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turers from the
Killary Adventure
Centre set sail
for the west
coast of Greenland on the 14th
of June fully ladKillary Flyer (photo: Daragh Muldowney)
en with stores
and equipment
Iceland meeting (L/R): Cormac Gebruers (Halpin
to carry out the
Centre) Joern Spetalen and Jesper Jensen (both
three main goals
Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue)
of their expedition: to sail to
Greenland, complete a 250km
sea kayak, carry
out an 850m
climbing challenge over four
days.
The expedition
was led by Jamie
Young, who
previously sailed
single-handed
across the Atlantic and kayaked
around Cape
Horn in 1989.
He also made
various other
trips all over the
globe and was a
member of the
South Arís sailing and mountaineering team
The SMACs Team (photo: Cormac Gebruers)
that re-enacted
Shackleton's epic
boat trip from
Elephant Island to South Georgia and a subsequent traverse of
South Georgia.
The rest of the crew was made up of experienced people from
the worlds of sailing, climbing and kayaking and included a photographer and a film maker, who documented the expedition.
Dr Des Moran was the medical officer.
The expedition was called 'North of Disko' as its most northerly point is Upernavik, an island just north of Disko Bay. At
72047' North it is well above the Arctic Circle.
After much preparation the Killary flyer, a 49ft ex-Admiral's
Cup yacht with the relevant alterations, sailed for the Arctic.
SMAC's training provided information on preparing vessels
before visiting the Arctic.
After setting out in good weather conditions the north
Atlantic then bared its teeth, and after four storms and 14 days
the crew got their first sight of icebergs; huge and majestic
sculptures. SMACs also produces a module on ice navigation,
enabling mariners to safely navigate in the Arctic.
After being delayed by the storms the Killary Flyer finally
crossed the Arctic Circle on Wednesday 3rd July and arrived in
Aasiaat on the west coast of Greenland the following evening.
From there they headed north to Disko Bay where they disembarked the climbers with all their equipment and food. The crew
then proceeded to Upernavik where they had a little celebration, Irish style (a drop of whiskey).
The arrival in Upernavik coincided with confirmation
ceremonies. In local tradition the home of the person being
confirmed is open to the entire community - including the
crew of the Killary Flyer in this case.
It is important that visitors to the Artic understand the local
culture and interact well with the indigenous population: the
crew of the Killary Flyer seem to have done this expertly and
were well received and their experiences will educate future
visitors on local life.
The women and girls in the family were dressed in their
colourful sealskin and beaded traditional costumes and the
men and boys in their crisp white and black outfits. First stop
at each house was the dinner buffet table, lined up outside
the front door. The crew were treated to helpings of seal,
walrus, dried whale meat, whale skin, polar bear meat and
whale and shrimp salad – none of which are common at Irish
Confirmations! There were soups and seabird casseroles, sushi
and pickled fish and dried strips of halibut. After all that food
there was still the small matter of a table laden with cakes
pastries and tarts that were begging to be eaten.
It was then time for the kayakers to begin their voyage to
Uummannaq, 250km away, laden down with equipment and
food to last the journey that would take them only 12 days.
While waiting to be picked up by the yacht the kayakers took
part in a 19km race around the island of Uummannaq and
although their kayaks were not designed for racing they finished a very creditable 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th.
Groups like this make up part of the target audience of the
SMACs project along with the fishing industry, the leisure
industry, the exploration industry, search and rescue services
and the indigenous population. Our course will fill training
gaps that would otherwise make it foolhardy to attempt a
voyage to the Arctic, and will be available to all.
The Killary Flyer crew are not the only modern Irish Arctic
mariners - in 2011 John Gore Grimes became the first person
to sail a small boat, the 44ft Arctic Fern, to Franz Joseph Land
north of Russia. Gore-Grimes previously voyaged to the Norwegian Jan Mayen island and the Novaya Zemlya archipelago,
Greenland, Iceland, Siberia, Alaska and the Antarctic.
In 2001 Jarlath Cunnane sailed the North West Passage and
in 2004 sailed the North East Passage.
Paddy Barry, who was also on the North East Passage voyage, has sailed a Galway hooker to Svalbard.
LE Niamh was the first Naval Service vessel to go above
the Arctic Circle when it visited the Norwegian port of
Narvik in 2009 (68026' N). We are certain that many many
more will follow in their wake, and our Arctic safety training will prove invaluable to anyone planning to travel there
in a small boat. The SMACs project is funded by the Northern Periphery Programme of the EU and is supported by
the European Regional Development Fund. Follow training
development progress on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/SMACS-A-Safer-Arctic-for-small-craftmariners/627806620564264?fref=ts
www.military.ie the defence forces magazine
