Noorderlicht Review
Spitsbergen / Svalbard
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The boat under sail |
We (youngest son and I,
he was 19 at the time)
were on the Noorderlicht for a circumnavigation
of Spitsbergen from the 28th of July to the
12th of August 2011.
We joined the boat in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen
(Latitude 78° 13'N Longitude 15°
37'E) arriving by air from London via Oslo
and leaving by the same route.
Cruising around the island in a clockwise direction,
it wasn't guaranteed that we would make the
circumnavigation, as it depends on ice conditions,
especially off the east coast. As it happened
we were able to make it, trips earlier in the
season are often turned back by the sea-ice
which is thicker at that time.
The Noorderlicht is very small as cruise vessels
go, having just 20 guests. We chose it so as
to have a different experience to a larger ship,
anticipating somewhat vaguely that the pay-off
to be a greater sense of adventure and to be
able to do things that we couldn't do on a larger
ship.
With the boat offering a sailing boat experience
with small number of guests, it is quite different
to the experience offered by almost any other
boat in arctic waters.
Cabin
Small - smaller than I anticipated. The lower
bunk had about 45cm of headroom, the upper bunk
was better. The width of the floor space of
our cabin was less than the length of the bunks
(it was a sort of an L shape with the foot area
of the bunks down the foot of the L). We found
it impossible for two of us to be in the cabin
and both be doing things. If one of us was washing
or brushing our teeth the other could lie down
on a bunk, sit on the small wooden seat or stand
and wait, likewise getting dressed, packing
a bag for an excursion etc. we had to take it
in turns. There was a small skylight (about
25cm x 25cm) opening through our ceiling onto
the deck for light and ventilation but no window
or porthole.
The bunks were comfortable enough, but the lack
of space was a serious issue. Perhaps if you
are used to yachts and smaller boats it is what
you expect, either way it is cramped. |
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Boat Specification
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Staff & Crew -
5
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Guests - 20
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Single zodiac (small
inflatable outboard powered boat) for
shore transfers
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10 cabins each with
two bunks and a washbasin. 4 shared
shower / toilets.
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One two-level internal
public space used for meals, meetings
and as a lounge, contains the bar.
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Length - 46 meters
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Breadth - 6.5 meters
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Draft - 3.2 meters
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Propulsion - 2 masted
schooner sailboat + diesel engine -
360 horsepower
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Cruising Speed - 7
knots in open water (not so fast which
has an effect on how much time you spend
getting places)
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Lifeboats and vests
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Polar bear just waking
up from a nap |
Daily routine
Breakfast was at 8.30 a.m. announced with a
bell. Towards the end of breakfast there would
be a briefing from the guide as to the days
activities, usually these started with a landing
ashore leaving around 9.30-10 a.m.
There was one walk when ashore led by the guide
lasting from 2-3 hours at a pace that the whole
group could cope with. On return there would
be hot drinks and cake or cookies unless we
were very close to mealtime. This would then
be repeated in the afternoon. We had a couple
of evening walks too.
There weren't any zodiac cruises as only a third
of the guests could fit into the one zodiac
at a time. We were told that instead the Noorderlicht
with her shallow draft could get in close to
places where other ships could not go and so
were could cruise more comfortably than we could
in a zodiac. In reality the 3.2m draft of the
Noorderlicht is significantly more than the
approx. 0.5m draft of a zodiac and so we sometimes
had to view things (like polar bears on shore)
from a greater distance than we would have liked.
We cruised several glacier fronts and a sea-bird
cliff at Alkefjellet.
If animals of any kind turned up and were spotted,
the bell in the bar would be rung - cue a rush
to grab cameras, binoculars and clothing and
get up on deck a.s.a.p. The 12.50 a.m. ringing
one day was a bit of a shock to the system but
worth getting out of bed for as there was a
polar bear swimming in the sea near to the boat.
Otherwise time on the boat was spent in the
public areas, cabins or on deck. With the boat
being so small, there was no-where that was
fully out of the wind, so going out on deck
to watch the world go by or looking out for
wildlife meant wrapping up fully in cold weather
gear.
On many days there was a lecture of some kind
by the guide or a DVD about the region.
Meals
The cook did a sterling job providing three
meals a day plus frequent freshly made cakes
and cookies for 25 people on board in the small
kitchen. There was always a choice of delicious
freshly made breads available which Anna the
cook kneaded daily on a table (no space for
a machine), she told me it was her meditation,
I am pleased she meditated fully!
Breakfast was continental style, lunch 2 courses
with a soup starter and dinner 3 courses. There
was a set choice for each meal, though side-dishes,
bread, cheeses, cold meats, more than one course
etc. meant there was always variety even if
you weren't keen on the set meal (though you'd
have to be quite fussy not to be). Two passengers
one of whom who didn't eat red meat and another
who didn't eat fish were given alternatives
on the days when the rest of us had those things.
Even with hearty appetites gained from the cold
weather, fresh air and exercise there was always
plenty of food! Due to the crewing levels we
had to clear the tables at the end of each meal.
A bowl of fresh fruit was kept well stocked
at all times.
Overall
An enjoyable trip,
the first time I had been to Spitsbergen, lots
of wildlife, 16 polar bears in all, two fin
whales and even one blue whale! Not to mention
the reindeer, walruses and countless thousands
of birds of all kinds including the bird-watcher's
special rarity favorites, Sabine's Gull and
Ivory Gulls. Quite a lot of the wildlife was
seen a a distance including all the big things,
so binoculars and long cameras lenses are a
must.
Not a lot of sunshine however which it seems is typical
for Spitsbergen in the summer.
We chose the boat knowing that levels of comfort
and convenience would not match those offered
by larger vessels but expecting a pay-off, though
I have to admit I wasn't sure in the manner
this pay-off would come. It seems that it came
in having less people on the boat. We didn't
go anywhere that larger ships didn't go other
than one unremarkable channel of a few km that
we sailed through where bigger ships have to
go round.
I felt that I would have preferred a larger
ship as I found the numerous small inconveniences
and discomforts had no real positive flip-side.
The Noorderlicht is however priced to the lower
end of Arctic cruises. The boat is certainly
good looking from the outside, and appears adventurous
and romantic as evidenced by the number of passengers
on other ships we passed who took pictures of
us, especially when the sails were up. I suspect
I was lured by this image and for me at least
the boat was better to look at from a distance
than to be on.
There was one fellow passenger however who had
been on the exact same cruise two years previously
and had returned to do it again but this time
with his partner and another passenger who had
been on the boat a year previously on a cruise
around the Lofoten islands. It may therefore
be the kind of experience you are looking for
too.
Map with Spitsbergen
used by permission of TUBS and Wikimedia Commons
under
GNU Free Documentation License, Version
1.2 |
The boat in sea-ice,
the bridge is fully exposed |
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