West towards Greenland
Monday, 30 August, 2010

 

One name can never be enough to describe a place like Greenland, but it if were, the word ‘Greenland’ would not be my first choice!  It is not very green!  After visiting Jan Mayen with it’s extreme volcanic landscape and miles of black beaches, East Greenland, only 290 miles west, could hardly be more different.  100 miles off the coast of Greenland the sea temperature dropped to 3°C signalling our arrival into the East Greenland current. Fog quickly thickened and radar became our only means of keeping watch. Thankfully the wind and seas were gentle but the atmosphere was electric.

50 cold miles passed before we were to find our first Radar contact; we were in iceberg territory.  As Polar Bear closed in on the coast we saw an intense white light coming from the fog.  The fog lifted and infront of us in clear sunshine were mountains and glaciers as far as the eye could see.  An iceberg around the size of an aircraft hanger tempted us off course for a quick look, but turned out to be 3 miles away.  The size and scale of this place was simply mind-blowing.

Hours later we made our final approach towards the entrance of Scoresby Sund (largest fjord system in the world).  Having had no wind to talk of for the last 10 days, a force 7 came from no-where to make life a little more exciting.

Once into the Sund, the extent of open water here became apparent, like a hidden sea surrounded by soaring peaks and littered with bergs.  Finally we rounded Cap Tobin (north shore) and the welcome sight of ITQ lay ahead. No harbours here though, we would be anchoring for the next month.  We dropped the hook in a violent catabatic wind which was trying to push us back to sea.  30 minutes later the wind had dropped to nothing and the sun returned.  The anchor was finally holding and we were in East Greenland.  A cold beer marked a brilliant end to an emotional day.

 

 

 

 

Highs and Lows on Jan Mayen
Wednesday, 25 August, 2010

July 16th 2010:

 

Arriving on the west coast of Jan Mayen in flat conditions and good visibility is not something you would expect from an island so remote and exposed. This time, we just got lucky. One thing we could count on, however, is a warm welcome from the intrepid staff stationed at Jan Mayen Base. Thank you all, once again, for your hospitality; you guys are incredible. A heated outdoor swimming pool, well stacked bar and fine company is more than any sailor could hope for hundreds of miles from port.

We managed three days on the island in our tight schedule giving us one chance to get to the summit of mythical Beeremberg (2277m). Weather was perfect; warm, sunny and calm. As it transpired, a little too perfect! Unusually warm weather had eroded the snow pack and snow bridges on the mountain making progress past 1700m difficult and dangerous. With a heavy heart the decision was made to turn back and save the summit for another day. Of course we were disappointed, but the view was incredible, the tents below were welcoming and Greenland seemed so much closer! We had lots more to look forward to.

 

A whale of a day!
Tuesday, 10 August, 2010

The crew of Polar Bear were treated to an encounter with some very sociable whales on passage between Jan Mayen and Iceland.  It all began with two humpbacks, mother and calf, playing beside us just 20 metres away.  They seemed to be enjoying our company until they quickly left the scene - as if spooked by something. We carried on and very shortly afterwards more black fins were spotted on the horizon coming towards us.  These fins were unmistakably Orca (killer whales) and the pod was about 12 strong, including mothers claves and a big male to protect them.

Orca are the very top of the food chain in the oceans and their patrols must be terrifying for anything in their path, even enormous humpback whales.

This had been a spectacular day and the atmosphere was electric.  Every person onboard became fascinated by these mythical creatures and the pictures and video we collected are a priceless reminder.  

Dan Monk, whale expert aboard, was pleased to tell us that in countless thousand miles of ocean sailing he had never seen anything like this before.  Once again we were lucky to be in the right place at the right time!  

 

The Faroe Islands - windy and wild!
Friday, 18 June, 2010

 

Having left the tranquility of the Shetland Islands we were closing on the infamous Faroes.  The crossing had been quiet and peaceful, broken only by the crackling voices of coastguards warning of NW gales developing.  Weather in this part of the world changes with frightening rapidity.  

Sure enough wind speeds peaked at 36 knots and Polar Bear was lovng it!  The watch system quickly broke down as the crew made their way on deck to enjoy the lively conditions.  On the horizon our first glimpses of the mountainous islands looked so close, but with strong headwinds we knew it was going to take a long time to get there. Upwind sailing, you've got to love it!

The peaceful island of Suduroy provided our first stop and a good night sleep saw the gale drop off!  

Next day we sailed on to Torshavn (capital of Faroe) and we were made extremely welcome.  A great party city, Torshavn continues to be very popular with the crews of Polar Bear.  Thanks to Bijur for two incredible salmon, your hospitality is legendary!

Sailing north between the islands we were rewarded with perfect conditions.  The northern shores of the Faroes has to be one of the most spectacular places we have visited on Polar Bear.  Sea cliffs well over 1000ft high fall straight into the ocean.  Famously strong ocean currents churn through the narrow fjords at over 8 knots making the water boil and fizz.  The atmosphere is nothing short of electric, and we knew how lucky we were to see the islands like this.  

 

Just 500 miles of notoriously stormy ocean seperates us from Iceland now!  Stay tuned...

 

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Reaching for the Arctic Circle
Friday, 18 June, 2010

 

The closer we get to the Arctic Circle the more exciting the sailing becomes!  During the night we had another gale blow through, this time pusing us and some BIG waves towards the Arctic Circle.  Life was made a little difficult for those trying to sleep below, many of us resorted to strapping ourselves onto the bunk to stay in it!

The story on deck was very different though.  The whoops of joy and smiling faces as the boat screamed down waves meant that they were having some serious fun! I always thought this crew were a little crazy, now I know for sure!

At last we reached the Icelandic coast and the seas and winds started to drop away to nothing!  We crossed the Arctic Circle, toasted Neptune and sang happy bir

thday to Marion in beautifully still conditions.  Not far from port, but still no whale sightings... 

 

Humpback Whales surround the boat and welcome us to Iceland
Friday, 18 June, 2010

After 1200 miles of sailing in some of the most bountiful waters in the northern hemisphere we had seen white beaked dolphins, white sided dolphins, pilot whales, orca (at distance) and plenty of seals.  Nobody dared say it, but if we were going to see a humpback whale, the north coast of Iceland around Husavik Bay was where they would be.  

We crossed the bay around 3am watching the most incredible sunrise when a splash was sighted in the distance.  We steered in that direction and within minutes witnessed at least three humpback whales feeding and diving all around us. 

A mother gently and patiently taught her calf the art of breathing and blowing, nudging the calf to the surface when she knew it needed breath.  Every one of us stood in stunned silence to watch the show and we'll certainly never forget such a special encounter.  We had been welcomed to Iceland by the locals, and they seemed really pleased to see us.  We were certainly glad to have met them!

 

 

 

 

 

Hidden surprises in the Shetland Islands
Thursday, 17 June, 2010

The Shetland Islands have become a familiar stop-off point for clients of The Polar Front.  The usual routine is to stop for fish and chips and a beer then back on the waves.  This year however, we built in time to get a taste of what these wonderful islands have to offer and we certainly were impressed.

The Isle of Noss is only a short distance from Lerwick and provided the a great start to our Shetland experience.  The cliffs on the East coast are home to an unparallelled array of wildlife and spectacular geology.  The cliffs fall nearly 200m into the sea and we were able to sail past within touching distance, escorted by White Beaked Dolphins and shouted at by some very big Skuas.   

Time passed very quickly and we would loved to have stayed longer and seen so much more.  We sailed south of Sumburgh Point and headed north west towards the Faroe Islands, with one last Shetland surprise on the way - Foula.  A tiny island 20 miles offshore, it holds Britains highest vertical sea cliffs - 385 metres!  The weather allowed another very close sail past and already this was shaping up to be a great trip... 

The crew and Polar Bear are getting more excited the further we head north.  Next stop Faore Islands!

The Polar Front is tweeting!
Monday, 8 March, 2010

The time has come for Polar Bear to start tweeting! Follow her refit programme as she prepares for her migration North, sail with her throughout her Arctic adventures and share in her Polar experiences this summer.   

Follow us at www.twitter.com/ThePolarFront

The Polar Front acquire charter business in Western Isles of Scotland
Tuesday, 26 January, 2010

The Polar Front are delighted to report the successful acqusition of Lochaber Yachting & Watersports based at the foot of Glencoe in Ballachulish, Scotland (pictured right!)

Lochaber Yaching & Watersports  is an RYA training centre specialising in tuition up to Yachtmaster (sail) and Advanced (RIB) Powerboating.  We have a fleet of 5 cruising yachts available for bareboat or skippered charter amongst the stunning Western Isles of Scotland.

That's not all!  For the dedicated adventure sailors amongst you, we'll be running two trips in 2010 to infamous St Kilda, the UK's most westerly inhabited island.  At 50 miles west of the outer Hebridese this is an exceptional destination far from the beaten track, and right up our street!!!

Please visit our website at http://www.lochaberwatersports.co.uk or

call: 01855 811 931 for more information.

Download our West Scotland Cruising chart (below) to see what's on offer!

 

2010 Arctic Expeditions - The Adventure begins here...
Tuesday, 13 October, 2009

 2010 is going to be our most exciting and ambitious summer in the High Arctic.  Building upon all of the incredible destinations we have visited in Northern Norway, in June 2010 we will set sail from the Lofoten Islands, bound for Jan Mayen, Iceland, East Greenland and Svalbard...  

Whilst the voyage is likely to be over 3000 miles in total, we have broken the trip into managable two week 'legs' giving everyone the chance to take holiday out of the office to discover the very best destinations in the world.  

These legs are to be as follows...

1 Bodo (Norway) - Jan Mayen - Akureyri (Iceland)

2 Iceland - Jan Mayen - Scoresby Sund (Greenland)

3 Greenland - Longyearbyen (Spitsbergen)

4 Spitsbergen Circumnavigation - Bear Island - Tromso

Each leg will begin and end at (or near to) an airport with international connections, allowing guests to join the boat from anywhere in the world.

As usual we'll maximise any time ashore making these legs appealing to mountaineers, skiers, kayakers (Feathercraft onboard), photographers, wildlife watchers - the list is long!

No previous sailing experience is necessary, but you will have lots of experience when you get home!

Unfortunately spaces are limited to 10 guests for this trip and the boat will fill up fast!  For dates / prices please visit Itinerary and for further information or any questions, please Contact Us.