... try and find us

Quite a bit of time and thought go into planning where to go and what to see.  There is no 'follow the leader' here - we are on our own. With Ed and Jo safely aboard, we set off to explore north of Longyearbyen. Time to leave the safety of port and head for truly wild country. It didn't take long to start sailing past glaciers that stretched a toe into the sea. Myrca's log, date 3 July 2026. Our position, Trygghamna 78° 16.154'N 13° 42.992' E Myrca covered the 27nm across the Isfjorden under engine due to adverse winds.  A beautiful anchorage surrounded by three glaciers. Walked ashore under the protection of Ed and his rifle. Swooped by arctic terns nesting close by.  A startling lack of vegetation yet there be reindeer.  The Svalbard reindeer are a sub-species endemic to Svalbard where they has lived for 5000 years.  They have become well adapted to the harsh conditions. Compared to other reindeer, they are short-legged and have a smaller, ro...

Longyearbyen is the capital of Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole.  As much as 60% of the landmass is covered with ice and less than 10% has any vegetation.  Svalbard has a population of 2500 people, 5500 walrus and the region boasts 3000 polar bears. Svalbard has an arctic climate and is considered a desert due to its low air humidity.  In the summer, the sun does not set for 125 days. And, following Niklas' phone call  that caused a sharp left in our summer plans, this is where we have landed! It has been a considerable process to get us here.  To be able to sail in Svalbard, a permit is required from the Governor of Svalbard.  Part of this permitting is submitting a detailed travel plan, crew information, search and rescue insurance, communication requirements and polar bear protocols.  This all needs to be submitted and approved at least a month prior to the trip starting. Niklas took care of ...