We had a meeting of the entire ship's complement to hear the captain explain what would be happening during the balance of the voyage and how we will be dealing with possible iceberg conditions.
We're motor sailing for a way point of 50 degrees north and 50 degrees west which will place us about 120 nautical miles east of New Brunswick as the wind is still against us and expected to increase . However, to get there we will have to sail west through the area where icebergs and bergy bites are now being spotted by the Canadian authorities. The captain is expecting that there will be an alley of no ice that we can slip through, but the reports are not certain and are subject to change.
He has set the following preventive measures beginning midnight tonight; the watertight doors to the foc'sle will be closed, in addition to the regular lookouts there will be two lookouts on the cross trees (platform) on the foremast, if we find that we are seeing ice we will hove to (stop sailing) at night, the engines will be ready to go full reverse at all times and, when we get closer to shore we may anchor overnight if it is too dangerous to proceed.
He now feels that we will be be able to stop at St John's, New Foundland, but we may or may not have enough time to to go ashore depending on how long it takes to get through the ice.
The icebergs show up on radar, so they are the least dangerous. The bergy bits, small pieces of icebergs are more dangerous as they float at the water's surface, but the greatest danger comes from the growlers, pieces of bergy bits about the size of a shipping container that float below the surface. Hitting anyone of these would be the same as colliding with a fishing trawler. Not good. The amount of reported ice is diminishing each day and we have no other option but to move forward with the proper precautions.
Obviously, if you are reading this we have made it to New Brunswick.
Stay tuned.
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