Sisimiut Arrival and Back In The Arctic
24 September 2017 | 65 56.5'N:53 40.69'W, Sisimiut, West Greenland
Janice : first light fall of snow
Yesterday Destiny re-entered The Arctic after a break of 12 months. Do we know it �... yes; the weather has been more settled with clearer and drier air than say Nuuk or Maniitsoq. We have not had fog since leaving Maniitsoq. We have sat out a few gales but have so far found the fjords to be well sheltered. Today we arrived in Sisimiut. Being the weekend the locals are all out in their power boats fishing or hunting. Travelling here we have used the inner channel taking a passing look at a small settlement at Itivdleq. By 4.30 pm the channel was like �'rush hour�' as the locals all headed back to Sisimiut, passing us with big smiles and waves. The boats are made up of mums, dads and kids and/or adults with older parents. All have fishing gear and a rifle. The last week we have had great weather, part of the benefit of heading further North. The days have been clear with blue skies and the sun on our backs has been very warming. However, go into the shadows and it cools instantly. The sun is gradually getting closer to the horizon each day. The last 4 nights we have had star filled skies with Northern Lights, also a pleasure to watch.
Two days ago we had a good days sailing offshore. Although not heated our full cockpit canopy is excellent, giving relative comfort from the elements but we were still cold by the time we stopped at 6.30 pm. We can sail with the cover, it does not hinder tacking etc, but makes the experience less painful and extends our sailing time. Once the snow falls, it is invaluable for keeping out the snow and gives us a great area for draining or drying wet clothes. For high latitude sailing it is a �'no-brainer�'. On warm days we roll up the lee side and also when coming into harbours or animal watching. The hard top we made in Iceland last Christmas has 7 glass panels and has been fantastic; the glass windows making superb forward and side visibility.