‘Throw the ropes!’, ‘Come on!’ came the command. The team turned and looked at the hapless skipper, eyebrows raised, as the yacht drifted closer to the floating dock. There were no ‘ropes’ ready. They had not been prepared despite two members of the team having mentioned mooring warps on the approach.
I’m fortunate have done many sail ski trips now and seen a range of skippers with differing levels of competence, from the pinnacle of professionalism to this guy.
Svalbard and the island of Spitsbergen delivered the goods yet again. Sailing and skiing in such a sensational environment really is a privilege. Ice threatened anchorages, bears, sunshine, and bad weather along with the expedition feel from being on a very small yacht make this a memorable experience.
Temperatures had been unseasonably high in the weeks prior to our visit in early June. The snow had taken a hammering but despite its soggy nature it was still very skiable. We enjoyed sufficient good weather to really appreciate the place and enough bad weather to remind us of who is in charge. I think the highlights are the midnight sun ski on the Adambreen, the traverse from Gullybukta to Rekvedbukta over the Nepebreen to finish the trip and of course, Emma and Harry’s fish pie!