Sailing on Svalbard: The expedition from day to day

During this expedition we will sail to the most beautiful glaciers, fjords and coasts of Svalbard. Because the weather, wind and ice conditions are unpredictable, we never know for sure where we will go. One time we enjoy an active glacier for hours, the other time we spot a polar bear on the beach. This route description is therefore only a suggestion for your journey. We will judge day by day where we are going and how far we can sail. It’s still an expedition, isn’t it?

Day 1: You will probably arrive in the early morning at Longyearbyen airport. The shuttle bus will take you to the town, which you can explore today at your leisure. You can take a walk to the old coal mine or visit the Svalbard Museum to learn more about the archipelago’s history. Drink coffee on a terrace or have lunch in one of the restaurants. At the end of the afternoon you will board the ship ‘Baltic’ and meet the crew and your companions. After dinner, the crew will familiarize you with the ship, including a safety instruction. Then you will hear about the weather forecast and sailing plans for tomorrow.

Day 2-4: Early in the morning we let go of the ropes and we slowly sail out of the Adventfjord. The next few days we’ve planned to explore the area around the Isfjord. We head north and sail past impressive mountain ranges. At night we drop anchor in one of the bays. During the day we take a zodiac tour along the coast and try to get as close to the glaciers as possible. Take a good pair of boots with you, because a walk on the rocky beaches is definitely on the program during this trip. If the wind is favorable we can visit one of the former Russian mining villages, Pyramiden or Barentsburg. The former is named after the shape of the mountains that surround the village, the latter – of course – after the Dutch explorer William Barentsz.

Day 5: From the Isfjord we sail north, along the beautiful west coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. To starboard we see pointed, snowy mountain peaks. To port is the elongated island of Prins Karls Forland where a group of walruses are always basking in the sun. When we have left the walruses behind us, we keep a close eye on the depth sounder. The bottom rises considerably and quickly here, and there is only a small passage through which we can pass with our ship. Early explorers therefore called this estuary ‘Foul Sound’, because too deeply loaded ships turned out to be unable to pass through it in the end. Fortunately we do.

Day 6-7: Slowly we sail into the Kongsfjord. If there is a place at the quay to moor, we will visit the most famous research town of Svalbard: Ny-Ålesund. This too was once a mining village. Today, students and scientists from, for example, the Arctic Center of the University of Groningen conduct research there, under the supervision of polar scientist dr. Maarten Loonen.
Across the Kongsfjord is Blomstrandbreen, a huge glacier. We try to land with the zodiac and take a snow walk to the glacier. From above you have a wonderful view over the Kongsfjord and the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Of course one of us is constantly on bear watch. We are in the habitat of the polar bears and we don’t want to disturb them.

Day 8-9: From the Kongsfjord we head to the south-west of Spitsbergen, to the Bellsund. We also sail at night so that we can spend as much time as possible in the fjords. Everyone on board is placed on a 4 hour on, 8 hour off watch. With 2-3 companions and a crew member you will be at the helm, change the staysails or put a reef in the mizzen sail. Every hour one of you checks the engine room and of course you provide a fresh cup of coffee when the next watch arrives. You then dive into your cage, while the ship sails further towards the Bellsund.

Day 10-11: Via the narrow passage at Akseløya we reach Fridtjovhamna. The glacier that opens into the fjord here, Fridtjovbreen, is eroding sharply. There is a good chance that we will have to navigate carefully between the ice chunks to get closer. If there is no wind and current, we can paddle between them with the kayak. For the night we sail to Van Keulenhamna, where we drop anchor. Once we were awakened here by the singing of belugas while a few reindeer stood on the beach. Magic!
Another large glacier in this fjord is the Recherchebreen. The retreat of the glacier has created a lake behind the moraine where large, blue ice blocks float around.

Day 12-13: It’s time to head north again. We leave the Recherchefjord behind us and hoist the sails as soon as we are out of the fjord. Bird watchers may spot auks and arctic terns trying to score a meal of fish. After a beautiful day sailing along the immense mountains of Svalbard, we drop anchor in the calm bay of Trygghamna or Ymerbukta. While the midnight sun shines on the glacier, we enjoy the last evening in an uninhabited and inhospitable area. The next day we cross the Isfjord and slowly but surely see the colored houses of Longyearbyen looming. At the end of the afternoon we moor the ship at the quay and together we prepare the last dinner of this unforgettable sailing trip to the cold coasts of Svalbard.

Day 14: Today you say goodbye to the ship and your companions. You might leave early to catch your flight, or you might stay in Longyearbyen for one or more days, for example for a snowmobile ride or a visit to the huskies. You will no doubt reminisce about your time on the northernmost archipelago in the world and fondly remember those immense fjords and glaciers of Svalbard.

Svalbard | Glaciers, fjords and wildlife

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