Click here to follow the Bowdoin's voyage ▼
SHE'S
HOME IN CASTINE. SHE DEPARTS ON SATURDAY, aUGUST 2ND FOR THE FIRST OF TWO
TRIPS TO NOVA SCOTIA THIS AUGUST.
CAPTAIN'S LOG
|
|
|
|
|
June 27, 2008
Our sail from the Kangiussap Paava to Sisimuit was one of the best of the voyage. After many days of light wind or no wind, created by the Greenland high, it was pleasant to be moving along without the drone of the diesel engine. The night began sailing on a broad reach at 4 to 5 kts but as we made our final approach from sea to Sisimuit harbor we were rippin’ along at 9.5 kts. on a beam reach in thick fog. Bowdoin was at her best with only a slight heel and a quarter wave lapping at the aft scuppers. As we entered the protection of the outer harbor the wind dropped off and the fog slowly lifted.
In our first day in Sisimuit we have found the town to be incredibly welcoming and interested in our voyage and the Bowdoin. The town itself is very nice. There are mostly single family dwellings built on rocky knobs throughout the town. Sled dogs live amongst the houses in town. The dogs are quite handsome but are not pets. They are chained to their area but their puppies are free to wander – very cute and curious. We discovered a homemade ice cream shop that also sells bicycles, dvd’s, snacks, and other household items. 16 Kroner for a double scoop waffle funnel cone with choice of syrup and whipped cream! (About $3.50 US) The first ventures into town got rave reviews with a lot of “bling” coming back aboard. We plan to spend tomorrow in port to explore some more and to take on water.
Saturday we will likely depart and continue south. At this latitude the pack ice on the Canadian side of Davis Straight reaches to the East to a distance only 100NM from the Greenland coast. We will have to make more miles south down the Greenland coast before we can consider our crossing of the Labrador Sea. It will also be the pack ice, this time extending north from Southwest Greenland, Kap Farvel, that will dictate our last potential anchorage on the Greenland side. We will head back toward Nuuk and if possible further south to Qeqertarsuatsiaq. This is a small fishing village of about 300 residents and would make for a quiet anchorage to rest up before making our westward passage to the Labrador.
Chris Moore, Eric Romelczyk, and I have been enjoying the unique opportunity to practice celestial navigation using the sun at just about every hour of the day. Unfortunately we have not had a great opportunity to “shoot” the lower transit of the sun at meridian passage – basically using the sextant while observing the sun directly over the top of the North Pole. Chris had good results one night even though the fog made for a shortened horizon. More of the crew is taking an interest in celestial navigation and we hope to have the clear skies to practice in the upcoming weeks.
We are becoming acclimated to 24 hour daylight and will find it odd to be standing the night watches in darkness. At least the transition will be a progression from sun all day to twilight at night to a short period of darkness and eventually to our mid latitude nights. We are looking forward to our last few days in Greenland and the crew is now getting excited about what lays ahead in the Labrador.
] Capt. Miller
|
