It is not often that the crew day off coincides with perfect weather, but
for the Roshearty team, in Nuuk, Greenland, after the passage from Newport,
the weather gods conspired to deliver that stunning day. A cloudless sky
presided over what locals described as their warmest day this year. As it
was also a Sunday, most of the community was out as well and Rosehearty's
dock was buzzing with adults and children, eager to see the white ship with
the two tall masts, surrounded by fishing boats unloading their catch and
small bulk carriers disgorging the contents of their holds. But we were not
the only attraction; a Danish Navy frigate, named Epsilon, was berthed at
another near by dock, with an open ship day for the local community. Some
of the Rosehearty crew joined hundreds of locals for a tour of the ship.
Boxy, one of our Chief Engineers, described the 140 sailors on board as most
gracious and the ship and its equipment, wildly impressive. Other crew went
on long walks in town or set out for nearby promontories with a view. Cat
and Hugo had somehow managed to procure a fresh baguette, a wedge of brie
and a pot of fig jam for a picnic. Lenka set out for the highest peak,
determined to reach the top and glimpse what lay beyond. Nuuk sits slightly
inland on the edge of the sea. To the east are the treeless rocky hills of
the main island, dotted with pools of melted ice; beyond that, the famous
Greenland ice sheet. To the west are hundreds of rocky island, also bare,
lining the edge of Davis Strait that patch of ocean that leads from the
Labrador Sea to Baffin Bay and the Canadian Arctic. Today, the Rosehearty
crew will cross Davis Strait. sailing north from Nuuk to Arctic Bay, an 1100
nm voyage that will bring us closer to the edge of the ice. And that
perfectly clear day that I described yesterday and that we had hoped for
today -- well, that has given way to a damp, soupy day of fog, light drizzle
and cold. But that has not quashed the spirits of those lucky enough to be
on this expedition; quite the opposite -- what the fog hides adds
excitement, challenge and purpose to this very special expedition and what
treasures it might reveal.

Jonathan Kline.

Captain's Blog

Rosehearty