Attempted Voyage around the Arctic - in a (Deep) Seadog!

[David_Old_Jersey]

Sometimes I feel I lack ambition!

Arctic Tony - Tony Kearney Arctic Challenger - Home

Didn't get that far, but he tried

"Lifeboat aids stricken yacht

Craig Taylor 11/09/2006 10:22:00
KIRKWALL lifeboat went to the aid of a yacht which suffered loss of steering and was being thrown around violently in Eynhallow Sound on Saturday.

For more information about Tony Kearney visit: Arctic Tony - Tony Kearney Arctic Challenger - Home."

Lifeboat aids stricken yacht - Orkney Today

[Vasco]

I'm always amazed by the folks who want to sail in such high latitudes. A while ago someone sailed around Antarctica. My thoughts are always toward warmer climes. Just the sight of snow, and I see it right now looking out my window, gives me the willies. Oh well, it's a good thing we all don't think the same. Another week or so and I'll be back in the sun!!

[David_Old_Jersey]

My thoughts are always toward warmer climes.

Me too! - but each to their own I guess............I am told it is amazing up with the snow and ice, for me that would be one to view from the comforts of a cruise ship!

[knottybuoyz]

Been there a couple of times. Ain't much to see unless you're into ice & polar bears. The charts are cool though! You'll see things like an old airplane fuselage on the beach as a navigational marker! It's hard to judge distances and size of things like islands with no trees/buildings to guage perspective. Things that appear a mile away can be 15-20 miles away!

The 24 hr daylight in the summer is amazing and totally throws off your body clock! Playing v-ball on the flight deck at midnight is kinda cool.

It's gonna get awfully busy in the Cdn Arctic soon. The risk managers here are looking at 2015 for the first yr/round transits but there's no services in place yet to support that kind of traffic.

Photo from last years "Operation Lancaster"

[Vasco]

Rick,

I guess it's not too bad if you're in a well heated, sturdy icebreaker but a small boat, or poorly equipped boat, forget it. I had the unfortunate experience of being much too far north in a tramp that wasn't properly equipped, following the path broken by an ice breaker. We had to leave steam on deck 24 hours a day so the winches didn't freeze up and I remember the cooks lighting a fire under the diesel header tank on top of the galley so they could get the stove going. Not my idea of fun.

[knottybuoyz]

Sounds like quite an adventure Rick. Not my idea of a pleasure cruise for sure. Yeah I was lucky riding a 20,000 tonne icebreaker with all the comforts of home and then some. The Idlewild crew did a circumnagation that started in the Arctic. We had to pick them off an ice flow shortly after they got started. I don't know the exact figure on pleasurecraft transiting the arctic but the numbers are increasing every year.

The Plan



I think the toughtest hardship we had to endure back then in the Arctic was a reefer failure of the beer machine in the Officers Mess! ;o)

[Pblais]

I think the toughtest hardship we had to endure back then in the Arctic was a reefer failure of the beer machine in the Officers Mess!

How warm can the beer get?

[knottybuoyz]

Originally Posted by Pblais

How warm can the beer get?

Well we coulda put it out on one of the exposed decks to keep it cool but then again we'd never be able to keep the galley rats, deck apes & snipes outta the beer supply! 'o)

[Pblais]

Ah yes. There would be spillage.