After four days of battling sea ice around the Mossel Halvoya peninsular we decided to turn back down the south west coast of Svalbard. We waited patiently for the ice to clear checking the sea ice charts daily. Unfortunately, when the ice did clear the wind made it impossible to continue in our planned direction. It is frustrating that we cannot complete the full circumnavigation, I almost felt that we had been defeated but that feeling was quickly forgotten by a climb up the mast. I took my first trip up to the Norderlichts crow’s nest in order to get a different perspective on things. Once you get over the Vertigo the view is amazing. If it weren’t for the cold I would stay up there all day.
