Dateline: Sunday 30th June 2024: En Route To Skjoldungen, Greenland

Today we have traversed the Greenland Sea En Route to the deserted Skjoldungen Fjord, a distance once we arrive tomorrow morning at around 10.40am of some 554 Nautical Miles.  Silver Endeavour has made good time despite a 2-metre rolling swell.  It's 9.30pm (11.30pm UK time) as I write and as we close on the East coast of Greenland, so the wind and swell have begun to wane.

Today has been a series of Mandatory Safety Briefings on everything from Biosecurity, Zodiac operation and safety, standards and rules to be followed when ashore and Polar Bear safety, the latter delivered by 2 of the Expedition Team known as the Bear Boys!

So far I'm right that we are mostly likely to see Polar bears when we arrive in Canadian Arctic waters amongst the many islands guarding the entrance to Hudson's Bay and Churchill.  No guarantees of course but I learnt today that the sub-population of bears in the east and southeast of Greenland is negligible hence I didn't see any last year. 

Yippee! Mission Bear Sighting is still alive!!

The not so good news is that the sea ice this year is bad and likely to cause some major changes in plan.  The photo above shows the latest ice cover around Greenland.  Red is no go for Silver Endeavour; orange and yellow are passable with care and green is OK. If you look at the proposed Itinerary Map that I posted last week you can see Skjoldungen is almost at the edge of the extensive red section in the photo.

Silver Endeavour has an ice strengthened hull rated at PC6 which means she can navigate where ice coverage is 60% or less and the ice is no more than 1.5 metres in thick.  The Captain is expecting to meet the outer edge of the sea ice early tomorrow morning which could be up to 60 nautical miles from the coast.  If he can thread his way through then we may be able to enter the Skjoldungen Fjord but the more important question is whether a return route is feasible. So it's wait and see what conditions prevail in the morning but practically the plan is to have a series of Zodiac Cruises tomorrow afternoon since the edge of the ice is fertile territory for wildlife.

As I have explained this is what Expedition Cruising is all about – no defined itinerary.

Dinner this evening shared with a very friendly couple from Delaware was Caviar, Lobster Bisque and Maine Lobster Tail!!

Dateline: Saturday 29th June 2024 Reykjavik Harbour: "The Sun has got its Hat On"

Isn't that how the words of the song go?  Well, the Sun has had its hat all the time since it didn't go dark, just a continuous twilight overnight.  Not quite the land of the Midnight Sun but close.  Not that I knew much about midnight after 36 hours awake, I crashed out around 9.00pm and enjoyed 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep until 7.00am this morning.

Breakfast proved to be a bit of battlefield.  The hotel is hosting a Jehovah's Witness Convention and it seemed like the attendees all arrived for breakfast at 7.00am.  There must have been well over 100, if not 200 people queued out of the Restaurant into the hotel Lobby.  I beat a hasty retreat and returned around 8.00am by which time only guests joining the Silver Endeavour were in evidence.

It was a bit tricky finding somewhere to eat yesterday evening.  All the restaurants close to the hotel were full of Americans from a vast Holland America cruise ship – you know a ship that looks like a block of flats on steroids and full of 4000 or so guests.  After being turned away for the third time I tried a less fashionable eatery that had space, that gave me a warm welcome and provided a heart-warming bowl of traditional local lamb stew that brought back wonderful memories of the lamb stews my Mother used to make.  Sunday roasts back in my youth comprised a half leg of lamb – the knuckle end of course - hot on Sunday, cold on Monday and either minced or stewed on Tuesday.   Only yellow split peas were absent from my meal yesterday evening!  You can drool again over my photo of the stew!  I will not send you photos of all my meals – just the memorable ones or those from special events.

Today it has been blue sky all the way and I'm now embarked on the Silver Endeavour and all boarding and immigration procedures have been completed and we are awaiting departure around 7.00pm.

On the way from the hotel to the ship I managed to get a photo, from the coach window, of the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre. It reminded me of a visit that I made to this striking building in July 2016. I have located the photos I took at that time and with the help of Wikipedia now include here some interesting facts about the construction of this building.

It was the first purpose-built concert hall in Reykjavík and opened on the 4th May 2011. The building features a distinctive coloured glass façade inspired by the basalt landscape of Iceland and was designed by the Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects in co-operation with Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. 

 

The structure consists of a steel framework clad with geometric shaped glass panels of different colours. The panels also house 714  LED lights, 486 in the eastern part of the building and 228 in the western part. These lights were designed to display a video work designed by Olafur Eliasson. In 2021, for the building's 10-year anniversary, Eliasson created 12 new light works to exhibit on the glass, one for each month of the year. In 2014 other artists were granted access to the building's advanced lighting system, and it was used by the artists Atli Bollason and Owen Hindley to display an interactive art piece PONG, based on the classic arcade game Pong,

Located In the water next to the Harpa Hall, is a sculpture entitled “The Musician” (1970) by the Icelandic sculptor Ólöf Pálsdóttir. The statue is of a cellist playing, and is modelled on the Danish cellist Erling Blöndal Bengtsson,who played constantly for Ólöf as he sat for her.

I also recall that back in July 2016 the Harpa building was the venue for a photo exhibition entitled “Bowie - The Session”, featuring photographs by Gavin Evans. The exhibition ran from March 22 to August 31, 2016 and was held to honour the musician after his death in January 2016. I would have dearly liked to visit this exhibition but like all things in Iceland but time the entrance fee was way too expensive!

Dateline: Saturday 29th June 2024 Aboard Silver Endeavour - At Sea to Greenland

                                                                                  

 

It's now 10.30pm and we are at sea.  The ship is rolling slightly but I love being gently rocked to sleep. It has been a busy evening meeting the crew and learning how the ship operates as well as enjoying dinner. I had a roasted Cauliflower steak with fried Chickpeas prepared like a Bhaji with a hint of curry.  I have been wanting to try cauliflower steaks for some time. The range and quality of the food is amazing and that was just for today, it will all change for tomorrow.

The photos are of my Suite which is one of the best appointed I have ever experienced and all with the support of my Butler – Royston from Mumbai.  I hope I can remember where I have stowed everything when I come to disembark.

Tomorrow is a day at sea with lots of briefings on biosecurity, Zodiac safety and I was pleased to learn safety around Polar Bears so it seems likely that we will see them and fulfil my ambition and dream to sea live Polar Bears!

The expedition team will be on the outer decks most of the day wildlife spotting.  They have already,  earlier this evening, spotted a pair of Orcas, but sadly I was at dinner and have not set up my cameras, but they will be at the ready tomorrow.

Dateline: Wednesday June 26th 2024 Home: What has the last voyage of HMS Erebus got to do with this cruise?

I didn't get to see Polar Bears last July but Churchill and the islands in the entrance to the Northwest Passage should provide a better opportunity this year.  Fingers crossed!

In my New Zealand Blog I referred to a book by Michael Palin entitled "Erebus-The Story of a Ship" that I had by chance come upon a few days before setting off for my New Zealand tour.  Little did I realise that this book would be relevant not only to the New Zealand tour but also to this Expedition Cruise.

If you recall the Erebus was a ship that had made a voyage to the Southern Hemisphere including New Zealand to set up Magnetic Field Checkpoints where explorers such as Shackleton and Scott could reset their compasses for the earth's magnetic error before venturing further south to the Antarctic.  You may also recall the photo I posted taken in Christchurch Botanical Gardens when the Guide had just pointed out a small green building that houses one of these magnetic field checkpoints.  The photo contained just the merest slither of green building but many of you have told me that you were able to spot it! I've included it here again for any newcomers to the Blog.

The Erebus had a second life since after languishing for several years she was recommissioned to undertake a voyage to establish magnetic field checkpoints around Greenland and Newfoundland, but her ultimate mission was to attempt to discover the Northwest Passage and guess where I'm headed next week!!

I have deliberately left this portion of the book unread to enjoy over the next couple of weeks.  What I do know is that the Erebus vanished with her 129 strong crew in the wastes of the Canadian Arctic.  Her fate remained a mystery for over 160 years. Then, in 2014 she was found.  I hope we will be passing close to her last resting place, but I will tell you the story as I read and as we sail in the Canadian Arctic waters.

Interestingly the wreck of Shackleton's last ship the Quest has just been found off the coast of Newfoundland and it is thought to be well preserved.  You may know that Shackleton's famous ship the Endurance was found in 3000 metres of water almost perfectly preserved some 5 years ago in the Weddell Sea Antarctica.

The photo shows the cover of the book.  I tried looking for some pictures of the Erebus but they are all copyrighted!

It's packing day this afternoon and tomorrow. My next posting should be from Reykjavík.  Enjoy!

 

Dateline: Wednesday 26th June 2024 Home: "To Expedition Cruise or not to Expedition Cruise" That is the Question

The main difference with an Expedition Cruise is that the ship is equipped with a fleet of small fast Ribs, known as Zodiacs, supported by an Expedition Team that include experts on birds, mammals, sea life, geology, glaciers and many other aspects of the local and global environment. The expedition vessel is very unlikely to dock in a harbour with gangway access etc., so the Zodiacs are used to ferry people to shore, to get up close to Bird Cliffs or Icebergs for example.

Although the Silver Endeavour is well appointed (If you haven't yet looked at the link in my first Post, then do so soon since you will see what luxury I will be enjoying) with state-of-the-art suites, 4 Restaurants, bars, a Spa and shop. Unlike more conventional cruises, there is no evening entertainment,  instead, the Expedition Team, at around 6.00pm gather everyone in the Panorama Lounge (More of a theatre really) and provide a roundup of the day's activities and the plan for the next day.

At every stop the expedition team offer a range of activities to cater for everyone's level of fitness.  The activities range from heavy duty hikes, at speed and over difficult terrain to less difficult walks.  Other activities include guided Rib cruises, as I have mentioned, or kayaking. 

On my Silversea cruise last year kayaking proved very popular but with limited equipment and about 140 guests it meant that most people only got to kayak once.  So, it's rather Hobson's choice as to when you will get to kayak and this time most people will want to 'kayak with the Beluga Whales'!  I will settle for a Zodiac cruise to get closer to these wonderful creatures.

The map shows the intended Itinerary. Why do I say 'intended Itinerary' well it all depends on the weather and the sea state for shore landings or Rib cruises. Each evening the Expedition Team Leader will set out up to 3 alternative plans for the following days activities. Fro example, it may be that as we travel up the West Coast of Greenland towards the Capital Nuuk, that ice and icebergs play a role in determining where and when we can land.  Hence the title Expedition Cruise, so watch out for the posts as this adventure gets underway.  There are a few days at sea so I should have plenty of time to post, that's if I'm not too tired after day of strenuous activity. It's hard work cruising!

Dateline: Monday 24th June 2024 Home: Introducing the Silversea Endeavour Expedition Ship

 

 

 

Welcome to my second expedition cruise with Silversea.  The first was aboard Silver Wind in July 2023 and was an expedition cruise along the west coast of Greenland. My upcoming cruise is aboard the Silver Endeavour, a relatively small but beautifully appointed vessel as the following specifications demonstrate:

IMO Polar Code rating PC6

Crew 207

Guests 220

Tonnage 20,649

Length 539 Feet/ 164 40 Metres

Width 93 Feet/28 35 Metres

Speed 19 Knots

Passenger Decks 8

Built 2021

Following the collapse of Crystal Cruises the Royal Caribbean Group announced that it had received approval to buy the Crystal Endeavour on Monday 18th July 2022.  She was renamed Silver Endeavour during her maiden season in the Antarctic and thereafter several substantial changes to the vessel were completed including converting the casino into crew cabins and an infirmary, converting the current infirmary into four balcony suites, and remodelling the helicopter bay on Deck 8, into six suites. 

The defining characteristic of diesel–electric transmission is that it avoids the need for a gearbox, by converting the mechanical force of the diesel engine into electrical energy (through an alternator), and using the electrical energy to drive the propellers attached to Azipods, a marine propulsion unit consisting of a fixed pitch propeller mounted on a steerable gondola ("pod") containing the electric motor driving the propeller, allowing ships to be more manoeuvrable. They were developed in Finland in the late 1980s jointly by Wärtsilä Marine, Strömberg and the Finnish National Board of Navigation. 

 Silver Endeavour has 4 × Wärtsilä 6L32E/E2 (4 × 13,020 kW Alternators) and two ABB Azipod propulsion units..

My suite is 610.  If you would like to know more about the ship then you can visit: https://www.silversea.com/ships/silver-endeavour.html

I leave on Friday 28^th June with a 2.30am pickup for a 7.40am British Airways flight to Reykjavik.  Did I mention it's a Business Class flight all part of the package for this cruise!

In my next post I will explain how an Expedition Cruise varies from the more conventional (If there is such a thing) forms of cruising and introduce the Itinerary for this adventure.