Greenland: Iglukasik Havn

It would have been nice to spend 2 more days in Ikerasassuaq (Prins Christian Sund) but the forecast showed several days of west wind and the sensible thing for us to do was to start working our way along the southwest coast before the wind filled in, cutting our time in Ikerasassuaq (Prins Christian Sund) short. Though the sky was gray, we could still see the glaciers and towering rounded mountains lining the sound. We passed Igdlorssuit Havn, our favorite anchorage in Ikerasassuaq (Prins Christian Sund), with its black, blue and white snaking glacier. The anchorage gave us refuge from a gale during our first trip to Greenland.     

Frances Winching

 Glacier, Igdlorssuit Havn 

Under sail, it was a little tricky avoiding the increasing number of icebergs as the passage narrowed. While we were approaching the final turn out of the sound, Hanseatic, a cruise ship overtook us. Blowing its horn in greeting while its passengers stood on deck taking photos of Snow Dragon sailing passed an iceberg.

 Hanseatic

Next we went through Ilua and passed the small fishing community of Aappilattoq with its narrow entrance and shallow harbour. It was the first time we had been near the community in calm enough conditions to bring Snow Dragon safely into the harbour. We briefly considered stopping but it would have meant having to push into strong headwinds the next day.

Snow Dragon, Ilua

 Torsukattak

The mountains lost their smooth contours and became jagged as we passed through Torsukattak, the last area of protected water before starting up the west coast. A light west wind began to fill in and we decided to motor in order to give ourselves enough time to find an anchorage before dark. Once we left Torsukattak and were out in open water, we regretted not having the mainsail up for stability as Snow Dragon rolled in the 2m westerly swell. The first 2 anchorage possibilities were full of icebergs and would not have provided enough protection from the swell. We ended up having just enough light to push on until Iglukasik Havn, a protected bay off the inner passage to Nanortalik that we had anchored in before.

The motion rapidly subsided when we reached the entrance to the passage and were once again in flat water. At Iglukasik Havn, we snuggled Snow Dragon into the bay’s northwest corner in preparation for the stronger west winds that was forecast to begin in the early morning. After a peaceful night, we woke up to a cold, windy and rainy day but the weather briefly improved in the afternoon with blue sky and we went ashore to take advantage of the break in the weather before it returned to gray.

We headed for a cracked boulder perched on top of a hill that we had been admiring from the Snow Dragon. Walking in the relentless wind, our cold gloved fingers we were relieved not to find any blueberries to pick along the way. The giant boulder was well worth the effort and Krystina had to restrain Frances from climbing it before retreating back to Snow Dragon.  

 Iglukasik Havn

The weather was still stormy during our second morning at Iglukasik Havn, and we spent it much like we did our first, secluded in the warm pilothouse. Only venturing outside to hang our laundry, running the clothes line through our garments so they wouldn’t blow away before using our normal method of clothes pegs to hold them in place. We even got cunning enough to bring the washing line inside to prep the clothes before making a quick dash outside to hang it.

Late in the afternoon we finally ventured to shore in search of blueberries, finding a grand total of 2. Though we remember picking dense large blueberries at Iglukasik Havn, this time the plants were still flowering. Instead, we walked on the soft and at times wet vegetation until we had a view of the next fjord. With the occasional rest break behind a large boulder to get out of the wind. By the time we got back to Snow Dragon, the wind had laid down. The gray cloud cleared in time for sunset and we could finally see the high mountains beyond the low bubbly hills.

For more photos please click on Iglukasik Havn Album