Hornsund, Bellsund and Isfjorden

The sail from Bjørnøya was tough. For the first 10–12 hours, we maintained a good speed on a north-westerly course. However, the wind then picked up and shifted to the north, forcing us to sail close-hauled and work hard to make headway northwards against the wind. Due to the rough conditions, we had to remain in the cockpit the entire time, so neither of us got much sleep.

Eventually, we reached the southernmost point of Spitsbergen, Sørkapp, after which we stopped sailing. We started the diesel engines and motored straight into the wind. Two days after leaving Bjørnøya, we dropped anchor in Isbjørnhamna, just outside the Polish research station there.

After dropping anchor, we set up the pipe for the diesel stove. The sea temperature remains at a steady 3 degrees, while the air temperature is usually around 6–8 degrees. This means that it quickly gets cold on board if you don't have a reliable source of heat.

The cold seawater means that all the rooms below deck act as refrigerators and are filled with food, so we don't need to use the refrigerator.

The diesel stove in the saloon burns around the clock when we are at anchor, ensuring that it is always dry and warm inside.

It's just after 7 a.m. and we're enjoying a well-deserved beer and something to eat after dropping anchor. Our eldest daughter, Ingeborg, has just arrived in New York for her first holiday abroad on her own, so we took out the Iridium satellite phone and called her to check she had arrived safely. After a brief conversation, we headed off for a hot shower and then straight to bed. One advantage of motoring is that we can produce fresh water with the watermaker and heat water in the hot water tank.

However, the watermaker draws so much power that it can only be used when we are motoring. After the sailing and the hot shower, we were tired and blissful, and it quickly became quiet on board.

At 2 p.m., we were ready to face the world again and enjoyed breakfast in the cockpit. The weather was rapidly improving and the sun had come out.

Brepollen, located at the heart of Hornsund, has been described by many as a unique place, boasting no fewer than eight glaciers that end in the sea.

After days of bad weather, we were finally going to be rewarded. Eventually, the whole world was bathed in sunshine, so we weighed anchor and set sail for Brepollen. The scenery was fantastic! It exceeded all our expectations. It simply has to be experienced.

The large Hornbreen glacier is located to the east at the innermost part of Brepollen. This glacier merges into the Hambergbreen glacier, which ends in the sea on the eastern side of the island. The distance to Storfjorden, which lies on the east side of Spitsbergen, is only about 12 km here. The edge of the glacier is consistently 10–15 metres high. Large waves can form if it suddenly calves, so it is advisable not to get too close. Furthermore, the area has not been accurately surveyed by the mapping authority.

This illustrates one of the challenges of sailing in Svalbard. The two images above were taken at the same time. In the top image, Gyda is a couple of hundred metres from the edge of the glacier. However, if you look at the plotter screen image below, it looks as if we are far inland — or, in this case, up on the glacier.

The plotter has two different types of map to help us double-check the accuracy. In this case, the screen is set up with four 'windows'. The top two show maps, and there is also a radar overlay on the top right map. The bottom left shows a 'clean' radar image and both show that we are floating in an area surrounded by ice (the red dots). The forward-looking sonar at the bottom right shows open water at least 200 metres ahead and a depth of 72 metres directly below us. Therefore, the maps do not correspond at all with the terrain.

The main reason for this is that the amount of ice varies from year to year; now, with global warming, the ice is melting very quickly.

Ice comes in many different colours and structures, giving it a unique character. Clear blue markings like these are often a sign that the ice has recently calved, creating "fresh" ice. We estimated that the break edge was at least 15 metres high. On days like this, it's great fun to experiment with photography, and we really put our equipment to the test. We hope to gradually improve our photography skills so that we can collect our best photos in our 'memory bank' and, of course, share our experiences.

This was a truly unforgettable experience. Hornsund and Brepollen were bathed in sunshine all day, and we had the place completely to ourselves. On the way back, however, the weather clouded over again, the current turned against us and ice formed.

Once safely anchored again in Isbjørnhamna, we lit the barbecue, filling the air with the delicious aroma of freshly grilled spare ribs. It's important to seize and enjoy the opportunities that arise. There wasn't a breath of wind, which was in sharp contrast to the day before. It was 7 degrees and the sun was fighting its way back through the clouds.

Good food is half the fun! It's well past midnight, and the table is set for dinner. Outside, the sun was shining. Life is hard!

We were woken by the sound of thumping and scraping against the side of the ship. A quick look outside confirmed our suspicions. A nearby glacier had calved, sending ice drifting with the current right through our mooring. While the ship can withstand this, if a piece of ice the size of the one visible on the port bow in the photo gets caught in the anchor chain, there is a risk that the anchor will come loose, or that we won't be able to raise it if we need to move. This is why we brought two powerful pooles with us, to push away large pieces of ice.

Since we were already up and running, we decided to raise the anchor and continue north to Bellsund, the next fjord stretching inland. The calm sea and beautiful weather meant that we had to start the diesel engine, which obediently hummed us northwards.

As we travel north, we pass Isbrebukta in Wedel Jarlsberg Land. The vast Vestre Torellbreen glacier stretches all the way down to the sea here. Beyond that lies the open sea.

This is one of the reasons why there can be a lot of ice around the entrance to Hornsund, but today there was hardly any to be seen. The weather just kept getting better, and we made the most of it while we were confined to the ship. The skipper rolled up his sleeves and started doing the laundry, while the captain washed the windows.

There are several good anchorages in Bellsund, so we were spoilt for choice. We set course for the harbour of Fleur de Lys. We don't know where the name comes from, but it means 'lily' in French. Perhaps the fisherman who named the place dreamed of lilies? If so, one could speculate about the origin of the name 'Bourbon Harbour'. It could be named after a French noble family, or it could be named after American whisky.

One reason we chose to visit Fleur de Lys Harbour is to see the old wooden boats curled up on the beach. These boats are over 100 years old, but the dry Arctic climate means they do not rot. The fishermen used these boats to row out to large nets, in which they caught beluga whales — or 'white fish', as they called them. The skin of beluga whales was particularly sought after. This was popular for making drive belts because it is tough and durable.

It was incredible to see how well the wooden parts of these boats had been preserved. It is hard to imagine how difficult it must have been to handle these boats when the nets had to be cast at high speed to trap the whales. Throughout the winter, the boats were left on land because the fjord was frozen over. It was clear that it had been difficult to keep them watertight because the wood had dried out considerably while they were on land. Some kind of canvas had clearly been stapled over the largest cracks, and there were plenty of staples.

There was no doubt that the bear lived here, so the Mauser rifle was brought along on all trips ashore from then on. Although a shotgun with slugs is effective at close range, it cannot compete with a Mauser loaded with the most powerful hunting ammunition. On the beach near the boats, we found the remains of a polar bear that had died here. Some field inspectors we met later told us that it had died during the winter. Many starving and emaciated bears struggle at the start of winter when the cold and storms really set in, and many bears die during this period.

It's clear that these are remains from polar bear skin, given that sheep are not present here.

The Fleur de Lys ended up with the Sysselmannshytta in front of her and the old trapper's cabin to her right. Behind Gyda, you can see the old wooden boats. Although it is a safe and good harbour with a sandy bottom and good anchorage, it can be exposed to sea and ice from the glaciers further inland if there is a strong easterly wind.

Ingebrigtsenbukta is not far from the harbour at Fleur de Lys. There is a sturdy fishing hut here called Bamsebu. It was built to withstand strong winds and hungry polar bears, which can easily break into a normal hut. The sturdy nails make it less appealing for polar bears to try to break in.

The remains of the slaughter of Kvithval (Beluga) can clearly be seen on the beach below the cabin.

It is inconceivable nowadays how the animals were slaughtered here. Whales and walruses were relatively easy prey, and the pursuit of profit led to the unrestrained exploitation of resources. The trappers probably led hard lives, but surely they also experienced days like this one, with sunshine and beautiful weather. Whether they were able to appreciate the beautiful scenery in the same way that we did is perhaps uncertain.

We spent two days in the harbour at Fleur de Lys before continuing our journey northwards. As we had plenty of supplies, we didn't plan to stop in Longyearbyen. We had already visited the town in May with SAS and didn't really have anything left to do there. Besides, it's quite a distance from the entrance to Isfjorden.

The weather was fine, and the forecast promised a pleasant sail towards the Alkhornet mountain, which lies at the entrance to the fjord, and on towards Prins Carl Forland. However, here in the north, plans can change quickly.

At the outer edge of Bellsund, we came across the KV Harstad, which was carrying out MOB (man overboard) training at the time. The weather was good and we passed at a safe distance. However, not long afterwards, the weather deteriorated and we had to contend with a gale from the west. It was truly miserable weather, and of course the wind eventually shifted to the north, forcing us to tack against it on our way north.

What should have taken five to six hours took ten. By the time we reached Isfjorden, we had had enough, so we broke off and sailed into the shelter of the fjord behind Alkhonet, calling at the aptly named Trygghamna.

We anchored in the innermost part of Trygghamna, which sheltered us completely from the storm outside. The next day, it was clear that the weather was set to continue, with gale-force winds predicted for another day or two. As it takes about three hours to sail from Trygghamna to Longyearbyen, we decided to go there and get some fresh vegetables while we were stuck there twiddling our thumbs.

We had been on our trip for almost three weeks, so our supply of fresh vegetables had run out. The skipper had made a good supply of dried vegetables in her oven at home, and they tasted excellent, but nothing beats crunchy fresh produce.

Suddenly, nature and wilderness were no longer dominant features of the surroundings. According to the governor, around 30,000 tourists are expected to visit Svalbard this year, primarily arriving by cruise ship. We seized the opportunity to enjoy a long, hot shower at the harbour master's office and a delicious meal at a restaurant in the evening. The next day, we raided the fruit and vegetable section of the Svalbard shop. Since we were in the area, we popped into NordPolet to stock up on beer, of which we didn't have much.

The man behind the counter looked us up and down and asked if we were permanent residents. 'No,' we replied. 'Then you can only buy wine.' No spirits, no beer, just wine. That was just the way it was. We had to leave NordPolet empty-handed, passing stacks upon stacks of beer cans on the way out.