Below is a report we just received from the North Atlantic from Jim and Jean Foley aboard their 63-foot sloop Onora:We are just 250 miles from Ireland having left Prins Christian Sund on Friday August 17th. So far, the sailors’ belief that “A Friday’s sail is sure to fail”, has not come true but a lot can happen in 250 miles. Ahead of us are two big hazards that we have not had to deal with for a thousand miles, shipping lanes and land.Greenland in 2007 continues to be an undiscovered place that lives by it’s own rules. After being driven crazy by the bureaucrats in Chile, Argentina, and Brazil it was refreshing to check into Qeqertarsuaq (Godhavn). We were only asked how we got there, “by boat” and that was that. No names, passports, boat papers or even boat name was needed. No questions about firearms, drugs, or alcohol. Just “Welcome”!
We spent a month starting in Disko Bay and then worked our way south. Everything you have heard about the scenery is true. The icebergs claving off of the glaciers are amazing. The ice flows in the fog were nerve wracking. The weather is hard to predict. Aassiat Radio covers the coast on VHF and HF and gave us daily weather reports in English with the caveat that coastal weather is so localized should not believe the reports they gave us.The south coast has inland waterways that include the Viking ruins, thermal baths, spectacular fiords and Prins Christain Sund, one of the great passages. At the eastern end up 258 steps is perched the Ikerasassuaq weather station, manned by three hospitable Danes. After a shower, weather update, cocktails, dinner, more cocktails, and a discussion of global warming, life in the universe, and life after death they revised their favorable weather forecast to a storm warning and told us we must not leave.
