19th - 26 October

Sat on the London underground one day reading Shortlist I read an article about 25 life changing trips to do before you die. It was here that I was introduced to ‘The Noorderlicht’ and I knew that I had to experience an arctic sailing aboard her. ‘The Noorderlicht’ was originally built in 1910, in Flensburg. For most of her life she served as a light vessel on the Baltic. Then, in 1991 the present owners purchased the ship and re-rigged and re-fitted her thoroughly, according to the rules of ‘Register Holland’. The Noorderlicht is 46 metres long and 6.5 metres breadth, a two-masted schooner rig that is able to sail all seas.

What made this particular voyage on the ‘Noorderlicht’ completely unique (apart from the fact that is was also my honeymoon) and something I am so grateful for was that it was the first and only time that it or indeed any other cruise vessel had sailed this late into October. Arctic winter was due to set four days in and from that date there would be no reading of a sunrise or sunset. All other passenger vessels had stopped sailing two weeks previous and in our eight days at sea we only saw one other cargo ship on the horizon. Even much of the wildlife had already migrated. To sail these arctic waters and to be challenged by the elements, to experience the true remoteness and isolation and the sense of being totally alone was incredible, a feeling that will stay within me for the rest of my life.

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