Global Warming

Kangerlua has been a Unesco World Heritage site since 2004, the bay's mouth is filled with bergs the size of apartment blocks or whole towns. There's no sight more mesmerizing than gazing upon these monsters and listening to the thunderclap roars when they fissure or explode under the heat of the summer sun. Here the effects of global warming are evident. The ice is melting and receding faster than ever according to the locals.

We've learned that this glacier has receded almost one mile in ten years. In ten more years it could be gone. We have also learned that we are one of only four private yachts that have made the trek to Greenland this year. More importantly we learn that only three are leaving...this glacier claimed a French sailboat a few days earlier. Apparently they where to close to it when it calved, and it sunk the yacht and miraculously all crew where rescued by a nearby local fishing vessel.

At anchor tonight we keep a 24 hour anchor watch to fend off growlers and floating bergs by the boat. We keep a long fiberglass telescopic pole that I bought at Home Depot on deck for fending off the ice. When I get up I can see it's time to go as the ice is getting much thicker.

Our original change of itineraries has now put us at the end of the safe cruising season in Greenland and 900 miles north of Cape Farvel. Cape Farvel can be like Cape Horn. Essentially we have missed our seasonal weather window to continue on to Iceland, England, and on into the Mediterranean. The issue is the frequency of the very strong lows that come sweeping across from Labrador and Canada. This time of year the break between systems is only about 24 hours. So after consulting with the owner and our Commanders Weather www.commandersweather.com/ we decide to head back via the Labrador Coast, and retrace our steps back to the USA. Someone made the Greenland cruising and Climbing Mt Everest analogy to me, they said getting to the top is one thing and getting down and out is another.
So we sit and wait out a few cold 50 knot gales and look for our weather window.