Schooner Cruise & Holiday

Northeast Greenland - Scoresby Sound

Experience the High Arctic from sturdy schooner HILDUR. The great fjord system of Scoresby Sound extends 350 kilometres inland and offers a perfect setting for exploring this remote and interesting region. The enclosed waters of Scoresby Sound are calm and many of the fjords are like gorges with sheer cliffs plummeting to depths of more than 3000 metres.


 

Schooner Cruise & Holiday

Northeast Greenland - Scoresby Sound



Day by day itinerary


Day 1 (Saturday) Depart Reykjavík for Constable Point, a small airfield on the west side of Hurry Fjord in Jameson Land. Embark and sail west between magnificent icebergs that drift down the Hall Basin after calving from the glaciers originating in the Inland Ice. Anchor at Hekla Havn, on Denmark Ø, the site of an old Inuit settlement and wintering camp of the first scientific expedition to Scoresby Sound over a hundred years ago.

Day 2 (Sunday) Explore Hekla Havn and its surroundings. Those wishing to trek across the island will be picked up by the ship on the western shore. Sail west to Ankervig through the narrow Føhnfjord with the magnificent basalt mountains of Gåseland on the port side and 2000 metres high sheer granite cliffs of Milne Land on the startboard side.

Day 3 (Monday) Trek the Hjørnedal, a steep valley penetrating into Gåseland from Ankervig. This area, with some of the lushest vegetation of the whole eastern coast line, has a warm stable climate throughout the summer. There is a good chance of catching Arctc Char in the river and estuary using rod and tackle. Sail north through Rødefjord to anchor in Harefjord.

Day 4 (Tuesday) Ashore in Harefjord scouting for Muskoxen, which normally graze on the south facing slopes. Then an easy hike to the top of the ridge between Harefjord and Rypefjord for a breathtaking view of Renland and the Inland Ice. Continue sailing, now eastwards through the awsome Øfjord to anchor at Bjørneøer.

Day 5 (Wednesday) After a relatively short visit on shore in Bjørneøer, sail up Nordvestfjord (depending on the ice situation) for a short visit to an old Inuit settlement on the island of Mågetuen. Sail east to the abandoned trading post at Sydkap. Bonfire and BBQ at the rocky beach where a local hunter helps prepare muskox meat.

Day 6 (Thursday) Departing early morning for the crossing of Hall Basin to Ittoqqortoormiit Village. Accommodation at the local guesthouse for 2 nights.

Day 7 (Friday) Visit the small village of Ittoqqortoormiit, founded in the 1925s by people from Ammassalik. It is the most northerly settlement on the east coast of Greenland. The 500 inhabitants make their living mostly by subsistence hunting of seals, Narwhale, Muskoxen and Polar Bear. The quaint little houses dot the rocky slopes of south Liverpool Land with magnificent views of Kap Brewster and the Volquart Boons Coast to the south. Opportunity to visit the village‘s general store to purchase some local handicrafts of bone, soap stone and hides.

Day 8 (Saturday) Sail to Constable Point, disembark for the return flight to Reykjavík, Iceland.

Note:
The itinerary is subject to change for reasons beyond our control, such as changes in airline schedules, flight and ship delays, strikes, weather, sea and ice conditions, government restrictions or emergencies for which North Sailing can not be held responsible. If pack-ice conditions do not permit the planned itinerary to be completed, the captain and expedition leaders will work out the best possible alternative. We reserve the right to change or alter the programme if necessary.

Hildur Schooner

Hildur was built in Akureyri in 1974 by two shipwrights, Gunnlaugur and Trausti. Trausti and sons would later become good friends with North Sailing and help the company convert most of it's boats into passenger vessels. North Sailing owners got to know their special skills and enthusiasm for wooden boats and set a goal to later behold one of the three big wooden boats built in their shipbuilding station. It was then in the summer of 2009 that Hildur sailed into Husavik Harbour but only for a rather short visit in the local shipyard for overhaul before a 10 day journey to Denmark where she would be converted into a two masted schooner with 250 sqm of sails in the shipyard of Christian Jonsson in Egernsund.

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Specs

Gross tonnage: 35
LOA: 26 m (Hull 18m)
Beam: 4,8 m
Sail area: 250 sqm
Hull material: Oak
Built, where: Akureyri
Built/rebuilt: 1974/2010
Passenger capacity: 50
Engine: Scania
kW/horsepower: 105/141
Port of registry: Húsavík
Flag: Iceland

 

Schooner Cruise & Holiday

Northeast Greenland - Scoresby Sound


Departures 2011

There will be a total of two departures in August 2011:
NSE-2 (B) Aug. 20th - 27th
NSE-2 (C) Aug. 27th - Sept. 3rd


Cruise cost includes:
  • Accommodation and meals on board, soft drinks, services of crew, excursions and arrangements as noted in the itinerary.
  • Airfare between Reykjavík and Constable Point and accommodation for one night in Reykjavik before and one night after the flights to/from Constable Point.

Not included:
  • Airfare to and from Iceland, meals other than onboard ship, visas, excess baggage charges, laundry charges and items of personal nature.
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bunkbed hildur
bunkbed hildur schooner
Kitchen
Kitchen & lounge area
Main Lounge area-Hildur
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sleeping area
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Guðmundur Jónasson Travel   |   Borgartún 34   |   105 Reykjavík   |   Iceland   |   Tel: +354-511 15 15 | Fax +354-511 15 11 | email: gjtravel@gjtravel.is | KT 410166-0389 | VSK # 12977 Inspired by Iceland