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West Greenland and Baffin Island
- christinerex7
- Aug 26
- 11 min read
26.08.2025
After Ilulissat, we sail further north through the Vaigat, setting our sights on Saqqaq as our first stop. In foggy conditions and dense ice fields, we must navigate carefully. We sail slowly, taking turns at the helm every half hour. Fortunately, the density of growlers decreases before increasing again off Saqqaq. A belt of ice stretches along the coast, making it seem as though there is no way through. Christine goes to the bow to find a route through the ice. Off Saqqaq, the small boats are sheltered by an offshore island. We get as close as possible, but the anchor barely holds in the rocky seabed and there is little water under the keel at low tide. We plan to set off early the next day, when there are gaps in the fog. The next morning, we are awoken by a few small growlers knocking on the Aegir. We decide to set off when visibility improves. The ice is less dense, and the sea is calm. The entire fjord is dotted with huge icebergs. Together with the low-hanging clouds, this creates a magical atmosphere. We run the watermaker while motoring as there is no fresh water from land to be expected. Despite the water temperature being just under 6 degrees Celsius, we still produce 110 litres per hour.
As we sail towards the sun, the atmosphere changes. We can now see more land. The high mountains, some of which are still covered in snow, make us want to go skiing. We navigate towards the anchorage at Nuussuaq in Vaigat using satellite images. This area is not marked on nautical charts. We drop the anchor in a sheltered spot. There are navigation marks on the headlands. We are alone, except for a few geese and ducks. Then several motorboats arrive. There are men, women and children out and about here. We exchange warm greetings. They wave to us, but they keep their distance. They lay out nets and then rush off.
A dreamlike day unfolds. The sea is as smooth as glass and icebergs are scattered across a vast expanse of water, looking completely different in the sunlight. We can clearly see seal heads. We spot several fin whales in the fjord. We drop anchor behind a tiny headland in Arftertarsuak, hoping that the icebergs will drift past. On land, we find traces of musk oxen. We collect their super-soft wool. Who knows? Maybe we'll find enough to knit something small. We clumsily set a fixed net for the first time, hoping to catch some Arctic char. The evening is wonderfully mild, sunny and calm. The next morning, we hear the quiet breathing of fin whales in the fjord. Eagerly, we pull in the net and are delighted to find four Arctic char inside. As we leave, a fin whale bids us farewell by diving.
We continue our journey through rough seas to Søndre Strømfjord, where we enjoy a wonderful experience. After anchoring in the bay directly in front of the village, we remain on board, feeling somewhat exhausted from the long journey. Later that evening, a motorboat filled with villagers — men, women and children — arrives. They all introduce themselves, and then we are given a bag of narwhal meat. They all say goodbye with a 'Takuss' and rush off. The next morning, we go ashore, but the residents are busy with their daily routines and we don't have an opportunity to thank them again. Instead, we watch the arrival of a large cargo ship which docks at the relatively small jetty.
Various local options for stocking up on fresh food
Our journey continues to Upernavik. A beautiful mountainous landscape and an Arctic summer await us. The forecast fog turns out to be wonderful sunshine. With the help of the village children, we moor at the large wooden pier, but we have to move twice — first to make way for a cargo ship, and then again to make way for the fishing boats. However, we always find a place in the small harbour. We are able to refuel, do some shopping, and explore the hillside village. An impressive polar bear skin is hanging out to dry, and there is some meat hanging in front of the houses, too. We spend another night in a nearby bay, enjoying the fantastic mountain panorama adorned with wisps of fog and sunshine. We fish successfully for char again here, and collect mussels. Unfortunately, we then set off on our return journey to Diskobay in the afternoon. Yves, our new visitor, cannot get a flight to Upernavik, and he has limited holiday time. So we set sail on a 1.5-day trip with excellent downwind conditions. The weather is perfect at first. Unfortunately, visibility and waves then deteriorate. We establish a short watch rhythm, staring intently at our radar. An unseen growler of medium size glides close past the ship.
We finally arrive in Qeqertarusuaq feeling fine, but a little tired. Yves waves to us from the harbour. The new crew is now complete. We sail to Melemfjord, where we enjoy the vastness of the fjord and more Arctic char. Slowly, with the wind in our faces, we motor towards Nuussuaq. It feels good to reach a familiar anchorage. Once again, two Inuit boats meet here. They moor alongside us and exchange 'crew'. It looks like a family reunion. The granddaughter moves to her grandmother's boat. We say 'Takuss'.
And that's how it is. In Uummannaq, they wave to us again. After that, we enjoy sunny weather and optimal downwind conditions with few waves. We sail past huge icebergs and admire the mountains and glaciers. Uummannaq town offers a spectacular panorama with its 'local mountain'. In front of the small harbour lies a small tanker, and inside the harbour there is a supply ship and many small fishing boats. We anchor the bow and secure the stern with a shore line. It is great fun to push the Aegir sideways with our dinghy until it is in the right position. On the first day, fog and sunshine alternate rapidly. The "gray" time is used for shopping and the untangling of our anchor chain in the box. Another refuelling operation turns into a sporting event. With the dinghy and five canisters, the journey takes over three hours. This is our last chance to refuel before crossing to the Baffin Islands. The next day, the fog quickly clears and we enjoy a beautiful hike up the local mountain. Fortunately, we find mushrooms again and treat ourselves to French fries in town. The following day, in sunshine, we take a detour into the Ummanaq Fjord, passing countless huge icebergs along the way. However, we decide not to anchor here and instead head for the islet of Qeqertat. Two fin whales appear at the bow and swim calmly on.
A quiet bay awaits us. A trip is taken in the dinghy and polar foxes are encountered, and the gill net is set for char. On land, evidence of human activity is visible, for example in the form of a soccer ball. Otherwise, the island appears untouched. From the hilltop, we look out over another fjord. Fortunately, we find more mushrooms, so our next lunch is sorted. Back on board, we see growlers drifting towards us. A few icebergs also appear to be moving in our direction. Gregor keeps watch for ice and wakes Christine during the night. We move the anchor, and an hour and a half later, we pull it up completely. The ice situation in the bay has changed rapidly. Some icebergs have broken up and turned. Our quiet bay seems to be turning into a harbour for icebergs. Let's get out of here. The wind brings waves, and hauling in the set net with the dinghy becomes a rocky affair. Now, we motor into the new day with reasonably good visibility and reach, and we'll be arriving at Arftertarsuak in the afternoon. The anchorage here is already known to us and safety is immediately felt. We enjoy the sunny evening and go to bed early.
The next day, 30 July, we prepare the ship and set sail for the Baffin Island in Canada. With a light following wind and small waves, we glide peacefully through the water, leaving Greenland behind us. A few hours later, the wind died down, so we motored past icebergs in changing visibility. It takes us two days to reach Canada, and we drop anchor off the village of Clyde River. Gregor left the ship in the dinghy to check in with the police. After about an hour, he comes back with two police officers. They take a look around the ship. The emphasis is on registering the long guns we have with us for protection against polar bears and the alcohol we are only permitted to consume on board. Alcohol is neither produced nor imported on Baffin Island. In the afternoon, we get our passports back and our official entry into Canada is confirmed. We go ashore. A dead seal lies on the beach. We hear that narwhals have also been spotted in the neighbouring bay. However, the motorboats return empty-handed. The houses here are much simpler than those in Greenland. The roads are sandy. The people are friendly yet reserved. Except for the children. They hug us, wave, and show us their slingshots. They also talk to us non-stop in English, trying to strike up a conversation. We quickly explore the place, looking around at the sights and sounds as we go. In the supermarket, we find that fresh produce is affordable, as is fast food.
We decided to continue sailing to Swiss Bay that evening at short notice. The rain that started washing the Aegir clean a little. The coast and mountains in the fjord are not visible, unfortunately. The anchorage is located in front of a sandy plain. We explore the area with the dinghy and a depth gauge. Extra chain is laid out in preparation for the storm forecast in Baffin Bay. Hiking across the glacial floodplain demonstrates how difficult it is to make progress in rocky, sandy and watery terrain. After two hours of walking, the glacier is still very far away, so we turn back. Meanwhile, SY Novara arrives at Sam Ford Fjord and takes a detour to pay us a visit in the bay. They finally anchor in Walker Inlet, and we call them after our hike. Our riding sail helps us to weather strong winds, but it's important to keep an eye on the anchor for safety.
The side arm, Walkerfjord, is still being explored by us as we make our way past rock giants that loom large and glaciers that hang down from the mountains. It is such good fortune for us to have the opportunity to observe narwhals and seals on multiple occasions. Uncharted territory is entered and the floodplain at the end of the fjord is approached carefully with the dinghy. We anchor on rocky ground and lay two shore lines. A seal jumps around us repeatedly and even tries to steal a fish from our set net. One of the char has bite marks. Two varied excursions follow: first, we hike through lush vegetation, including moss and mushrooms, but unfortunately also some "false" blueberries (hemlock). This takes us to a rocky, barren high plateau which suddenly drops steeply, revealing a large river below. Then, we take the dinghy to a glacier jutting out into the water. Its fragile structure, complete with caves, is particularly impressive up close. We walk alongside the rushing glacier river on beautifully grained granite slabs. The landscape is incredible and completely untouched, making it a place like no other. During the night, unexpectedly strong winds (38 kt) hit us broadside on, so we have to keep anchor watch again.
Hiking needs sound preperation
In the morning, we set sail from the fjord in perfect conditions: fantastic visibility and a fair wind. The changing winds make for an active sail. We receive a radio message: 'Hello sailing boat!' A motorboat carrying locals rushes past us. Sadly, we don't see the hunters again. After a long day, we reach Refuge Bay. By now, we are experienced at exploring the coastline in the dinghy and finding the best place to anchor. The anchor holds immediately. The next day, Gregor and Yves prepare to secure the fishing net to the shore using the dinghy. They return quickly — they have spotted a polar bear on land. We use the drone to photograph the well-fed male. He is eating grass. At this moment in time, the wind is blowing in such a way that he is unable to detect our scent. As a precaution, we took the dinghy and the bathing ladder up. Later, we watch the polar bear reach the shore and swim away.
White rock started to move - we better went back to the boat...
After this distant encounter, we initially see every white rock as a potential polar bear. We venture ashore. A rocky moraine was climbed up to get a better view. A large river comes into view on one side, with an impressive mountain backdrop in the distance. Our exploration is kept brief. On the beach, we find a shelter with barred windows and a sturdy door. Inside, the wooden benches and shelves look new, and the air is fresh. If we are surprised by a polar bear, we will definitely find shelter here. In the afternoon, we are annoyed by a bergy bit drifting towards us. We weigh anchor — 50 metres of chain, which takes a while. The iceberg passes quite close to us. What is special for us is that the Aegir is lying across the wind. The combination of the current and the long keel is not to be underestimated. So we tolerate the splashing of the waves alongside us. The next morning, the cruiseliner "Hanseatic Spirit" moors next to us and brings its guests ashore after the 'bear watch team' has declared the area safe. We last saw the cruise ship in Greenland. The German-speaking crew kindly offers to give us some bread. We politely decline, as we bake our own delicious bread with our bread machine.
Our next stage will take us to the end of the fjord. The mountains are dusted with fresh snow and partially shrouded in clouds or fog. Some glacier tongues extend into the water and we would love to take the dinghy out there and put on our crampons. We drop anchor right next to an impressive rock face and set out two mooring lines. We get to use the kayak. We are well dressed in our dry suits. After some practice, we manage to avoid capsizing on our first attempts. On shore, we find many whale skeletons and old bear footprints. In any case, we remain on our guard. The presence of bears is indicated by the number of shelters here in this remote area.
Another fjord arm is taken with us. There are some very active seals frolicking at the anchorage. As always, they are curious and put on a show for us with a few impressive jumps. We all enjoy the delicious Arctic char. A glacier tongue is accessible by hiking here, and it is possible to walk on it with crampons. Unfortunately, we left them on board.
Before leaving Gibbsfjord, we drop anchor one last time between Sillem Island and the small island of Qikiqtakuluk, before hiking to the island's summit. There is at least a large cairn on the 200-metre-high island, which is the only sign of human presence. The absolute silence impresses us. Is it because we are so used to the noise on board that we perceive the quiet of the shore excursions so intensely? The view of the wide fjords, mountains and glaciers still takes our breath away. After all, we have now been travelling in this remote wilderness for almost two weeks. Once again, there is no wind on the way back to Clyde River. Low-pressure areas are moving from west to east far south, giving us mostly very calm weather.
Refill by jerry can and dinghy is almost a full day exercise
Before Yves disembarks, we fill up with almost 800 liters of diesel using canisters and the dinghy. The tanker truck returns to the beach especially for us and, this time, extends the fuel nozzle to the dinghy. We have some nice conversations during the lengthy refuelling process. Several unforgettable encounters with the local population were experienced. A visit to the Nunavut Cultural Academy, complete with a short guided tour, showcases the Inuit's dedication to preserving their culture. The aim is to preserve traditional Inuit skills. Students stay for six semesters and learn how to make ulu knives (knives designed for women) and how to process skins, for example. An elderly couple invites us for coffee and tells us a lot about their lives and Inuit hunting. It is a highlight for everyone when they return the visit on board. For Yves, the journey with the Aegir ends here.
For the past six months, we have been welcoming a steady stream of visitors on board. Interesting new destinations around the world were sailed to and many experiences were shared together. It has been an enriching and intense time. Now, we're really looking forward to spending time with our Aegir until we reach our winter storage in Halifax.
What a wonderful adventure you're having. Excellent photography. Thank you very much.