The direct line
We had seen the ice on the satellite photos but because we couldn’t see it from our walk up the hill ashore we didn’t believe it was there. We were soon to find out that satellites usually tell the truth.
We left the SE corner of Disko Bay aiming to cross diagonally to Qeckertarsuak in the NW corner. Conditions could not have been better although there was never enough wind forecast to sail any of it.
Within minutes of slipping our anchor we saw our first humpback whale which rolled and blew a few times before flipping his tail and disappearing to the uncharted depths of Disko.
A decaying double arched iceberg drew us over to it and it cracked and banged as we approached.
The fog seemed thick over Ilullisat so we abandoned a tentative plan to visit the ice fjord and instead steered a direct line for Qeckertarsuak careless of the satellite’s warning.
The ice drew us in with it’s glittering chaos of shapes and at first it was easy. But then, imperceptibly, we found ourselves dodging and weaving more and more through the remnants of decaying giants. Seals and birds were everywhere amongst the ice and so too were a couple of fishing boats stalking around amongst the ice bergs.
We were all enticed by the ice. The weather was perfect and the sea mirror calm as we wiggled our way NW with increasing difficulty and decreasing speed. Joe set his GoPro on the foredeck and we did our best to avoid ice chunks for the cameras.
All seemed to be going well but the density of ice was increasing and it was becoming impossible to avoid the smaller lumps of brash. My anxiety levels started to rise. What if a southerly wind picked up and forced the whole pack onto Disko’s southern shore? We wouldn’t stand a chance. What if we did get to Qeckertarsuak and the pack blocked us in? We could be there for days or even weeks!
Discretion forced a change of plan and we threaded our way out of the chaotic jungle of ice until we found clear water and emerged from, what looked like, an impenetrable wall of ice.
As soon as we had found the clear horizon we realised we could skirt the ice and follow it’s western rampart to Disko Island and Qeckertarsuak.
Although we had been where we had no business to go we were all elated by the experience of threading the pack ice and it’s wildlife on a still and sunny day.