ICE CRUISING TIPS BY VETERAN POLAR SAILOR BOB SHEPTON

Considered by many as a modern day Bill Tilman, Bob Shepton has sailed his 33ft Westerly Discus through the Northwest Passage twice, has crossed the Atlantic 14 times and is often to be found cruising the Arctic Circle

Choice of boat: A steel or aluminum boat is preferable, although fibreglass is a good deal stronger than we realise. One year, I had to push a GRP boat through brash and growlers in Antarctica’s Meek Channel. Down below it sounded terrible, but when we lifted it out thousands of miles later, there was not a scratch on the yacht. In a GRP boat, I would not want to weave through more than three-tenths coverage of ice, and no more than five-tenths ice in a metal boat.

Navigating in ice: Pack ice from a distance looks impenetrable. Up close you can often find ways through. Some say you should not enter pack ice unless you can see open water at the far end. I don’t agree with that; it’s a matter of personal judgement. If we had followed that advice we would not have got out of the Northwest Passage in 2013. Ice can move in and out very quickly, driven by wind or tide. Icebergs can be affected more by current than wind. Tilman writes of mooring to ice floes. Unless the conditions are very calm, I would advise against this, as you may be sucked into wherever the ice floe goes.

Anchoring in icy waters: On no account go and spend a night ashore. If ice is about, an anchor watch is imperative. It is useful to have more than one anchor; we carry three or four, not least as these regions can be stormy. In Baffin Island in 2014, we laid an anchor out astern as well, to prevent being turned around in the unpredictable winds from the surrounding mountains. Lines ashore are even better and can be released quickly.

Vital equipment: An ice pole, called a tuk, is a must for pushing floes away. Have at least two on board. Even big floes will respond, but if anchored with ice around, you will be beset sooner or later.