There is nothing more valuable than time, especially in a world that has a deadline attached to almost everything. That's why I greatly appreciate the extra paid vacation at Groundfog - more time to relax and do what you enjoy most.

One of those things for me is sailing. It’s a passion I share with my brother. One evening he called me and said ‘Open Google Maps and look up Svalbard’. After I did just that he continued ‘How about sailing there for two weeks in June?’. I paused to ponder. Sailing is one thing, but sailing on top of the world is another. How can you pass on such an offer? Of course I said ‘yes’.

Now the big question arises.

How Do You Prepare (A.K.A. What Have You Got Yourself Into)?

We typically go sailing in the Black or the Mediterranean Sea where it’s nice and warm. These places are also easy to reach by car or plane from Bucharest. The North Pole sounds like a different game.

First, we went to YouTube and looked for videos to get familiar with what sailing there means. We particularly liked this one and I hope you will too. It’s close to the experience we had, minus the hydrophone.

Then we compiled a list of what we needed. As we did that, we were surprised that there weren’t many exotic - pun intended - items. If I were to pick one, besides the warm clothes, that would be the sleeping mask. Why? Because it will never get dark.



We knew what to expect and we had our packing list. How do you get to the North Pole? It's easy, you fly to Longyearbyen. I was tempted to give you a link to the place, but searching for it and zooming out on Google Maps is an experience, so I'll let you do it. Not surprisingly, we could not find any direct flights from Bucharest to Longyearbyen, which was a good idea to see a bit of Oslo. From the Norwegian capital, there are daily flights to Longyearbyen.

The Start

We arrived in Longyearbyen on June 12th on a cloudy day. We later learned that many days can be cloudy because the weather changes more than we are used to (and the day is long as you now know). It was a more than 30 °C drop in temperature compared to Bucharest and we adapted with pleasure to the new climate.
After a short bus ride from the airport to the marina we dropped our backpacks and met with the crew. Ten brave sailors shook hands and headed to town for shopping and the northernmost brewery. I believe you can add ‘northernmost’ to almost everything you will see.



The town is the administrative capital of the Svalbard archipelago and has everything you need, including a university and a newspaper. Even if you don't want to go sailing, there are plenty of activities that start there, from tours to the abandoned coal mining towns like Pyramiden to hiking.

It's perfectly normal to see people carrying a rifle in public. You need to have one if you want to venture outside the town. We also had one on board and it was mandatory.

The Boat

"Join Us" does not appear to be anything special at first glance. It is a 47-foot sailboat with two headsails and five cabins for a crew of 10. The boat is different from what you may have seen before. Compared to the yachts you see in Croatia, this one had a steel keel and radiators in every cabin, just like at home.
It would need them, if we were to call it that for the next two weeks and nearly 500 nautical miles. And what is a home without an Internet connection? For that, we had a Starlink subscription for boats, which allowed us to check the weather where there was no service.



The day after we landed in Longyearbyen, we set sail in a 20-knot wind that came out of nowhere, but we had an experienced skipper, a tough boat, and windstopper jackets. We hoisted the sails and headed for Barentsburg, our first stop.

Venturing Up North

Barentsburg is a Russian town built around a coal mine that is still in operation and open for tours. If that is not your thing, a stop at the Red Bear, the borscht, and the 78 - a colored shot named after the 78th latitude parallel - is worth it.

After enjoying the delicious food and cozy saunas, we set sail on a calm sea to see a bay where walruses usually hang out. Our watch was rewarded with a calm sea and magnificent views. It felt like sailing in the Alps in winter.



After anchoring, we took the dinghy out and organized two landing parties to see the walruses. Getting ready to leave the boat means: (1) getting dressed like you would during a watch, (2) putting on rubber boots because you don't want your feet to get wet, and (3) putting on your life vest. If you fall into the cold Arctic water, you have a few minutes before hypothermia kicks in.



Speaking of cold water, four daring sailors jumped into the water as we anchored in front of the largest glacier I've ever seen live. For GDPR purposes, I will only show you the big ice wall and the breathtaking views around it.

Fantastic Glaciers and Where to Find Them

Approaching a glacier is a different experience. Imagine the first thing you feel is a noticeable drop in temperature, which becomes more present as you get closer. Your already cold nose gets a few degrees colder. Then you start to hear it. Louder or quieter cracking sounds every few minutes that eventually reward you with the grand finale - a large chunk of ice falling majestically in front of your eyes. A few moments later, the boat is gently rocking as the waves reach you.

Where are the glaciers? They tend to be sheltered in bays like this one, and they vary greatly in size - from the "small" ones, only a few hundred meters high, to the huge ones that appear the further north you sail to 80°.





First pro tip: Look for seals! It's one of their favorite hangouts.

Second pro tip: use the glacier!

The Hidden History

The places we visited were shaped by one major industry: mining. It's not surprising that this activity has not been very profitable, considering the remoteness and the challenges of working with old tech. Some places have adapted to the 21st century, such as Longyearbyen - where you can find a university - or Ny Alesund - which hosts a satellite ranging facility and a bar that is only open on Thursdays and Saturdays - while others have simply been abandoned.

A good example is Pyramiden, a ghost town similar to Chornobyl, which we unfortunately couldn't visit due to the significant detour required. But it's not hard to find others like the one below in Colesbukta Bay. A former Russian coal mining settlement, long abandoned but well preserved, is on the verge of losing the battle with time.

Back to the Start

We were close to reaching the end of the known world, the 80th latitude north. At 79° 43.087' and without wind, we had to decide if it was worth motoring for seven hours. We had already done a lot of motoring because of the weather, so the prospect of sleeping with the engine on all the time did not appeal to us. The helm was turned 180° and the journey back began.

We watched walruses again, checked out the hot dogs at the Ny Alesund pub (the only thing you can eat there), and made another stop for borscht in Barentsburg before refueling and docking safely in Longyearbyen. What do you do with a boat after two weeks of sailing? You take it apart and give it a good wash so the next crew can enjoy it as much as you did.



Then we visited the northernmost brewery again and went for lunch. The moose burger seemed to be very good, but something else caught my attention. "What is the catch of the day?" I asked the waiter. "Whale", he replied. I thought for a second... What are the chances that I will be able to taste this anytime soon? Close to zero. "One for me, please!" I said.

The whale has the consistency of beef and tastes like a beef-fish hybrid. I am glad I had this experience because it’s unlikely to repeat. At least I won't.

The next day we packed our sleeping bags and our memories and headed back to the airport. From 4°C it was time to go back to 34°C.