The north face of our planet is literally changing colour. As the Arctic Ocean loses sea ice, it turns large areas from white to dark blue. At the same time, the land loses snow coverage for longer and longer periods every summer, going from snowy white to brown then greens, with the tree line creeping further north every year.
Maybe with recent heatwaves, melting airport runways and buckling railways, climate change is starting to catch up with a few of us, but it is still viewed by many as a distant and uncertain threat.
The Arctic is warming three times faster than the global average. This is what made me sail there in the summer of 2020, despite an ongoing global pandemic. The climate would not wait, nor would I or my newfound crew.
The plan was simple: sail to Greenland to gather testimonies on climate change from scientists and local communities. We would also act as a logistical platform for research projects while filming and interviewing with our onboard media crew.
There were, however, many issues with this plan. I had first launched this project, Unu Mondo, with Sophie Simonin in June 2019. Together we had no money, under a year to prepare, a Swanson 36 in bad nick and no high-latitude sailing experience. I was the more experienced sailor of the two and had only been sailing for three years!
To top it off, four months before our planned departure, we purchased a 47-footer on the dry with a cracked hull and recruited four crew (media and scientists) of which three had virtually no sea experience whatsoever.
GREENLAND HERE WE COME!
Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Yachting Monthly UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Yachting Monthly UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
I WAS THE ONLY SAILOR ON OUR FAMILY CHARTER AND IT HAD TO GO WELL
Crystal waters, cliff tombs and sunken outboards lain Willis wanted to ensure plain sailing for his family’s first charter around Turkey's Lycian Coast
HOW IT WORKS SEAWATER PUMP
The water and oil seals on a water pump shaft will eventually wear with time, leading to pump-shaft corrosion or loss of engine oil.
THOUSANDS OF MILES ACROSS THE INDIAN OCEAN
Floris and Ivar battled severe weather and cross swell to sail from Australia to South Africa, but there were beautiful islands on the way
The secret of yachts with enduring appeal
Fashions come and go, but J-Boats remain a safe choice for great sailing boats, whether you want to own it for ever or sell it
Tragic sinking of Bayesian; Italian prosecutors investigate
The sinking of the Bayesian superyacht in reportedly only 16 minutes and the tragic loss of seven lives has sent a shudder through the sailing community and beyond.
THE ADVENT OF MARINE AI TECHNOLOGY
Fonathon Savill reports on the revolutionary impact artificial intelligence is about to have on all areas of life at sea
IMPROVING SINGLE-LINE REEFING
Martin Watts explains how to reduce the friction on the reefing lines of newer yachts
The secrets of skippering a successful cruise
Setting off on a cruise is easy, but planning a route that keeps your options open and ensures the enjoyment of all on board is more of an art
CRUISING THE KINGDOM OF THE ISLES
Joanna Martin and her husband Mark sail across the Irish Sea to the legendary sea kingdom and to draw the wonderful wildlife there
MOODY DS48
Can a boat built for long-term, long-distance cruising and offering one-level living still deliver an enjoyable sailing experience? Theo Stocker sets sail across the English Channel to find out
