Sailing in the high Arctic has it's own set of complications when the conditions deteriorate but probably the most common one you will come across is ice. Not only does ice make navigation up here challenging at the best of times, but throw in some wind and waves and the rough sea will quickly start to conceal hidden dangers like icebergs or growlers (chunks of ice that sit right on the waterline making them very hard to see). One cubic meter of ice weighs a metric tonne, so what might seem like a small piece of ice can still do some serious damage to your boat. 

Our defence against large icebergs is using both radar and eyesight, however when it comes to smaller growlers, chances are they won’t get picked up on radar so we have to rely on eyesight alone making passages at night, in fog or low light quite stressful. In areas with lots of ice we will slow the boat right down, set up a spotlight on the bow and someone (with very warm, waterproof foul weather gear and a harness) will sit on the front keeping an eye out for these hidden dangers. When the weather is too rough to sit on the bow we will have two or three keen-eyed sailors on watch from the cockpit and ideally someone up the mast as well (conditions permitting), however sailing at night in areas of ice is an absolute last resort and we would only do it if there was no other option. The safest way is to keep a close eye on the weather and plan to be in a safe anchorage or well away from any ice-strewn seas if bad weather is coming your way!