Pelagic in Greenland

Trip

Rockland Maine - Sisimuit Greenland

Year

2023

Position

First Mate/Chief Engineer

Trip Log

6500 nautical miles

Captain

Skip Novak

Photographer

Alton Coolidge

The purpose of the trip was to bring a film crew from the BBC to photograph Auk's in Greenland. Ultimately the BBC was unable to get proper visas in the wake of covid and the trip became a scouting venture for future charters and a training opportunity for green crew members.

Having done a similar trip under Kirsten Neuschafer on the same boat a few years prior, I was brought on as the first mate/engineer. While the roles are generally very communal on board I was in charge of one of the three watches, maintaining the engines aboard, and bringing the newer crew members up to speed. To the right is a picture of me teaching the three newest crew members how to splice and dead-end the lines.

Traveling through iceberg flows and poorly charted waters put me in a position where I was often solely responsible for the safety of the boat and everyone on board. Being in this position made me doubly aware of how important attention to detail and preparation are. Failing to see a submerged iceberg or not having the boat ready for a change of sails or change of course could have had dire consequences.

With the consequences in mind, the importance of getting help early when trouble arose was paramount. My instinct typically is to persevere on my own instead of waking up my crew members for help. However, I quickly realized this was not an option and simply endangered myself and my crew members. Tasks on the boat were far more likely to go awry when done with only one set of hands especially when cold and dark so I had to learn to become more lenient on when help was needed and more comfortable with asking for help often. This was one of the big lessons I took away from my trip and is a lesson that continues to to prove its merit time and time again.

More information about the trip can be found on Skip Novack's News Letter: News Letter