ANDY SCHELL SHARES ESSENTIAL ADVICE FOR HOW TO TACKLE A FIRST HIGH LATITUDES ADVENTURE
I’ve just returned home from skippering 59º North’s Farr 65 Falken from Annapolis, Maryland, to Isafjordur in north-west Iceland. We covered over 3,000 miles, sailing via the stupendous Prince Christian Sound in southern Greenland. And we did it all in safety and style, managing a tight passage schedule through fog, ice, unpredictable weather and everything else you come to expect when sailing in high latitudes.
I’m proud of the fact that my first mate and I made it look easy for the paying crew who joined us this summer. In truth, like every big ocean passage, the ‘making-it-look-easy’ part is all down to preparation, the part our guest crew don’t get to see. With the right prep, all that’s left is the execution.
I should start with the disclaimer that I’m no high latitudes expert. I’ve made two major voyages further north: this most recent one via the Viking Route in Greenland and Iceland; and in the summer of 2018 my wife, Mia, and I sailed our Swan 48 Isbjørn to 80°N in Spitsbergen, then south to Iceland, also with paying crew. So what follows is my thoughts on high latitude sailing in ‘normal’ conditions – meaning transiting known routes with reasonable chart accuracy and manageable ice conditions (3/10th coverage or less). I’ll leave the really serious ice navigation discussions to more experienced folks like Skip Novak (see page 30) and Bob Shepton. But this article is aimed at sailors looking to sail a little further afield, rather than planning an extreme expedition.
What I’ve learned from those two voyages, though, is that higher latitude sailing isn’t all that different from any major voyage. How you prepare your boat and yourself will remain much the same, save for a few key differences. High latitude sailing can seem intimidating – and, rather like celestial navigation, it’s becoming increasingly popular, though I’m convinced that some folks who teach it unconsciously over-complicate it.
There’s certainly a heightened sense of danger and skill required when you sail up north or far south. The stakes are higher, there’s no denying that — colder water, less predictable weather and being further removed from any assistance or emergency help, should you need it. But if you can safely cross an ocean, you can safely sail to the ends of the earth.
WHERE TO GO
Ice pilot and expedition skipper Ashley Perrin, of Antarctic Ice Pilot, explains: “People can put all [high latitudes locations] into one category, but each area has different characteristics. For example, Norway is a great training ground to see if you like the high latitude style of sailing. While also being wonderful cruising, it is well supported by good search and rescue and is (relatively) easy to get to. Gr
