East Greenland Cruise - September 2006

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Day 8

We left Scoresbysund and sailed down (South) the Blosseville coast of East Greenland. The seas were a bit choppier in the more open waters, but we tended to head up any large fjord we came across, so most people didn't get seasick. We entered two spectacular fjords, including Mikis Fjord where we had another zodiac landing, and I actually decided to walk again (avoiding the Grand Old Duke of York's group though). There were stunning little waterfall systems from the meltwater of the glacier, and there was no wind ,so it felt very warm in the sun after the boat.

When we returned to the beach after a few hours, it was to find a slight problem (maybe I was a jinx??): the tide had vanished, leaving the zodiacs literally high and dry on the beach, and making it difficult to work out how to get everyone back to the boat. We dragged the zodiac out a few hundred yards until the water was deep enough for it to float again, then found another beach that was deep enough to re-board the zodiacs and return to the Molchanov - it was actually a lot of fun dragging the boats down the beach.  Felt quite commando-like (stop sniggering).

Later that afternoon, the captain took us all the way into pancake and fast ice, which was superb, and a little unnerving, particularly when you looked out your cabin porthole to see a world of seemingly solid ice right there where water should be. As we pushed our way through the ice, icebergs would topple over, and creak and groan as they broke up or pushed their way into different positions. It was eerily quiet except for the sound of ice. The decks were slippery with ice and it was very cold out on deck, but I stayed for hours anyway filming and taking photos.

Yes, I know there a LOT of photos of ice, sunrises and sunsets on this page. Sorry.