Sailing to Greenland on a scientific mission on a 90ft schooner was a voyage of discovery for Julien GirardotPoling off ice and a fruitless search for a passage to Narsaq in thick ice fields; ultimately Forel had to look for another route. Photo: Julien Girardot
\nThe streets of Brest are bustling early on this market morning. On the terrace of a bistro some late diners are still finishing off their night, while a nearby poissonnier yells at the top of his lungs about the freshness of his stock, his chest bulging. I wander among the stalls and stop in front of a small shellfish merchant. Two enormous crabs caught my eye. I\u2019ll take them, all 10 kilos. I\u2019ll need them to feed the crew I set sail with from Lorient yesterday.
\nWith my arms full, I retrace my steps down the narrow streets back to the Marina du Ch\u00e2teau. The air is chilly, but the sun gives a touch of softness on this June morning.
\nTowering over all the other masts in the marina with her twin red arrows, the outrigged schooner Forel is moored, connected to the quay by the diesel pump which has been running for two hours. Refuelling the near-8,000 gallon diesel tank was the goal of this last, short stopover in Brest. Tonight we set sail for Greenland.
\nCalm conditions off southern Ireland meant motoring under engine for some of the passage between Brest and Greenland. Photo: Julien Girardot
\nSailing to Greenland: Shakedown sail
\nThe Swiss Forel-Heritage Association bought the exploration schooner Paratii 2 from Brazilian adventurer Amir Klink two years previously. Once in Lorient it underwent an 18-month refit, transforming the 30m private yacht into a hi-tech research vessel. The yacht is renamed Forel to pay homage to Fran\u00e7ois-Alphonse Forel (1841-1912), a Swiss pioneer and founding father of limnology, the science of studying lakes.
\nI joined the crew in May 2024 as they completed the final stages of the refit. I will have two roles: chef and photographer, feeding the sailors and scientists onboard, while also capturing and telling the story of this first adventure. For three weeks, I fill the boat\u2019s deep holds with stores, equip the refurbished galley and make sure we have everything we need to be self-sufficient.
\nFor this first transat there are seven of us on board: the captain, Yohann; first mate Brieuc; Erwan, chief mechanic; and two deckhands, Nicolas and Nitya. Yvan is an oceanography technician who will be checking and testing the instruments installed during the transatlantic. They have to be in perfect working order when the scientists arrive. I\u2019m in the kitchen and behind the lens, leading some to call me \u2018Le Cuistographe\u2019.
\nMission accomplished, a last meal aboard for the scientists. Photo: Julien Girardot
\nWe cast off from Lorient in early June, head through the Raz de Sein and make a short stopover in Brest before Forel takes to the open sea, heading north-west. The first section of our crossing is windless, giving Erwan the opportunity to test the two new 410hp Cummins engines.
\nIn fact this passage will be an opportunity to test everything because, in typical post-shipyard tradition, everything that has to break, will break. Despite the calms, daily life is punctuated by alarms and repairs. Fortunately, the workshop is well-stocked, the crew smart thinking, and there\u2019s a solution to be found for every problem.
\nPassing southern Ireland at sunrise, puffins greet the crew, and islands appear out of warm mists. Yohann warns us that the next few days are likely to be more rock\u2019n\u2019roll. His predictions are correct: the wind builds rapidly, and we take in two reefs. Soon the gusts are topping 50 knots. On a reach, Forel\u2019s favourite point of sail, she regularly tops 10 knots. Thanks to the Balestron masts, with pivoting booms forward, manoeuvres are simple and only two crew are needed on deck.
\nPhoto: Julien Girardot
\nThe wind climbs all night, and by early morning the saloon is deserted. We\u2019re in convoy mode, and every opportunity to sleep is welcome, especially during rough passages. The living area is spacious, and includes a small library, two dining tables and the galley.
\nDespite the large volume of the saloon, there\u2019s always something to hold on to, but as Forel\u2019s motion is quite rollicking, you need to anticipate its movements to avoid going flying. On deck, Nicolas is constantly at the helm \u2013 a small problem with the pilot forcing him to endure the very uncomfortable conditions on deck, though always with a smile.
\nFoggy arrival
\nAfter one more night in tough conditions, when a problem with the foresail forces us to drop sails, the next day calm returns. Erwan fires up the engines again. We\u2019re approaching the mythical Cape Farewell after 10 days at sea from Brest. At Greenland\u2019s southernmost point, we can\u2019t see a thing: the fog has set in for good and we\u2019ve already lost 10\u00b0C of warmth.
\nThe new factor in our navigation is ice. At this time of year the pack ice formed in the north during the winter breaks up and drifts southwards. Added to this flow are huge blocks of ice detached from the fjords\u2019s glaciers: icebergs.
\nPoling off ice and a fruitless search for a passage to Narsaq in thick ice fields. Photo: Julien Girardot
\nDespite this abundance of ice, it\u2019s rare to see the passages into the southern fjords, where the villages are located, completely blocked for more than a week. But the year we visit is special: ice is everywhere. The winds and currents don\u2019t seem to be clearing the way.
\nYohann looks up from his computer and confirms that it will be impossible to reach Narsaq any time soon. Satellite images downloaded from the Danish weather forecast website (DMI) leave no doubt (Facebook is a popular means of communication in Greenland, so the DMI Facebook page is a good source of information).
\nThe satellites show the ice situation in almost real time and we can see it\u2019s packed, there is no way to get inside Narsaq\u2019s fjord for now. A strong gale is also forecast.
\nPhoto: Julien Girardot
\nOn the east coast, a hundred miles to the north, the map indicates possible shelter \u2013 the small village of Paamiut, population just 1,350, could be our salvation. Twenty-four hours later, the fog finally lifts and we cross our first ice field. These ice cubes are so big that they seem anchored, indestructible. Yet a gust of wind can sweep them all away in a matter of hours. For most of us, this incredible spectacle is a lifetime first.
\nEngraved in the memory
\nWe wait over a week before attempting a first passage to Narsaq. Baptiste R\u00e9gnier, freshly arrived from France, takes over from Yohann at the helm of Forel. He is also marine co-ordinator for the Forel project. Our new skipper has extensive ice experience and we leave Paamiut soon after. He decides to try and bypass the ice by heading through a side fjord. The route is longer, but seems clear.
\nAnchored in the Qalerallip Ilua fjord while waiting for pack ice to clear. Photo: Julien Girardot
\nI\u2019ll never forget that night watch with Baptiste. In the darkest hours of what is supposed to be night, the light is a deep blue. Navigating by sight, binoculars and instinct, we keep a constant, active watch. Occasionally, a growler grinds along the hull with a sharp metallic noise, breaking the monotony of the engines\u2019 hum.
\nI can\u2019t help but wonder how such a small piece of ice can make so much noise. I pad back and forth to the galley to refill our cups with hot coffee. There\u2019s no wind, but creeping forward at a slow speed creates enough breeze to freeze our noses.
\nThe game is to find a way through the labyrinth. We meander offshore to get around a clump of ice. Further along, what appeared to be a clear passageway turns into a thick, white carpet. We\u2019re trying to decipher a succession of mirages: rocks are ice cubes, the coast is mist, the pack ice is the sky. Nature plays tricks on us.
\nWe train our eyes along the coast looking for gaps. In this half-night, Forel seems to be gliding like a spaceship through an asteroid field. The icebergs we pass in slow motion are an infinite museum filled with living works, frozen forever. It\u2019s easy for your mind to wander, but we must stay awake and focussed \u2013 below, warm in their bunks, our friends have placed their trust in us.
\nClean laboratory aboard Forel avoids sample contamination. Photo: Julien Girardot
\nAfter four hours on watch, I\u2019m exhausted. Brieuc and Nico relieve us. When I wake up a few hours later, we\u2019re making good speed up the Snaevringen fjord on the south-west tip of Greenland, which is free of ice. The sun is high, the sky a clear blue, it\u2019s true summer \u2013 and a total contrast to the night before.
\nWe drop anchor in a magnificent bay where herds of wild musk ox populate every shore. With them, we\u2019re alone in the world. Baptiste\u2019s new weather forecast and ice map readings indicate a safe passage to Narsaq, but we have to wait two days. There is time for hiking, mussel fishing and contemplation. We silently thank the ice for this unique moment, forever engraved in each of us.
\nArticle continues below\u2026<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSailing to Greenland: an unforgettable catamaran journey through iceberg-studded fjords<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s hard to imagine what life is like beyond the borders of our imagination. Sometimes, when you\u2019re lucky enough, life\u2026<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSailing from Annapolis to Iceland on the viking routes of old<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHeavy, heavy fog blanketed the boat. We had a rotating watch standing on the bow looking for growlers. Everything, and\u2026<\/p>\n
Glacier tracking
\nAfter 70 miles slowly heading south-east under engine, we finally reach Narsaq, four days behind schedule and with no more time to lose. The very first scientific team to book Forel is GreenFjord, a project funded by the Swiss Polar Institute aiming to understand the differences between a fjord fed by a glacier ending in the sea and one fed by a glacier ending on land.
\nA four-year multi-disciplinary research program has been capturing how climate change affects the fjords of southern Greenland, which are highly complex eco-systems.
\nOn land, two teams study the glaciers, bivouacking for weeks at a time to collect data \u2013 this is literally terrestrial science. Another team visits villages, speaking in schools and with politicians to include the local population.
\nForel has been specially converted for high latitude scientific expeditions. Photo: Julien Girardot
\nOnce on board, the seven GreenFjord scientists unwind cables, plug in all kinds of instruments and wake up the machines one by one. The bowels of Forel are now home to a veritable hive of industry. For the next 10 days the boat will be at its maximum mission capacity of 12 people. The nights will be short, the activity intense.
\nEach scientist has his or her own specialty, and there are four specific teams. Julia Schmale, a professor at EPFL (\u00c9cole Polytechnique F\u00e9d\u00e9rale de Lausanne), heads the GreenFjord project and is in charge of the atmosphere.
\nForel had to look for another route. Photo: Julien Girardot
\nHer colleagues specialise in topics such as oceanography, greenhouse gas emissions, and the bio-diversity of plankton and fish. It\u2019s a cross-generational team, led by veterans whose combined experiences have taken them on many unique adventures.
\nSadly, given the delay and the workload, we\u2019ll have very little non-work interaction during these intense days. A study of this kind has never been carried out so thoroughly. It involves very complex logistics, which is why we\u2019ve taken so much equipment on board.
\nAfter leaving the Narsaq dock the first scientific mission of this season takes place in the Sermilik fjord, which is fed by a tidal glacier (ending in the sea). Another oceanographic vessel will cover the Igaliku fjord, whose glacier ends on land.
\nThe Rosette water sampling instrument is winched back aboard. Photo: Julien Girardot
\nForel becomes a floating laboratory, carrying the scientists around the fjord as they take samples from exactly the same spots as they did the year before. As the ice is everywhere this year, we only move carefully under engine. The crew work hand in hand with the scientists, sending sampling machines below the surface with a 1,000m-long cable.
\nWorking around the fjord is never easy as we take samples far from Narsaq and need to find shelter each night. But many locations in this area of Greenland have not been properly charted, and there is an element of uncertainty when it comes to anchoring. So, sometimes, the crew will keep the engine running on low all night, and stand a constant night watch. We anchor only when we know that it\u2019s secure.
\nThe Swiss-flagged Forel\u2019s second season of scientific expeditions, May-September 2025, will include trips to the St Lawrence Estuary in Canada, and two voyages to Greenland. See forel-heritage.org\/en\/. Photo: Julien Girardot
\nArriving at the GPS point of the first station, I strike up a conversation with Virginie Marquez, a French post-doctoral student who is fishing for plankton. She explains that nutrients at the bottom of the fjord are not normally accessible to phytoplankton, as they need light and can\u2019t survive at 600m.
\nBut a tidal glacier melts from below, and the freshwater rises to the surface, carrying with it matter from the bottom. This rising column of water makes nutrients available to phytoplankton \u2013 which grow and are eaten by zooplankton, which in turn serve as food for fish. The process is known as upwelling. Because of this phenomenon, tidal glacier fjords have rich ecosystems.
\nMusk ox for company. Photo: Julien Girardot
\nThe aft deck is bustling with activity. Two scientists are adjusting an instrument worthy of a space rocket engine. It consists of a laser spectrometer integrated into a watertight tube that continuously measures the composition of gases dissolved in water. Correlated with other instruments, it allows the team to observe what\u2019s happening in real time.
\nNext door, their colleague dismantles the Niskin bottles of the Rosette, a complex plankton sampling instrument that\u2019s returned from a dive to 500m.
\nThe large aft area of Forel is primarily dedicated to scientific expeditions. During the refit it was fitted out with three laboratories: wet, dry, clean (the clean one being a major asset for scientific teams) and numerous instruments.
\nIn the wet lab on the port side, Prof Julia Schmale and her assistant Mihnea are filtering samples, looking for small natural particles in the atmosphere \u2013 sea spray, dust released by melting glaciers. \u201cThey have the power to form clouds,\u201d Schmale explains.
\n\u201cClouds are vital in terms of global warming because they block the sun. The consequences of too high a reflectivity are accelerated melting of the ice.\u201d I\u2019ll never look at clouds in the same way again.
\nMorning light over Narsaq. Photo: Julien Girardot
\nChanging times
\nBack in the saloon, Swiss oceanographer Sam shows me a GreenFjord map on his computer over coffee. \u201cYou see here, this is the other fjord: Igaliku. It\u2019s very different from Sermilik in that its glacier has retreated beyond the coast, and its meltwater flows into the fjord via a river. It no longer benefits from upwelling.
\n\u201cFisheries in this type of fjord have almost disappeared. This is a tragedy for local fishermen. Greenland\u2019s economy is based on fishing. The Sermilik fjord represents what Greenland has always known for thousands of years.
\nForel\u2019s ice captain and project co-ordinator, Baptiste R\u00e9gnie. Photo: Julien Girardot
\n\u201cBut the case of Igaliku will be repeated across the country, and this type of fjord will become the new norm here. There will be far fewer fish and icebergs. Instead, with vegetation growing, global warming is also seen as an opportunity. Sheep farms and market gardening are springing up.\u201d Greenland is changing rapidly.
\nOur work done, we head back to Narsaq, and I prepare one last supper for this incredible team to celebrate the end of the mission: a huge smoked salmon pie, with a fresh salad of quinoa and vegetables. For the desert, a speculoos cheesecake, which draws some of the scientific team to hang around the kitchen while I finish the preparations.
\nJulia comes by the galley to make herself a little Cha\u00ef. Not a sailor before, the expedition has won her over to working from a yacht. \u201cThese 10 days have convinced me,\u201d she tells me. \u201cThe environment here is challenging, but Forel is very flexible, going where other, larger vessels wouldn\u2019t: you get the feeling that anything is possible.\u201d
\nThe following day, the scientists disembark and I return to France for true summer, grateful for the adventure. Mission accomplished.<\/p>\n
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Sailing to Greenland on a scientific mission on a 90ft schooner was a voyage of discovery for Julien GirardotPoling off ice and a fruitless search for a passage to Narsaq in thick ice fields; ultimately Forel had to look for … <\/p>\n