Monday 9th July approaching Isfjorden Way point
Awelina of Sweden
James Collier
Mon 9 Jul 2012 12:13
The prediction about tacking up to the entrance to Isfjord has become a fact - Force 5-7 since midnight, on the nose. Waves are vicious and we are being thrown about and through and round them. Two reefs in the main, Half the yankee (big jib) and the Staysail - making a lot of leeway because we're being set down by each breaking wave. This morning we have not bothered with breakfast - it's too rough to light the gas ring - pots would simply fly off it into the bunk opposite.
Tantalisingly it's only 16 miles from the way point where we could bear away and calm things down a lot.
A more serious problem - the engine has self-drained it's fuel system as a result of the motion and needs bleeding again, which we hope to do once in the relative calm of the Isfjord rather than out here. We have to hope for wind as far as Isfjord and a calmer sea state to be able to tackle this the same way as we did yesterday. James gets a diesel cocktail for lunch. What the boat wants for Christmas is an electric lift pump please. The generator, which has an electric pump, has so far given no trouble at all.
Having shown us tantalising views of sharp, pointy snow clad mountains and glaciers yesterday today Svalbard is either shy or truculent with all that magnificent scenery hidden behind a grey cloud of rain and mist. Remarkably like the west coast of Scotland!
Despite the current slow progress, we should nonetheless make Longyearbyen in late afternoon / early evening provided conditions don't change for the worse.