Arctic 2022

 . The plan for this year's trip.

   For me the focus of this trip is to enjoy the total wilderness of the floating world of sea ice off  East Greenland, and of Greenland. 


                                           Photo by Darby Johnston, off East Greenland, 2019

   This year we have 2 months from Iceland out to East Greenland & back. This hopefully gives us 6 solid weeks in East Greenland.

   Sea ice dictates access. The Denmark Strait (between Iceland & Greenland) cannot be crossed by small boats until typically 15 July. Danish ice charts, accessed online & updated every few days, will show openings we can pass through. Because this is unpredictable, an itinerary for Greenland makes no sense. We aim to visit part or all of the coast from Scoresbysund southwest to Kangerlugssuak Fjord to Angmassalik Island.

   The trip starts 1 June from Clifden, with Karl and me. Probably stop at Inishkea North, a magical abandoned island off Mayo, and St Kilda west of the Outer Hebrides. To Djupivogur, SE Iceland, to visit an old fishing friend. Ashleigh joins us here or up the coast a bit mid June. North around Langanes peninsula, and west past Grimsby Island on the Arctic Circle to the Westfjords. Pick up Mike at Isafjordur July 5th. Then to Greenland. Exploring, hiking the coast & mountains, fishing. Return to Iceland, near Keflavik International Airport 6 September, to drop off Mike. Then home, perhaps visiting an island or two on the way, return mid September. 3.5 months out.

   Myself. Am 64, live near Clifden, lifelong sailor. Former carpenter, now naturopathic doctor. Have sailed to Iceland 8x, East Greenland 2x. 

   Karl Westby, 66, from Maryland east of the Chesapeake Bay. Formerly boat and house carpenter, now licensed massage therapist. Long time sailor.

   Mike Kabler, 51, a good friend of Karl's, also from east Maryland. Contractor. Lifelong sailor mostly racing, 

   Ashleigh Wilson, 56, Australian, sailor 10 years, 3 decades on Aussie weather vessels, worked several years at the Antarctic base for Australian weather, has sailed to Iceland & Greenland and through the Northwest Passage. 

   This promises to be a highly capable group. The confidence thereby gained is enormous. 

   Teddy is a 39' LOD ketch, full keel, 16 ton, heavy steel, Danish built, insulated, heated. An extremely strong sea boat & very good in ice.

   We'll do a lot of fishing. Iceland waters teem with cod & haddock. On the last trip to Greenland we caught Arctic char, and I look forward to eating this superb fish. Vast shoals of shrimp (the food of whales & salmon) are occasionally encountered at sea, and are easily caught with a fishing net. Iceland has an abundance of wild greens: orache, sea rocket, scurvy grass, sea pea, bistort, rhubarb gone wild, and a few others. East Greenland, especially at higher latitudes has little or no vegetation. Mussels are to be found at both. Eider and ptarmigan abound in East Greenland.

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