Sundowner - there is none...

750 nautical miles lie behind us. We started on 27 May in the direction of Spitsbergen. The weather window predicted moderate wind on the nose, especially for the last part. We first set our sights on the island of Bjønøya, for a possible stopover after two days of sailing. Due to the worsening weather forecast, we continue directly. The next two days until arrival are rather rough. Stronger wind than announced, which also does not turn in our favour, and high waves make the trip exhausting for both of us. We sleep little and superficially, the meal plan is partly changed to finger food.

A few seagulls rest on the dinghy and dolphins accompany us almost the whole way. For us it is an absolute highlight that we are on the way with 24 h sun, or brightness. The time of day loses some of its importance. On 30 May we discover the snow flanks of Spitsbergen and arrive in Isbjørnhamna in the Hornsund after four days of crossing, overjoyed and a little tired.

On 01 June we enter Spitsbergen in sunshine and visit the "Polish Polar Station Hornsund". A warm welcome and a guided tour of the station await us. The logistics and the cosiness in the large hut are impressive. The team has been at the station for exactly one year and is looking forward to the departure in a fortnight' time with both anticipation and farewell pain.

A first walk on the island with rifles, for protection from polar bears, still takes a lot of getting used to. Huge flocks of birds "Little Auks" fly around the nearby rocks and make a fierce noise. The next few days we explore the Hornsund along the ice break edges and glaciers..

The landscape is breathtaking. We feel very fortunate to be in such a fantastic place, and with such beautiful weather: 24 hours of sun, sun and sun coupled with no wind = pleasantly warm! We carefully circle along the floating ice formations and directly get a "lump" on board. The "whisky on the rocks" as a "sundowner" with midnight sun becomes even more exclusive.

Entirely unexpectedly we come to two beautiful ski tours in spring-like conditions. However, the landscape is heavily glaciated. Therefore, the glacier gear is once again used for crevasse rescue.

After six wonderful days in Hornsund, we sail further north into Bellsund. There we sail along various beaches to see old whaling stations with huts, wooden boats and whale bones. Pink rock vegetation makes the barren landscape blossom a little and is also food for the reindeer. Curious and alert, the animals allow us to come close.

We anchor with a group of walruses. Great entertainment is provided! Bellsund is much larger and wider than Hornsund. However, it impresses us much less scenically. The weather changes and we continue on to Longyearbyen.

A rather barren mining town awaits us. Large tourist ships and freighters are moored in the harbour. You can see the traces of the mining operations on the slopes of the town. The atmosphere is very industrial. At one jetty there are rather "smaller ships", like the Aegir. There is still room for us in the second row and we moor at a ship we know, "SY Azimuth" (menofsea.com). In the next few days we will explore the town and its surroundings.