Arctic Sailing
Capt. Fritz Ploug Nielsen 66 years old Graduate from Copenhagen Navigationsschool in 1971 and shortly after started as Nav.off in a private company A.E.Sørensen sailing in Greenland waters, and in december 1972 I joined KGH (Kongelige grønlandske Handel) and after 40 Years Arctic service in KGH, KNI and last Royal Arctic Line I retired in december 2012. Under my duty in 40 Years I joined 22 Years as Captain, and it was mostly at the eastcoast and Northwestgreenland I sailed. Under those Years I joined the Ice Patrol in Narssarssuaq for 2 Years and I was Super Cargo/Kendtmand/Ice Adviser for several years. The last 2 Years I have sailed as Ice Navigator with large cruise ships in the summertime and work for Geodatastyrelsen making/update a new Electronic Harbour Pilot, which should be in the air late this Year. FPN/2014
There are four types of ice in Greenland waters 1: Polarice also named Multi Year ice The ice cover from the North Pole down the eastcoast of Greenland and around Cape Farewell to the Bay of Julianehaab and some years up along the westcoast to Paamiut and Nuuk in periodes 2: Westice Cover the whole Baffin Bay from Nares Strait to the coast off Manitsoq in periodes. 3: Winterice 1 yearice in the fjords and belts all over Greenland in the wintertime 4: Icebergs and growlers Those can be found in all Greenland waters in any times. FPN/2014
Polarice/Multi Year ice: Fram Strait Are build up in the Arctic bassin for many Years and can reach a thickness up to 8 to 10 meter and hard as concrete, and the only way the ice can get out of the basin is through the Fram strait between Svalbard and Northeastgreenland and then drifting down south along TUNU (Eastgreenland) with the eastgreenlandic current and round Cape Farewell. Polarice provide FPN/2014
Closed polarice at the entrance to Angmagssalik og Scoresbysund, the periode for sailing to those two towns are Angmagssalik is from june to november and Scoresbysund is from late july to late september. FPN/2014
Polarice at Scoresbysund and a local visitor
Iceedge outside Danmarkshavn
Wildlife in Dovebugt
Ship FPN/2014 Circumnavigation
Kista Arctica Danmarkshavn Daneborg Look at the dimension of the floes. FPN/2014
Stock in the ice 1998 for 5 days, drifted around 40 nm. FPN/2014
FPN/204 Satelitepicture of South Greenland FPN/2014
FPN/204 FPN/2014 Multi Year Ice in Julianehaabs Bay
Light Multi Year Ice in Julianehaabs Bay
Spredt storis i Sydgrønland FPN/2014
Westice: Thule westice The ice are build up every autumn/winter in the sea between Canada and Northwestgreenland and cover the sea from Thule to the coast of Manitsoq (Sukkertoppen). The ice can be up to 1 meter thick but in the ice-pack it can reach 3 meters, and it is here You will get the damages. Disko Manitsoq Nuuk FPN/2014
Westice with ice-pack close to the coast around Disko bay FPN/2014
Stock in the westice
Winterice: Are build up in wintertime in all greenlandic fjords and belts and become between 5 and 80 cm thick. In the fjords in southwestgreenland the thickness are dependent of the weatherphenomenon Føhnwind also called Southosten, where the temperature can raise up to 30 degree celcius in 12 hours together with an hurricane wind over 50 m/s, and if they come once a week, the ice can not reach to build up. In 1973 You could drive by car on the ice from Narssarssuaq to Narssaq 28 sm and in 1974 You could sail in speedboat the same route. FPN/2014
Winterice around Disko Bay
Spring in Disko Bay
Icebergs and growlers Icebergs and growlers are in all greenlandic waters all Year, and some places like Isfjeldbanken with Ilulissat /Jakobshavn are very famous and the name Ilulissat means in greenlandic icebergs. Ilulissat FPN/2014
Ca 2km Ca 4km FPN/2014
Ca 15m Ca 65 m FPN/2014
Start ultimo august 2003 Drifted down the eastgreenlandic coast app. 1135 sm / 2100 km before it went on ground outside the entrance to Qaqortoq Fjord. Ended den 20.august 2004 FPN/2014
Dangerous icebergs call (Manitsoqer) around Ilulissat, very unstable FPN/2014
Growlers on the beach at Siorapaluk, the northernmost local settlement in the world FPN/2014
Thanks for listening: 14 FPN/2014