Boat in ice

Ever since reading my first story of an arctic expedition my mind has been conjuring up images of great white icebergs floating silently in a turquoise ocean while the arctic wind picks up its cold force, reminding us of the harshness of nature.

These pictures flicker through my mind as I walk through the snowy harbour, the wind whining and gusting through the masts and boats. Closing your eyes, it feels like you really are in a snowstorm with your boat in the midst of an arctic expedition.

It has been a cold white winter with sea ice fastening Seabird tightly in its hard grip. We’ve spent long, relatively cold, hours on the boat progressing the project, and now the insulated walls are ready to be decorated. Joe even built a deck for the back of the boat, the thick sea ice proved to be a great working area.

Its not uncommon to leave a steel boat in sea ice for the winter. The strong steel structure can withstand the pressure of the ice. However, you must take care of the following: don’t leave your boat too close to the pier as the strong rotational force of the ice can harm the boat. Remember to keep the heating on the boat otherwise inlets out of the boat might freeze due to the cold temperature and crack holes into the hull. And of course, make sure the thick ice doesn’t reach the propellers of the boat.

We’ve really enjoyed the cold winter, the bite of the frost really wakes you up when you step outside. We made time in our busy schedules to really enjoy the snow and ice, and we were grateful to find a winter wonderland right outside of our home. Here’s a small collage of our winter favourites. Hopefully, you’ve had the time and possibility to enjoy the outdoors this winter. What’s your favourite winter activity?

At present, spring is rolling in fast, sunlight filling our energy banks and the ice slowly melting, freeing us and the boat to venture out into the horizon. It’s time to wave goodbye to winter, but some days when you still want to venture into the cold arctic world, we suggest you watch one of these arctic sailing videos. They exhibit cold beautiful adventures in the arctic, a world that is rapidly melting before our eyes, nearly 50% of the ice cover on the north pole has already melted away.  

Its inspirational to watch people pursue their dreams and then sharing their adventures with others. These are just two of the many arctic sailing Youtube videos we’ve watched.

Alioth - The Northwest passage

The arctic homecoming - short documentary - sailing the North Atlantic

See you soon at sea!