Leg 1: Eyemouth, Scotland to the Orkney Islands
Let’s face it i’m the last person who should be planning another trip. I’ve been home a few weeks after a 3 month journey that has taken me to some of the remotest corners on the planet including Antartica and South Georgia.
I should be glued to my computer editing the thousands of photos and countless hours of video I have accumulated. As it turns out i’m gazing out at the endless grey of the North Sea around 5 miles off the coast of Aberdeen. It’s 9pm and i’ve just begun my first night watch on a yacht called Impromptu. As I stare out at the orange, shimmering lights of the coast I contemplate the voyage that lies ahead. A sailing journey of epic magnitude from the UK to our final destination, the remote coast of east Greenland where we plan to spend a few weeks exploring.
The passage from Eyemouth to the Orkney Islands.
Fellow adventurer Michele on the helm of Impromptu as we depart Eyemouth.
It started a little over a week ago when I saw an advert online that read ‘crew wanted for an expedition to Greenland’. The passage plan read like my dream list of remote places I have yet to visit – The Orkney Islands, The Faroe Islands, Iceland and then the most mysterious and least explored of them all, Greenland.
I called the skipper of the boat and persuaded him that I would be a good fit for the crew. As it turned out the person that pulled out at the last minute was a filmmaker and I would fill that gap nicely. I spent a frantic week shopping around for the required equipment for our shore landings. I crammed my ice axe, crampons and filming gear into a rucksack and jumped on a train to Scotland. I boarded Impromptu in Eyemouth and this morning set sail for Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands. If our passage goes to plan we should be there sometime tomorrow afternoon.
Approaching the Orkney Islands as stormy conditions approach.
After a gusty night with winds speeds up to force 8 we safely arrive Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands after 28 hours at sea. Strong winds are forecast for the next few days and we are happy to be in shelter from the encroaching storm and ready to sample some local ales.
Impromptu safely alongside in Kirkwall.
A sunset from the pier in Kirkwall.
Hi, I’m Andy, co-founder of Secret Atlas, currently on a personal journey to travel to the most remote places on earth.
If you are interested in visiting Svalbard or Greenland on a small ship expedition please check out our tours here.
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