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Whitby adventurer Mike tells of his dangerous voyage
A WHITBY yacht skipper recently embarked on a dangerous 600-mile sea crossing to one of the most remote places on the planet.
Mike Coates (62), of Sandsend, took the 72ft charter yacht Polar Bear to the island of Jan Mayen in the Arctic Circle.
The purpose of the visit to the island was to put ashore a party of nine climbers and two Norwegian guides to climb Mt Beerenburg, an active volcano on the island which last erupted in 1985.
It is situated in the Norwegian Sea around 600 miles west of Norway and proved a tough challenge.
The island is rarely visited and the journey can be treacherous with wild sea conditions and freezing temperatures.
Here Mike recalls his trip, including some of the amazing pictures he took along the way ...
I arrived in Bodo late on Sunday evening, the following day was spent provisioning and preparing the yacht.
Departing Bodo early on Tuesday we crossed the 60 miles to Moskenes in the Lofoten Islands where we picked up the climbers and guides.
Early Wednesday produced a foggy morning with visibility less than a mile.
Departing at 6am local time (one hour ahead of the UK) the climbers, who were to act as crew while on passage, were split into three watches and given training on sailing the boat which was difficult at times as some spoke little or no English.
The training included survival briefing and man overboard drills – the water temperature being 2.8C meant survival time if you fell overboard was at best only around three minutes, any rescue must be effected quickly.
By mid-morning we had cleared the Moskenes Straumen, a fierce tidal rip heading west towards Jan Mayen.
Three days at sea on a three hour on, six off for the next three days; every third day it would be your turn to cook and clean as well as taking your watch which didn't leave much time for sleep.
Being almost 71N average daytime temperatures were around 5C, the nights usually dropping to around 2C, the wind-chill making temperatures feel like – 4C; one night I had frost on my thermal hat.
During Wednesday and Thursday we had good sightings of orcas (killer whales) feeding on shoals of fish which they had brought to the surface.
There were also numerous pilot and humpback whales.
Nights were so cold it required sleeping with thermal under wear, polo shirt, sweat shirt and thermal top inside your sleeping bag just to keep warm.
On Friday at 9pm I had my first view of the fog shrouded north of the island which was still covered in snow with glaciers which were calving running into the sea.
Friday had been an exceptionally long day, starting watch as 5.45am it had been our day to clean and cook, which meant we had no time to sleep.
Shortly before midnight, we anchored off the west coast at Nordlaguna in fog with visibility varying between 100m and 500m.
At times we could barely see the shore where we were to land the climbing party.
All the climbers had to wear survival suits in the event they fell overboard or the inflatable we were using capsized on the way to the shore.
After eight journeys to the shore we landed them and their equipment by which time it was 2am and still full daylight.
Unless you have experienced the midnight sun it's difficult to explain its effect on your body clock.
The fog closed in as I was just about to lift anchor and motor down the coast to what I hoped would be a relatively safe anchorage clear of the strong northerly winds that swirl in vortices round Mt Beerenburg.
It was unnerving to run down the unknown coast with charts that had minimal information in the poor visibility that was down to less then 25m which meant at times I couldn't even see the bow of the yacht.
Using the radar and Global Positioning System (GPS) I eventually found the sheltered anchorage of Kvalrossbukta (Walrus Bay).
Slowly creeping in close to the shore using radar and the depth sounder we eventually anchoring in 9m of water.
It was 5.20am when I eventually went to bed which meant I'd been on watch for more than 23 hours.
During the night we had gusts of wind in excess of 60kts.
The next morning the fog lifted sufficiently to see we were in a small bay which was not unlike – but smaller than – Runswick Bay with steep cliffs and a small black sand beach littered with timber, some of which was reputedly hundreds of years old.
The bay had been used in the 1600s as a Dutch whaling station and had two burial mounds for the whalers who had died there as a result of eating polar bears whose livers were too rich in vitamin A that killed them.
The next day was spent cleaning the yacht, servicing the engine, water maker and other equipment before trying to catch up on some sleep.
Late on the Saturday we received a message from the Commandant of the Island, Kristian Ruback, asking if anyone would like to go ashore.
Myself and Jason the other mate, who is from Canada, were taken ashore to his small cabin where we he stamped crew passports.
Later we were driven the nine miles over the top of the island to Olonkinbyen, the camp which houses the workers who look after the meteorological, Loran navigation and generating equipment.
Each Wednesday and Saturday they open the bar – it was our luck it was Saturday and we enjoyed a buffet meal and as much as we wanted to drink.
It was quite an event for the station as they hadn't had anyone visit the island for more than two months.
I met Leidulf Halse the chief engineer – he could vividly remember Jack Lammiman's visit back in the 1990s offering his crew showers as they were exceptionally dirty having repaired the engine on the Helga Maria.
Leidulf knew exactly where the plaque was that Jack had left.
I had hoped to see it but I was told the ground was too wet to take a vehicle the 10 miles to Eggoya (Egg Island) and Jameson Bay and it would be too dangerous to walk it owing to the hidden crevasses.
Kristian promised me as soon as he could get a vehicle to the site he would photograph it and email the pictures of which he has kept his word.
Returning at 2am the next morning, in bright sunlight the fog had started to lift so we could see Polar Bear anchored in the bay.
That morning I had a further opportunity to go ashore and went with Graeme, one of the crew.
We walked the nine miles over the island to the base enjoying a lunch break at the camp before walking back.
The views were spectacular.
Although the island is barren, Mt Beerenburg, with its glaciers and surrounding snow-covered peaks, offers exceptional views.
On leaving Polar Bear the air temperature had been around 2C.
However, by late morning, the sun came out taking the temperature to 8C which is exceptional even for summer temperatures on Jan Mayen meaning we were over dressed for walking.
Everyone at the camp was celebrating as it was the first time the sun had shone on the east side of the island for more than three months which is usually shrouded in fog.
On our return to Walrus Bay for our lift back to Polar Bear we were surprised to see the Italian cruise ship Vistamar anchored off the bay which was a bonus as our lead skipper required medial treatment.
Arrangements were made for the ship's doctors to come aboard to diagnose and treat the problem.
Remarkably the Vistamar visited Whitby shortly afterwards on 20 July.
After two days of rest we invited the crew from the station for a day's sail, collecting them from Walrus Bay, sailing south round the island to Batvika just south of Olonkin City where we anchored and put them ashore.
While collecting them in the morning using the inflatable I'd had the misfortune for a wave break over me which had soaked me from head to foot, not pleasant as the water temperature was only 2.8C.
Owing to the fact I'd had to supervise the crew, I hadn't had the opportunity all day to change, so a run ashore and the use of their shower and change of clothing that evening was a welcome bonus despite the fact I didn't get to use their hot tub which at 48C is a much-used facility by the residents.
Graeme came with me and when we arrived at the base we found the climbers who'd all reached the summit of Beerenburg were enjoying themselves in the bar.
Even more so was Roger Booth from Stirling who became the oldest man at 70 to conquer Mt Beerenburg (approx 7,900ft).
Their climb had required establishing a base camp where they'd slept on the glacier for two nights.
The celebrations went on until the early hours of Thursday with Graeme providing the entertainment on the only guitar the base has.
Late afternoon we collected the climbers and loaded their gear and prepared to depart, eventually weighing anchor at 9pm and heading for another three days at sea and Bodo on the mainland.
Although it was exceptionally hard work for 18 days in minimal conditions on the 1,200 mile trip, the experience was worthwhile.
One day, with a little luck, I may possibly visit the island again.
And shortly after returning home, I was sailing again, this time with my wife Yvonne on our yacht Jolly Swagman for a 750-mile round trip to Mandal and then a visit along the Norwegian cost to the traditional Wooden Boat Festival in Risor, south Norway.
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Weather for Whitby
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
