMAC3Zs9WvDNjyw0QFjY-Eo7jWELYK2/w640-h480/20210329_133610.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside of the chapel, you're quickly brought back to the practical world: wind, snow, slopes, and what probably is the most unaccessible privy in Sweden. Not usable in the winter though - all full of snow.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The next post is about how I went on to visit the Inacessability Pole of Sweden and West Europe.</div><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-5202830052856735432021-04-02T08:40:00.008-07:002021-09-22T07:25:53.382-07:00Sarek: solo winter hike<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7GQXF0Fua30eW21UNa6IgF_QCnScV9UurmyKPOZQ3oQJB6zXwRLg9Fj9u4-LwvxdFuzTSxb9-yVoBJad7T0Fz1uv8DElppZCnlFxBUw1RoSlgeIJs62qzNyZg7BM8LUYQjIF1jSXNiIh/s2048/20210327_180229.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7GQXF0Fua30eW21UNa6IgF_QCnScV9UurmyKPOZQ3oQJB6zXwRLg9Fj9u4-LwvxdFuzTSxb9-yVoBJad7T0Fz1uv8DElppZCnlFxBUw1RoSlgeIJs62qzNyZg7BM8LUYQjIF1jSXNiIh/w640-h480/20210327_180229.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div> When did I decide to go on a winter trip to Sarek? Probably after reading the <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/vintersarek">Vintersarek blog</a> about a few guys spending three winter months there, while temperatures hit record lows. Or maybe while looking for untrailed territories in Sweden. Anyway, Sarek has become almost a magical word to me - associated with ragged peaks and long wide valleys, wilderness, no humans, no roads, wild animals, 2k-peaks and really good freerides.<span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdAWTbmqFqm01DuEQx-jYPsw8cvRB13w3ZZ4wM9M-tkXspaR6yA3DOlIL6H5ULCsnF66_6A1aOcyHc8xGizio2fi0jC1KtzO3xKGGAmlREQ0BR2p-zFjt4Sdi0rHdVDb6802f91v2g1rE/s2048/20210327_141825.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdAWTbmqFqm01DuEQx-jYPsw8cvRB13w3ZZ4wM9M-tkXspaR6yA3DOlIL6H5ULCsnF66_6A1aOcyHc8xGizio2fi0jC1KtzO3xKGGAmlREQ0BR2p-zFjt4Sdi0rHdVDb6802f91v2g1rE/w640-h480/20210327_141825.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lynx tracks are crossing ski tracks, while walking in Sarek.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><br />Here, you'll find six out of the eleven 2000+ peaks in Sweden - that's half of the country's highest mountains. Here, there are countless peaks, about 200 of them are above 1800 meters. Here, there are almost 100 glaciers. Here, it's Laponian area, the native Sami territory. Here, we're above the Polar Circle.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHxvCcj4j7Rs0muwgE1fXRS0SRnRHxUhLb-wzLoPfdFn_tW932aQ_ev-QwQ5cSsfzGb_ctnmu7Juwgn91eeopATiQnzgPRbqlm3wGVpNc2lEZf-bi_RgRUb0ekdh0zawr2cML1WOpr1Cw/s2048/20210328_115424.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHxvCcj4j7Rs0muwgE1fXRS0SRnRHxUhLb-wzLoPfdFn_tW932aQ_ev-QwQ5cSsfzGb_ctnmu7Juwgn91eeopATiQnzgPRbqlm3wGVpNc2lEZf-bi_RgRUb0ekdh0zawr2cML1WOpr1Cw/w640-h480/20210328_115424.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way through Sarek with my expedition pulk.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br />To truly experience the National park of Sarek, you need at least 1-2 weeks. But you can walk around for more than a month and have different peaks, valleys and rides, all for yourself. The Kungsleden Trail touches the national park, but apart from that, there are no cabins - and no civilization. To get to the national park border, you need to ski for 2-3 days. Or, you can try to book a ride with a snowmobile, which will take a few hours and will set you back a few hundred Euro. It's all about how much time (and money) you have.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIiGUJLwROah0i0YJJoNgvyaFkkwqAFsJ_g982CONMryf5g8AGs6HtZzuNrZcR3ICRDoNBedPdABxdR6njr6TYKRa_3UKqOEZJH2-pFsGXBqPa777EUjvGsp-YVFe-lisx5tXJkMbP0bpC/s2048/20210328_100427.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIiGUJLwROah0i0YJJoNgvyaFkkwqAFsJ_g982CONMryf5g8AGs6HtZzuNrZcR3ICRDoNBedPdABxdR6njr6TYKRa_3UKqOEZJH2-pFsGXBqPa777EUjvGsp-YVFe-lisx5tXJkMbP0bpC/w640-h480/20210328_100427.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The peaks of Sarek are amazingly beautiful. Here is Bierikbákte, that I passed on my journey.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I had a window of 10 days to get there, ski around (I had a few destinations in mind), and to get back. The train from main Swedish cities to the nearest station takes over 24 hours! And then you've got the transportation to the national park. So I really did not have much time left after all.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwt0JkFaJyt9zpv8TucQwg1ulOGyR2PAuGcNXM7gxCZwaClF862KuXm0JWloEOxtd9qsTVolbFgKl3X7EaPiG8R9mOdU3l-foYCwlJk3cJ1ecYjKOzbyVMuUokA62Q56tcOErnSsgZfPp8/s2048/20210328_150202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwt0JkFaJyt9zpv8TucQwg1ulOGyR2PAuGcNXM7gxCZwaClF862KuXm0JWloEOxtd9qsTVolbFgKl3X7EaPiG8R9mOdU3l-foYCwlJk3cJ1ecYjKOzbyVMuUokA62Q56tcOErnSsgZfPp8/w640-h480/20210328_150202.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, it's not <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2020/07/matterhorn.html">Matterhorn</a> - it's just the casual view you get in the middle of Sarek.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I was hoping to bring some friends, and do it as a small group. The requirements to join was ample winter hiking experience, as Sarek is not for beginners. However, at the end nobody could come along - because of sickness, Covid restrictions, or other reasons. It's really not a problem - I'm used to solo adventures, also in the winter. But this also meant I would only do ski touring in the valleys, no climbing up the mountains and free riding. It's just too high a risk to do it alone. Also, I would not enter glaciers, and would avoid ice. In a group, it's possible to reduce risks - alone, it can be fatal.<br /><br />This being said, the hike is not much different to any previous ones, apart from being further away from civilization. To combat the associated risks, I brought an Iridium unit to be able to communicate my position, and ask for assistance if needed. I also prepared back-up for all gear in case of failure. Together with the training I have, including the medical care in remote areas, it could ensure a safer trip.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbc9dQODkKVn_DhCzhAPV3EFJ2WvvWck0VogckiTNr8njyyqOj7Nac4HTIjZinfcnTVh3f5gDH1JLvEh2J4kuoM5qO1lm-vo3AL6myHt4oYwxP1qYg2Y4X1f_8TTYHuCHCQoxU_RyDtNCC/s2048/20210328_092401.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbc9dQODkKVn_DhCzhAPV3EFJ2WvvWck0VogckiTNr8njyyqOj7Nac4HTIjZinfcnTVh3f5gDH1JLvEh2J4kuoM5qO1lm-vo3AL6myHt4oYwxP1qYg2Y4X1f_8TTYHuCHCQoxU_RyDtNCC/w640-h480/20210328_092401.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skiing with a backpack full of expedition and safety equipment - and dragging the pulk with the rest.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I took the night train to Gällivare, to change to a bus to Kebnats. On the train, I met two ladies who also were going for winter adventures, although joining different guided groups. We had a great time discussing adventures and life, the evening passed very pleasantly. Maybe we will see each other elsewhere in the Arctic!</div><div><br /></div><div>The train arrived an hour late to Gällivare, and the bus connection was missed - which was unfortunate for the dozen passengers who were to transfer to Kebnats and further to Saltoluokta. The train company found a solution to that - the bus got to turn around and pick us up! The other passengers on the bus were not very happy with it, because it cost them about an hour's delay. Better communication within Norrbotten traffic organisation would be good.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCHLa4mpIVyogdffsF5J1bi4COT_d9h3rilyIYcYL9V0DUR5oJYi61255R1kWEZE_zD1OUHEuspqs2RngMJU9HtrdlH4kU_uq3Z2Noz4qw1w-H4YrKXc-weSXoCBtkqdH0IkwPnaqizS7/s2048/20210328_092853.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCHLa4mpIVyogdffsF5J1bi4COT_d9h3rilyIYcYL9V0DUR5oJYi61255R1kWEZE_zD1OUHEuspqs2RngMJU9HtrdlH4kU_uq3Z2Noz4qw1w-H4YrKXc-weSXoCBtkqdH0IkwPnaqizS7/w640-h480/20210328_092853.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a heaven for those who love a good panoramic.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />At last we were in Kebnats. But my ride was already gone! I got to come along STFs ride to Saltoluokta, and met my snowmobile driver there. It was time to go to the great unknown. I was dropped off at the "White Stone" (Vita Stenen), which is the boundary of the national parks of Sarek and Stora Sjöfallet. It's forbidden to drive snow mobiles (snöskoter) inside of the national park. The first few kilometers of the journey was through Stora Sjöfallets national park, and then I crossed Liehtjitjávrre and entered Sarek. Below the mighty Ähpár massive, I settled for the first camp. It was like a gateway to this place - suddenly the mountains were high and dramatic, the valley was endless and the beauty striking.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxrQ1xD-wLbEjcuJ4m89QMC9PjZvCewOvSBIprqx52Z9AVdAu0nnqhjRuQVCRnf_-u2dnHk8XAfvaQxUIM2-4KCVjXEYRMvpsbvHUVlyhO-bBjNqusvnmM1A1P24Lc9Ocp2uwpYvMFc8m/s2048/20210328_065235.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxrQ1xD-wLbEjcuJ4m89QMC9PjZvCewOvSBIprqx52Z9AVdAu0nnqhjRuQVCRnf_-u2dnHk8XAfvaQxUIM2-4KCVjXEYRMvpsbvHUVlyhO-bBjNqusvnmM1A1P24Lc9Ocp2uwpYvMFc8m/w640-h480/20210328_065235.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First camp for the trip. It's morning, it's been snowing, but sun is rising now.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The next day was all about gaining kilometers. I rounded Bierikjávrre and followed the valley to northwest. As I tried to avoid any ice, I kept to a higher level, which meant crossing small ridges and more strenuous hike, but at least I did not need to bother about risk of falling through at a place where the ice is weak because of a strong water movement or anything else. The weather was great, the sun was shining and I had to wear sunscreen and shades.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLY54xnHFZGzMQMXDFIeXI7RMTqA1a_yRyMwdzme66DnR0ZJrGUlDQb-HmB28FjOPVVzaJgOdvVWRcZM342WjX12vK3VifwyDtM3ztEI1d4SRzL7jA_Bb6DnRk19ztkpp1a5ylFqvAzNq/s2048/20210328_073211.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLY54xnHFZGzMQMXDFIeXI7RMTqA1a_yRyMwdzme66DnR0ZJrGUlDQb-HmB28FjOPVVzaJgOdvVWRcZM342WjX12vK3VifwyDtM3ztEI1d4SRzL7jA_Bb6DnRk19ztkpp1a5ylFqvAzNq/w640-h480/20210328_073211.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun is higher, and now the valley bathes in the golden rays.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Crossing the Ráhpajåhkå river at a shallow point, I rounded Ålkatj and entered the Álggavágge. By this time, the sun was getting low - as were my energy levels. I found a nice camp site to once again put up my tent, aligned to the wind and somewhat protected. However, the katabatic winds during the night gave the tent a good beating once in a while, so I did not manage to get good sleep.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3-rl1phj-JYeuGOECSuwRSLxB2zufkksEEsq20_6c3SvJauK6sVEDjCWlichpkRTc1rJxfwlfHCbE8ct0pK4p2sKY-0kct-Nia0rUDs4HcWpiXyxeA8lqNwJz13kxeaUYDgrh1CcyzpQ/s2048/20210328_194705.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3-rl1phj-JYeuGOECSuwRSLxB2zufkksEEsq20_6c3SvJauK6sVEDjCWlichpkRTc1rJxfwlfHCbE8ct0pK4p2sKY-0kct-Nia0rUDs4HcWpiXyxeA8lqNwJz13kxeaUYDgrh1CcyzpQ/w640-h480/20210328_194705.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the next camp...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The next day, sun was still shining but the wind built up and was quite bitey. I continued West, following the valley. It's hard to fathom how huge this place is. You can walk for hours... still at the foot of the same mountain, still in the same valley, still the same wind blowing on your side. I usually walk without stopping to rest, only pausing briefly to take some photos or adjust gear. Snacking is done while walking. Despite that, it takes forever to cover the distances needed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, I reached the Álggajávre lake. I pushed on - one of the destinations I have been dreaming about was just around the corner. Or, up the hill. <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/04/chapel-at-end-of-world-alkavare-kapell.html">See the next post here.</a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586857490981889282.post-72159408843652776942021-03-14T07:15:00.002-07:002021-09-22T07:26:10.854-07:00Backcountry days in Jämtland<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUM5oD5VfcgJeg8bfgl3NGlpxlgrMprCPkVK6ArqChWfjhRBF-hVHI_8_BDpjXJL3lDkkI4e87XHplU5GbThAGEAwhzE48PI96_j7N3zMo5c3wRzV7fI0dtgD6aYrBEzHg0UMPM0qZET-/s2048/C8F88RaA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUM5oD5VfcgJeg8bfgl3NGlpxlgrMprCPkVK6ArqChWfjhRBF-hVHI_8_BDpjXJL3lDkkI4e87XHplU5GbThAGEAwhzE48PI96_j7N3zMo5c3wRzV7fI0dtgD6aYrBEzHg0UMPM0qZET-/w640-h480/C8F88RaA.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy skiers in the wind and snow<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>As preparation for a serious ski trip in the near future, I decided to spend a weekend on randonée skis, touring and riding offpist. There was a warning about strong winds and snow in Saturday, and the road to the start of the ascent in Storulvån was closed, so the actual touring would be done on Sunday. Instead, I used that time to do some safety and rescue exercises. <span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>I was joined by another backcountry skier, whom you will recognize from the <a href="https://www.adrenalena.se/2021/01/ski-hike-to-top-of-sonfjallet.html" target="_blank">hike to the top of Sonfjället</a>. Also, two ski kiters joined us (above photo), as they could not get to Storulvån either. We had a productive day, training skills that otherwise are only needed in emergency situations and therefore often are forgotten.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is a video telling the story, hope you enjoy it!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="512" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3v1Iahf5Igk" width="616" youtube-src-id="3v1Iahf5Igk"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>On Sunday, the road was open. We were quite a few skiers that were affected, and got to arrange for a stay in the nearby Enafors, a very nice STF cabin. It was probably worse for the people who could not leave Storulvån even if they had a train to catch. But that's mountains for you, and you have to respect that the weather is ever-changing. You cannot just expect sun and blue skies all the time. Anyway, at last we made it to Storulvån, the kiters were going to do the Jämtland Triangle, and they hit it off. Myself and Felix went up to Getryggen.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbQud0FxSZaz_Gguyzehw1yxvBhn4UTu-wWsIU0bktwL86nxXT34Lldbbc8wjbxU9Mtm0_-hYKxxoG2v3APA31EyLACm6_o-TG75rVv7cWQuW-ISYDXpzWCBluLAAjUn8SX6VXhR6zU1o/s2048/wWJQCkIw.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbQud0FxSZaz_Gguyzehw1yxvBhn4UTu-wWsIU0bktwL86nxXT34Lldbbc8wjbxU9Mtm0_-hYKxxoG2v3APA31EyLACm6_o-TG75rVv7cWQuW-ISYDXpzWCBluLAAjUn8SX6VXhR6zU1o/w640-h480/wWJQCkIw.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approach to Getryggen<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>Getryggen, an absolute classic, provides everything you want from both touring and riding point of view. Snow condition were variable, which gave a great possibility for practice. The slope is never more than about 20 degrees, keeping us safe from avalanche risks.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the very top we were on the cloud level, which made descending tricky, but once again was a good training opportunity. We avoided the last meters of the summit because of high winds, avalanche risk and most importantly the time constraints, so we started the ride below it. At places, there was a lot of ice - but most of the time, it was possible to find good powdery snow to enjoy!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJSHBEXiA4jnPO1Zl9K3l1bmd1gJF_gcS5cMu_xMOOTxHNMcx4grh3l39E6cUYFH9IFfVZDIDqNQ0aOBp3Oxr4FxCLuAeabsQwtaNlMadtBAAXdFgLtugTYcl-mQWRB5H-0WSGeSFqTMd/s2048/d6gNyGxA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJSHBEXiA4jnPO1Zl9K3l1bmd1gJF_gcS5cMu_xMOOTxHNMcx4grh3l39E6cUYFH9IFfVZDIDqNQ0aOBp3Oxr4FxCLuAeabsQwtaNlMadtBAAXdFgLtugTYcl-mQWRB5H-0WSGeSFqTMd/w640-h480/d6gNyGxA.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another pack of skiers, on the way up - possibly for the second time today. <br />The visibility is scarce further up, the rest of the ridge is not visible.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Now, I'm back home, full time working and also being on call as firefighter. I'm planing to get further towards North soon, and spend a longer time there - it will be a real adventure! I'll keep you posted.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com