Travelogue: quiet Sunday

Labrador Sea – September 14
Date and time: 14.09.25, 14:00
Location: LAT 67.35°, LON 57.20°
SOG (speed over ground): 11.5 knots
Wind: 2 knots

The day is grey, heavy with low clouds, though now and then the sun breaks through for a moment. The seas are calm enough for now, but there is a weather front on its way, and already the swells are lengthening. Rain showers drift across the horizon, with sudden gusts of wind. I am grateful for the quiet while it lasts.

On deck the crew have no such luxury. Because of the storms expected in the coming days, they are using this window of calmer weather to exchange the massive tow lines on the bow, an arduous job that can only be done in certain conditions. The lines stretch hundreds of meters, heavy and awkward to handle, yet the work carries on with its usual rhythm.

This morning, we may have seen the last of the icebergs. A few still floated nearby at dawn, but for several hours now there has been nothing but open water. We are still in polar seas, though it seems the ice has slipped behind us. For the moment it is simply a quiet Sunday at sea.