Kapitein Pete
Door: Pete
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Stefan
01 Juli 2009 | Groenland, Nuuk
Pete
>
>>
>> The last week in Amsterdam was a hectic and stressful as it gets. Of
>> course it is different from the stress of an action. An action is
>> usually quick. Leaving Amsterdam was a one week battle.
>>
>> We are headed up for Greenland. It is a serious trip. And because
>> of this, the spare parts account was opened up all the way. The new
>> goodies include a new crane, new SOLAS MOB boat (which no one
>> wanted), new helicopter suits, new boat suits for arctic conditions,
>> and about 1000 other items that make the boat move. Then there was
>> the provisions. It came by the truck load, most neatly stacked on
>> pallets, so we could pick them up with the crane. Its our first trip
>> on this boat for Babu, our Indian cook. I am amazed that he can get
>> it all put away. He has Paul, the chief mate from Canada who has
>> done many trips to high latitudes on the Sunrise, and other Gp boats
>> in the last 22 years. But I hear later that the sauna was filled up,
>> for a few days anyway.
>> The boat becomes an absolute mess. Normal chores get forgotten as
>> stuff comes on and needs to be stowed. The floor gets harder and
>> harder to find. People that come on for a visit often leave shaking
>> their heads, and thinking that we will be here for another month.
>> There was even a last minute one day delay to wait for spare parts.
>>
>> But soon the day arrives when the clean up has to start. It only
>> took two or three days to get the boat cleaned up this time. It just
>> seems to happen (obviously this is from my perspective). Slowly we
>> all turn back into sailors. The bridge gets cleaned. Windows
>> washed. Coffee break comes around and people start to have time to
>> gather.
>
>> At last the engine starts. Lines are thrown off, and we pull out
>> into the North Sea Canal. The Canal is one of the treats of
>> Amsterdam. Its about 16 miles out to the locks at the North Sea. So
>> for a couple hours we steam along in the flat water and enjoy the
>> last of shore. First we go along the top edge of Amsterdam, right
>> next to Central Station. There are many pleasure boats out on a
>> beautiful Saturday. There is even one nut job in an old motor boat,
>> wearing a life ring, blowing a horn and waving at us. He bears a
>> strong resemblance to Frans van Dijk, one of the staff in the ship's
>> unit. I guess we were more a pain in the butt than I thought, and
>> the office is REALLY GLAD we are leaving! We pass the Sirius, the
>> Dutch pilot boat that served as the Greenpeace campaign vessel in
>> Europe after the first Rainbow Warrior left. She is looking
>> beautiful, with a new paint job and some sort of windmill on the back
>> deck.
>>
>> When we get to the locks, we try to put a gangway ashore to send off
>> half a dozen friends who have made the trip out in the canal with
>> us. But 911 rears its ugly head, and we are told that this takes 24
>> hour notification. Its no big deal. We drop a boat in the water,
>> and speed them over to the fishing village. Another bit of
>> bureaucracy bites us when harbor radio tells us that our helicopter,
>> which is sitting in the lock's heliport, can not fly on board until
>> we are five miles offshore. I am starting to wish The Netherlands
>> over the horizon...
>>
>> But the helicopter lands safely. We spend 45 minutes tucking her
>> away in the cargo hold. It is quite a process that uses a large size
>> elevator. The cargo hatches, which are 18 meters long, open up to
>> about 8 meters wide. Its a big hole in the deck. The elevator comes
>> up, the heli slides on, does a 180 degree turn, and drops down into
>> the hold. We have already super secured everything in the hold, so
>> that if the boat takes a big role, nothing can damage the helicopter,
>> which would be a really big drag. Most of our activities around
>> Greenland require the helicopter. Were it to get damaged on the way
>> up, ... well the term "a fate worse than death" is the first thing
>> that comes to mind.
>>
>> After the helicopter is secured, I put my feet up for an hour. Its a
>> nice day, but I am on the 4 to 8 on this leg, and its already been a
>> long day. When I come out for my watch, I am greeted by a wonderful
>> site. To the port side we are close to a large windmill farm. There
>> must be 100 windmills. I mention this to a shipmate walking by, and
>> he says, look to starboard. I walk around the house, and there to
>> starboard is another 100 or so windmills! Way to go!
>>
>> Its two days up to Pentland Firth, the channel across the northern
>> coast of Scotland. We go through it at 16 knots, thanks to a fair
>> tide. That was pure luck to hit it at the right time, without
>> adjusting speed along the way.
>>
>> Scotland to Greenland is a trans Atlantic right? If so, we are
>> setting at least a personal record of five and a half days! Life is
>> not all peaches and cream though. The engineers are battling
>> clogged fuel pumps in the generators, that give us four back outs in
>> as many days. Then the deck crew spends four hours plugging a hole
>> in the topsides, just above the water line. As Natasha Willcox
>> asked, 'how the hell do you get a hole in an icebreaker?' Well, it
>> was a hole in one of our scuppers. Scuppers are drains from the
>> deck, that go out through the hull just above the waterline. These
>> pipes are now 35 years old. Not only is it hard to paint the inside
>> of a three meter long pipe which is the size of your forearm, but
>> even the outsides are covered in foam for insulation. This item is
>> going on the to do list for the next yard period!
>>
>> We see our first ice as we near Cape Farwell, at the bottom of
>> Greenland. It is old arctic ice pushed down against the land by the
>> ocean current. Arne (more about him later) has us go outside of all
>> of it. At times we are 30 miles off the coast, yet it is clearly
>> visible.
>> We pulled into Nuuk, the capital of Greenland on Monday the 22nd,
>> right on schedule, despite the delay back in Adam. The police seem
>> too nervous, putting up a fence so we can not get off the boat or the
>> public get on, without going through a check point. Later we are
>> told that the Danish royal family is on a navy boat tied up fifty
>> meters away. We recon they are just showing us some respect! The
>> relationship between Denmark and Greenland just changed again, giving
>> Greenlanders some more autonomy. King George should have been so smart.
>> The Greenland coast is dramatic. Mountains rise up. Glaciers come
>> down to the water. There is not a tree or blade of grass to be
>> seen. Ocean life is abundant, at least what we can see: whales, a
>> few seals and birds.
>>
>> We have come here to document climate change. It is not a happy
>> task. In coming emails I will describe the science we are doing,
>> and what we are learning. As always, I will be learning a lot.
>> Check out the ship's web cam. The address is below. The campaign
>> web site will be up and running soon.
> 26 June
>
> This morning we are entering Narres Straits. Two months ago, our
> glacier expert on board, Jason Box suggested we would have a 50%
> chance of reaching Petermann Glacier in July. Today, there is no ice
> right to the glacier. The only ice we have encountered this trip has
> been the east coast ice that we went around at Cape Farwell, which is
> the southern tip of Greenland.
>
> This is of course part of the story.
> At the top of Narres Straits, in the Lincoln Sea there is an "ice
> bridge" that is keeping all the polar cap multi year ice out of Narres
> Straits. Arne has two places picked out that we could hide in, but
> when the ice bridge goes, we could get flushed out like something down
> your toilet bowl. So we have run at 11.5 knots since departing
> Sisimuit three days ago. If we can get the remote cameras set up
> before the bridge brakes, we will have done well. How much of our
> ambitious research we will get to do it all up to the ice bridge. One
> good Beaufort 5 from the north will probably do us in.
> The scenery is spectacular but bleak. I do not think there is one
> tree in Greenland. I have heard that they are growing potatoes
> someone here, but that is a first.
> Last night we all got a lecture from Jason. We watched his footage
> from cameras posted over some of the southern glaciers during the last
> year.
> The glaciers are very slowly moving rivers. The Jacobsen is the most
> prolific in producing bergs. It is also receding as the warmer
> waters melt it from below. And did you know that Greenland is an
> atoll? Well, maybe not in the scientific sense, but 80% of the
> interior land has been pushed below sea level by the ice cap. The
> biggest glaciers like Petermann and Jacobsen are channels to the
> ocean. As the ice cap melts through the glaciers, the sea level goes
> up. And as the ocean warms, it expands and raises more.
>
> 29 June
> We put four eight cameras out and around Petermann Glacier yesterday.
> Now when the really large chunk of ice breaks free, we will record it.
>
> But we could not stop. We came up to the Lincoln Sea Ice Bridge, to
> A) check out the ice condition here, and to B) complete our transit of
> the Narres Straits. As I have mentioned before, if the ice here
> brakes up, it could make things very difficult for us in the Straits.
> Also, we think that this MAY BE the first time any vessel has
> transited Narres Straits in June.
> We did not have a difficult time getting here. Arne barely had to
> open one eye. If you are concerned about climate change, and rising
> sea levels, our passage will cause concern.
>
> We are at 82 25 North. Thats 445 miles to the North Pole. Two days
> steaming would do it, if it were not for this 2 meter thick ice sheet
> sitting in front of us.
> As I write, most of the crew is out on the ice. Babu the cook is
> walking around with his apron under a orange coat and life jacket.
> Haussey is below unclogging a sewer line. Sarah has made up a sign
> (445' to the North Pole) for a crew photo. Texas has gotten up after
> another all-nighter trying to get the Iridium system to talk to the
> ships computer network. Gert the 2nd mate is fishing on the ice
> edge. A seal came up ten meters away, and watched him for a while.
> Oh yea... and a polar bear stopped by on his journey along the edge,
> looking for seals. She got within a few meters of the ship before
> deciding we were too big for brunch. He or she (I did not ask) looked
> healthy and happy. This is explained by the numerous seals we have
> seen this morning. Arne, Jason and Steve (shooter) have flown off
> with Martin in the helicopter to examine the ice. Melanie is typing
> up another release.
> Best to all,
>
> Pw
>
--
master. m/v Arctic Sunrise
At Petermann Glacier, Greenland
Greenpeace Ships Web Cams:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/photosvideos/ship-webcams
>
>>
>> The last week in Amsterdam was a hectic and stressful as it gets. Of
>> course it is different from the stress of an action. An action is
>> usually quick. Leaving Amsterdam was a one week battle.
>>
>> We are headed up for Greenland. It is a serious trip. And because
>> of this, the spare parts account was opened up all the way. The new
>> goodies include a new crane, new SOLAS MOB boat (which no one
>> wanted), new helicopter suits, new boat suits for arctic conditions,
>> and about 1000 other items that make the boat move. Then there was
>> the provisions. It came by the truck load, most neatly stacked on
>> pallets, so we could pick them up with the crane. Its our first trip
>> on this boat for Babu, our Indian cook. I am amazed that he can get
>> it all put away. He has Paul, the chief mate from Canada who has
>> done many trips to high latitudes on the Sunrise, and other Gp boats
>> in the last 22 years. But I hear later that the sauna was filled up,
>> for a few days anyway.
>> The boat becomes an absolute mess. Normal chores get forgotten as
>> stuff comes on and needs to be stowed. The floor gets harder and
>> harder to find. People that come on for a visit often leave shaking
>> their heads, and thinking that we will be here for another month.
>> There was even a last minute one day delay to wait for spare parts.
>>
>> But soon the day arrives when the clean up has to start. It only
>> took two or three days to get the boat cleaned up this time. It just
>> seems to happen (obviously this is from my perspective). Slowly we
>> all turn back into sailors. The bridge gets cleaned. Windows
>> washed. Coffee break comes around and people start to have time to
>> gather.
>
>> At last the engine starts. Lines are thrown off, and we pull out
>> into the North Sea Canal. The Canal is one of the treats of
>> Amsterdam. Its about 16 miles out to the locks at the North Sea. So
>> for a couple hours we steam along in the flat water and enjoy the
>> last of shore. First we go along the top edge of Amsterdam, right
>> next to Central Station. There are many pleasure boats out on a
>> beautiful Saturday. There is even one nut job in an old motor boat,
>> wearing a life ring, blowing a horn and waving at us. He bears a
>> strong resemblance to Frans van Dijk, one of the staff in the ship's
>> unit. I guess we were more a pain in the butt than I thought, and
>> the office is REALLY GLAD we are leaving! We pass the Sirius, the
>> Dutch pilot boat that served as the Greenpeace campaign vessel in
>> Europe after the first Rainbow Warrior left. She is looking
>> beautiful, with a new paint job and some sort of windmill on the back
>> deck.
>>
>> When we get to the locks, we try to put a gangway ashore to send off
>> half a dozen friends who have made the trip out in the canal with
>> us. But 911 rears its ugly head, and we are told that this takes 24
>> hour notification. Its no big deal. We drop a boat in the water,
>> and speed them over to the fishing village. Another bit of
>> bureaucracy bites us when harbor radio tells us that our helicopter,
>> which is sitting in the lock's heliport, can not fly on board until
>> we are five miles offshore. I am starting to wish The Netherlands
>> over the horizon...
>>
>> But the helicopter lands safely. We spend 45 minutes tucking her
>> away in the cargo hold. It is quite a process that uses a large size
>> elevator. The cargo hatches, which are 18 meters long, open up to
>> about 8 meters wide. Its a big hole in the deck. The elevator comes
>> up, the heli slides on, does a 180 degree turn, and drops down into
>> the hold. We have already super secured everything in the hold, so
>> that if the boat takes a big role, nothing can damage the helicopter,
>> which would be a really big drag. Most of our activities around
>> Greenland require the helicopter. Were it to get damaged on the way
>> up, ... well the term "a fate worse than death" is the first thing
>> that comes to mind.
>>
>> After the helicopter is secured, I put my feet up for an hour. Its a
>> nice day, but I am on the 4 to 8 on this leg, and its already been a
>> long day. When I come out for my watch, I am greeted by a wonderful
>> site. To the port side we are close to a large windmill farm. There
>> must be 100 windmills. I mention this to a shipmate walking by, and
>> he says, look to starboard. I walk around the house, and there to
>> starboard is another 100 or so windmills! Way to go!
>>
>> Its two days up to Pentland Firth, the channel across the northern
>> coast of Scotland. We go through it at 16 knots, thanks to a fair
>> tide. That was pure luck to hit it at the right time, without
>> adjusting speed along the way.
>>
>> Scotland to Greenland is a trans Atlantic right? If so, we are
>> setting at least a personal record of five and a half days! Life is
>> not all peaches and cream though. The engineers are battling
>> clogged fuel pumps in the generators, that give us four back outs in
>> as many days. Then the deck crew spends four hours plugging a hole
>> in the topsides, just above the water line. As Natasha Willcox
>> asked, 'how the hell do you get a hole in an icebreaker?' Well, it
>> was a hole in one of our scuppers. Scuppers are drains from the
>> deck, that go out through the hull just above the waterline. These
>> pipes are now 35 years old. Not only is it hard to paint the inside
>> of a three meter long pipe which is the size of your forearm, but
>> even the outsides are covered in foam for insulation. This item is
>> going on the to do list for the next yard period!
>>
>> We see our first ice as we near Cape Farwell, at the bottom of
>> Greenland. It is old arctic ice pushed down against the land by the
>> ocean current. Arne (more about him later) has us go outside of all
>> of it. At times we are 30 miles off the coast, yet it is clearly
>> visible.
>> We pulled into Nuuk, the capital of Greenland on Monday the 22nd,
>> right on schedule, despite the delay back in Adam. The police seem
>> too nervous, putting up a fence so we can not get off the boat or the
>> public get on, without going through a check point. Later we are
>> told that the Danish royal family is on a navy boat tied up fifty
>> meters away. We recon they are just showing us some respect! The
>> relationship between Denmark and Greenland just changed again, giving
>> Greenlanders some more autonomy. King George should have been so smart.
>> The Greenland coast is dramatic. Mountains rise up. Glaciers come
>> down to the water. There is not a tree or blade of grass to be
>> seen. Ocean life is abundant, at least what we can see: whales, a
>> few seals and birds.
>>
>> We have come here to document climate change. It is not a happy
>> task. In coming emails I will describe the science we are doing,
>> and what we are learning. As always, I will be learning a lot.
>> Check out the ship's web cam. The address is below. The campaign
>> web site will be up and running soon.
> 26 June
>
> This morning we are entering Narres Straits. Two months ago, our
> glacier expert on board, Jason Box suggested we would have a 50%
> chance of reaching Petermann Glacier in July. Today, there is no ice
> right to the glacier. The only ice we have encountered this trip has
> been the east coast ice that we went around at Cape Farwell, which is
> the southern tip of Greenland.
>
> This is of course part of the story.
> At the top of Narres Straits, in the Lincoln Sea there is an "ice
> bridge" that is keeping all the polar cap multi year ice out of Narres
> Straits. Arne has two places picked out that we could hide in, but
> when the ice bridge goes, we could get flushed out like something down
> your toilet bowl. So we have run at 11.5 knots since departing
> Sisimuit three days ago. If we can get the remote cameras set up
> before the bridge brakes, we will have done well. How much of our
> ambitious research we will get to do it all up to the ice bridge. One
> good Beaufort 5 from the north will probably do us in.
> The scenery is spectacular but bleak. I do not think there is one
> tree in Greenland. I have heard that they are growing potatoes
> someone here, but that is a first.
> Last night we all got a lecture from Jason. We watched his footage
> from cameras posted over some of the southern glaciers during the last
> year.
> The glaciers are very slowly moving rivers. The Jacobsen is the most
> prolific in producing bergs. It is also receding as the warmer
> waters melt it from below. And did you know that Greenland is an
> atoll? Well, maybe not in the scientific sense, but 80% of the
> interior land has been pushed below sea level by the ice cap. The
> biggest glaciers like Petermann and Jacobsen are channels to the
> ocean. As the ice cap melts through the glaciers, the sea level goes
> up. And as the ocean warms, it expands and raises more.
>
> 29 June
> We put four eight cameras out and around Petermann Glacier yesterday.
> Now when the really large chunk of ice breaks free, we will record it.
>
> But we could not stop. We came up to the Lincoln Sea Ice Bridge, to
> A) check out the ice condition here, and to B) complete our transit of
> the Narres Straits. As I have mentioned before, if the ice here
> brakes up, it could make things very difficult for us in the Straits.
> Also, we think that this MAY BE the first time any vessel has
> transited Narres Straits in June.
> We did not have a difficult time getting here. Arne barely had to
> open one eye. If you are concerned about climate change, and rising
> sea levels, our passage will cause concern.
>
> We are at 82 25 North. Thats 445 miles to the North Pole. Two days
> steaming would do it, if it were not for this 2 meter thick ice sheet
> sitting in front of us.
> As I write, most of the crew is out on the ice. Babu the cook is
> walking around with his apron under a orange coat and life jacket.
> Haussey is below unclogging a sewer line. Sarah has made up a sign
> (445' to the North Pole) for a crew photo. Texas has gotten up after
> another all-nighter trying to get the Iridium system to talk to the
> ships computer network. Gert the 2nd mate is fishing on the ice
> edge. A seal came up ten meters away, and watched him for a while.
> Oh yea... and a polar bear stopped by on his journey along the edge,
> looking for seals. She got within a few meters of the ship before
> deciding we were too big for brunch. He or she (I did not ask) looked
> healthy and happy. This is explained by the numerous seals we have
> seen this morning. Arne, Jason and Steve (shooter) have flown off
> with Martin in the helicopter to examine the ice. Melanie is typing
> up another release.
> Best to all,
>
> Pw
>
--
master. m/v Arctic Sunrise
At Petermann Glacier, Greenland
Greenpeace Ships Web Cams:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/photosvideos/ship-webcams
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