Anchoring in a Kelp.
We arrived at Tovqussaq later than expected. The wind had picked up a little and the seas were more bouncy with a building swell from the south west. Being well into August the nights were starting to draw in and that, coupled with mist, meant that the light was grey and dimming fast. The wind had a cold edge to it and brought rain with it. Cold, soaking rain.
The recommended anchoring place had some telltale branches of kelp floating in it which never augers well for easy anchoring. The thick growth of stalks clog the anchor and prevent it from biting.
It took six attempts to get through the kelp and find a bit of seabed suitable to tug our anchor in firmly. Five times it dragged as we motored astern to set it and when it came back up it had harvested huge trees of kelp. Each time the anchor had to be cleaned with the boat hook and painstakingly re-laid. Each time the light got dimmer and we got soggier. Each time our spirits dropped a little until that sixth time when the chain came bar tight and we all knew we were safe for the night.
In total it took us a rain soaked one and a half hours to set the anchor to our satisfaction and, inevitably, during that time anxiety levels rose and nerves began to jangle. We were in no danger and the weather, apart from being wet, was benign. However, we were in a remote and poorly charted anchorage in the gathering gloom. We were keen to get below to get fed, warmed and rested and yet we needed to patiently battle with the kelp forests and make sure our ship was safe and secure.
During one of the failed attempts we were motoring hard astern trying to dig in the anchor when the reverse thrust caught the rudder and flung it against the rudder stops with such force that the wheel span violently out of Sally's hands. She was taken aback by the experience and thought something catastrophic had happened to the steering. All though was well with the steering and the anchor set beautifully on the next attempt and the nervousness was slaked by the warmth of the saloon, yet more fine food and a good night's sleep.
It rained heavily over night but Shimshal was securely tethered and she lay peacefully at anchor allowing her crew the rest they deserved. By 0500 there was sufficient light to navigate and so we got the anchor up and threaded the narrow passage that took us back out to sea towards Maniitsoq forty miles north.
Sally and Simon left Scotland in 2015 on board Shimshal to begin a slow circumnavigation taking in various high latitude destinations. After 3 seasons in Greenland we sailed south to Lewisporte in northern Newfoundland. In 2019 we cruised the Canadian Maritimes. In 2022 & 23 we cruised via New England, Chesapeake, Florida, Cuba, Cayman, Providencia to Bocas del Toro. In late 2023 we transited the Panama Canal in readiness of a Pacific crossing in 2024.