Greenland East Coast

[Dockhead]

Has anyone here sailed this coast?

I have been studying everything I can find, but can't find any definite information about when it is likely to become possible to get into Ittoqqortoormiit. I have been looking at the satellite photos, and it seems that the harbor is generally ice free by 1 July most years, but there is still a lot of ice in the water.

Any tips?

[TJ D]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Has anyone here sailed this coast?

I have been studying everything I can find, but can't find any definite information about when it is likely to become possible to get into Ittoqqortoormiit. I have been looking at the satellite photos, and it seems that the harbor is generally ice free by 1 July most years, but there is still a lot of ice in the water.

Any tips?

There was an OCC member who's been in that area once or twice. There was an account of a trip to E. Greenland in one of the quarterly newsletters that came out in '17. I'm not sure if you're a member, I would guess you could track down the author with a little looking.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Any tips?

The London offices of the Cruising Association this Saturday would be a good place to start for passed reports.

Pete

[Drew13440]

You might call the locals and ask.


Nanutravel - Greenland specialist, sledtrips, sailingtrips, kayaking


They can "assist you with gear rental" as well. LOL.

[Dockhead]

By the way, Pantaenius have just confirmed that they will insure me. Once I leave the Orkneys , my policy rate and deductible triple until I get back below 60N, but prorata on a daily basis gives just 333 pounds a month. I think that's quite decent considering the risks - ice, uncharted waters, etc, and I think even polar bear attacks would be covered. . I continue to be very pleased with Pantaenius

[Sailormantx]

http://www.dmi.dk/en/groenland/hav/ice-charts/

This is the best source of ice information. The when question is highly variable year to year. DMI Isjenesten also has a Facebook group, ask to join them. It's all in Danish, but they post photos from their ice patrol flights there. Message them, they would be the ones to ask.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Sailormantx

http://www.dmi.dk/en/groenland/hav/ice-charts/

This is the best source of ice information. The when question is highly variable year to year. DMI Isjenesten also has a Facebook group, ask to join them. It's all in Danish, but they post photos from their ice patrol flights there. Message them, they would be the ones to ask.

Thank you ; most helpful!

[Palarran]

Your a bad ass sailor dockhead. Let me know if you need free crew.

What is your overall plan? Are you heading to Iceland or all the way to Newfoundland? I wish I had a different boat as it would be awesome to go west to east from Newfoundland to Norway. One way or the other I want to get to the Faroe Islands via sail.

Are there any settlements that are at the more Southeast part of Greenland? I was looking the other day and didn't find any.

[estarzinger]

Just FYI . . . . Rule of thumb is that 3/10 ice is the max passable by a cruising boat. And that is no doodle.

and as I mentioned, I personally would ask around the RCC, I know they have folks who have spent years doing trips/attempts to the east coast (there was a couple in a BendyToy who used to hang out in iceland wait for enough ice to clear, apparently that happened a bit less than half the years).

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

Just FYI . . . . Rule of thumb is that 3/10 ice is the max passable by a cruising boat. And that is no doodle.

and as I mentioned, I personally would ask around the RCC, I know they have folks who have spent years doing trips/attempts to the east coast (there was a couple in a BendyToy who used to hang out in iceland wait for enough ice to clear, apparently that happened a bit less than half the years).

My study of historical ice data for Ittoqqortoormiit is discouraging. I think it was a bad idea to try to get in there first and then work South. Tasilaq is much more likely, at least by mid to late July. I think we might rather try to get into there, and then work North if the ice allows. Where is global warming when you actually need it? Oops.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Palarran

Your a bad ass sailor dockhead. Let me know if you need free crew.

What is your overall plan? Are you heading to Iceland or all the way to Newfoundland? I wish I had a different boat as it would be awesome to go west to east from Newfoundland to Norway. One way or the other I want to get to the Faroe Islands via sail.

Are there any settlements that are at the more Southeast part of Greenland? I was looking the other day and didn't find any.

Our plan is Cowes to Orkneys to Faroes to Iceland, then Greenland for a couple of weeks, then stop off in Rejkyavik to wait for a good window for a passage to Northern Ireland.

As to settlements on the East Coast - the East Coast is wilderness. There are only two towns on the East Coast, one of which is pop 450, in about 1300 miles of largely uncharted coastline. This is one of the wildest places on earth. A large part of the appeal of sailing there.

[Sysunday]

This is also good on ice info:
Ocean and Ice Services | Danmarks Meteorologiske Institut
MET Norway Ice Chart Mapserver

[Erik de Jong]

I have made 4 attempts to get into the Scoresbysund over the last 11 years, and was only successful once. It truly is a crap shute and you'll never know what you'll find. ice charts of the past are never a guearntee for the future, and even averages can be far off from what you will find.

As Evans Starzinger pointed out, 3/10ths of ice is fairly serious ice for stout production boats. With our steel and ice reinforced boat I would push through much heavier than that, but only if I know that there is open water behind the ice band that I'm pushing through. Those were the conditions I had to go through to reach the Scoresby sund.

you should also bear in mind that once in, you could be trapped there for the rest of the season and consequently the winter, prepare for that or don't go. If you can't afford staying a winter, don't go.

Make a flexible plan, aim for Scoresby, but have a backup plan for further south (Kulusk/Tasiilaq area) which is usually a lot easier to enter and can be done practically every year.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Erik de Jong

I have made 4 attempts to get into the Scoresbysund over the last 11 years, and was only successful once. It truly is a crap shute and you'll never know what you'll find. ice charts of the past are never a guearntee for the future, and even averages can be far off from what you will find.

As Evans Starzinger pointed out, 3/10ths of ice is fairly serious ice for stout production boats. With our steel and ice reinforced boat I would push through much heavier than that, but only if I know that there is open water behind the ice band that I'm pushing through. Those were the conditions I had to go through to reach the Scoresby sund.

you should also bear in mind that once in, you could be trapped there for the rest of the season and consequently the winter, prepare for that or don't go. If you can't afford staying a winter, don't go.

Make a flexible plan, aim for Scoresby, but have a backup plan for further south (Kulusk/Tasiilaq area) which is usually a lot easier to enter and can be done practically every year.

Thanks!