MAUD RETURNS HOME – HOMETRIP 2018

07 May 2018 » Uncategorized | respond

MAUD RETURNS HOME – STATUS MAY 2018

Its been a while since last update here on our webpage and there is a bit of catching up for those who does not follow our project on Facebook, which has become our most used communication platform. As most of you probably know Maud was towed on barge Jensen out out of  Cambridge Bay late August 2017 and arrived successfully in Aasiaat on West Greenland for our winter stop on September 16th 2017 after sailing out of the Northwest Passage towards east and then finally across Baffin Bay to west Greenland.

 

Today we write 3rd of May 2018 and we are in the middle of our preparation for a new departure here from Greenland in early June, which is the earliest opportunity for a departure due to the ice situation and also when it comes to the general weather condition for towing across from Greenland to Norway.

 

These days our Tug Tandberg Polar is on shore undergoing a 5-year control and naturally we have our hands full with this. Aasiaat is just north of the Arctic circle and as there is no Golf Stream to heat things up we still have pretty much winter conditions with a bit of snow and wind and the temperature today is minus 10 Celsius.

 

The following picture story  will take us through the time from when we prepared for departure in Canada in August 17 until arrival in Greenland in September 17, including some comments with the pictures.

 

Also included are some pictures from the last weeks in Greenland busy preparing for a new departure from Aasiaat in early June.  For those who wish to follow us more closely I suggest to follow us on

https://www.facebook.com/maudreturnshome/

 

jan wanggaard

 

 

 

 

THE START OF THE MAUD RETURNS HOME JOURNEY

 

From early July-17 until departure late August we spent our time emptying Maud from more materials and dirt to make her as light as possible. The result was four full containers on the shore that was sent by cargo ship to Norway. Picture shows TP, Maud and Jensen pretty much ready to go late August-17. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

The hard core of the MRH team having a little rest on the Maud deck during the last weeks before departure from Cambridge Bay. Bjørn on the left, then Stig and Terje on the right. In the foreground some old coal dug up from deep in the Maud hull. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

Before leaving Cambridge Bay we were honored by a visit from The Mayor of Asker Kommune, Lene Conradi. She also met mayor of Cambridge Bay Jeannie Ehaloak, and they were both taken on a tour on Maud before a memorable get together where they both praised the efforts with finally bringing old Maud back home to Norway. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

A big moment in the story of Maud Returns Home in the  morning of 29th of August 2017, as Maud  is being pulled slowly out of the Maud Bay approximately 90 years after her arrival. It felt surreal. At the same time we were filled with a great relief and excitement for the time to come. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

The Maud and Tandberg Polar crew gathered at the beach before the final departure from Cambridge Bay.     Behind from left: Jonny Vestvik, Frode Kristoffersen, Jan Wanggaard. Front from left:  Bjørn Myrann, Terje Mørkved, Stig Pettersen and Romas Masiulis. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

As Cambridge Bay disappears in the vicinity we know this is the beginning of a new chapter of the  MRH story.
Maud has patiently waited for all these years and now she is starting her journey to complete her circumnavigation of the North Pole. We can hardly think of a better way of honoring Roald Amundsen and his great ship. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

The first week after departure from Cambridge Bay wet had to work our way  through the most challenging waters of the Northwest Passage.  The same area where legendary Captain Sir John Franklin  battled and lost his life together with 128 men trying to be the first to sail through Passage in 1845.  As we know it lasted another 60 years before Roald Amundsen finally sailed through with Gjøa and established the little town of Gjohaven at the south side of King William Island.  We were able to sail over the North side of this Island and slowly maneuver our way towards the north into the Bellot Strait, which defines the most northern point of the American continent. photo: ginger on irene

 

 

 

 

A satellite picture from late august 2017 shows the challenging ice conditions we were faced finding our way eastwards from Cambridge Bay towards Baffin Bay.

 

 

 

 

Our main focus when sailing inn the ice was to avoid dense drift ice by making shorter or longer detours, but sometimes we just had to push slowly through and cross fingers that we had enough thrust to make the ice open and let us pass. Our companions Abel Tasman and Irene could sometimes benefit from using the narrow open path in the wake behind us to proceed. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

Stig and I was given a 3 hours leave from our tug TP to enter Zenith Point, the northern most point in North America, in the narrow Bellot Strait. What else could we do than to build a cairn to the memory of this historic moment for Polarship Maud. The Maud crew of 1919 spent the winter at the most northern point of the Eurasian continent, Cape Chelyuskin, and they also raised a cairn there.  So now 100 years after there is a single cairn raised at both the most northern points of the two great continents of the world. Another noticeable curiosity. 
I have built a few cairns in my life but this was the first time with a conscious mind towards the possibility of a sudden appearance from a Polar bear. It was certainly a new challenge. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

As we were approaching Baffin Bay and the open sea we met some rough weather with wind forecasts up to 3o m/s We decided to take shelter and wait for the worst to pass.  We found a well protected bay and spent three nights there on anchor. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

The old lady is looking good in new environments half way to Greenland in early September 17. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

When passing the little town named Pond Inlet at the northern tip of Baffin Island we had a good breeze from behind as we approached the large Baffin Bay between Canada and Greenland. After a few stormy days we set our course towards Disko Island on the west coast of Greenland and the crossing was expected to take about 6 days. Our sailing speed is generally around 4 knots. photo Ginger on Irene

 

 

 

 

 Majestic scenery on the way out of the Northwest Passage. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

During the crossing over to Greenland we had a bit of sea and Jensen with Maud on top behaved well and according to our hopes and expectations. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

After a week of rock and roll in the waves across the Baffin Bay we could finally harbor in Aasiaat on the 16th of September 2017.  Aasiaat was also the little town we spent a waiting time before heading on towards Cambridge Bay in 2014 and here we will also bring our Tug on shore to perfom a 5 year control before we sail on in early June 2018. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

SPRING 2018

 

Bird view over Aasiaat late April 2018. Maud can be seen in the middle right still frozen in the sea ice. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

Still winter scenery inn Aasiaat the first week of May-18. Hopefully we will experience open waters and a possibility of starting our journey home within the next month or so. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

Our Tug Tandberg Polar is undergoing a 5-year control and is experiencing a major face lift after several years in the deep Arctic on the Maud Returns Home rescue operation. photo jfw

 

 

 

 

Our hard core MRH team member Stig has spent a great deal of this last winter in Aasiaat, taking good care of TP and Maud, here trying on traditional polar bear trousers. Perfect fit.  photo jfw