Henk De Velde; this is the North, this is the Ice - It's over
Sep 8, 2004 11: 38 EST
September 3 disaster struck the Campina:
"For two days we had laid rather comfortably moored to an ice chunk in three meters of water.
"Ice floes clashed against each other constantly with a power enough to crack my ship. Around 4 hours before darkness fell, the ice berg that we had been anchored to broke.
A heavy iceberg pressed the boat
"We maneuvered Campina to a larger ice berg, between the floating ice. Then the flow twisted and a heavy iceberg pressed the boat against the wall of ice. We were crooked 10 degrees. The iceberg pressed the boat onto underwater ice. I heard an enormous cracking.
"Fifteen minutes later we fell to our right. I controlled the bilge; no water. Ice was sitting between the steering and around the propeller. By putting the propeller slowly ahead and reverse I got rid of that ice. Boris pushed the ice away with a pitch hook.
The Campina was uncontrollable
"The port side rudder was off by 60 degrees. Then I looked if I could move the starboard steering. No movement. A closer inspection revealed oil leaks everywhere at the hydraulic system. The Campina was uncontrollable. We tied her up with long lines to the ice. We (Henk has the company of ice lots Boris, 72 years) had to climb around the ice blocks to fix lines in the right directions.
"I had to make sure that I would always be able to return to the boat and not get stranded on an ice island. My ship was stuck in the ice wall of the Laptev sea.
This is the North, this is the ice
"In the north arctic other laws rule. ETTA SEVERN, ETTA LODT say the Russians. THIS IS THE NORTH, THIS IS THE ICE. Here world news are not important. Ice govern. Think of the fatal travels of Barends, Scott, and Shackleton. The word "fail" does not stand in the dictionary of entrepreneurs. You contract the challenge and lose or win. If you lose, a next chance comes."
Survival pack ready
In the following days, Henk was contemplating his options. He wished to go to Khatanga for repairs, even though that meant another winter there. The second possibility was with a cargo liner to Murmansk. As the rescue headed his way, Henk had his survival pack ready. An enormous ice floe approached from the North and became a danger. "I have all lines ready to move around the ice berg."
Rescue in the dark and shrieking wind
At 2.45 this morning the rescue operation started under very difficult circumstances; dark, shrieking wind and with the danger of the floating ice bergs. Hours later, the crew boarded ice breaker Arshinersky.
The ship will next go to Tiksi to discharge its cargo of wood and then continue with Henk to Murmansk. Boris will get off in Tiksi and go home to Ukraine. With this the Campina adventure is over for this time.
Dutchman Henk de Velde has been roaming the world's oceans for over two years now aboard The Campina. His goal: “The Impossible Journey” - a sail around the world via the "impossible" Northern Seaway along the North East Passage above and along Siberia, Alaska, then South to Cape Horn and Antarctica before returning home to the Netherlands.
Henk's journey began in June 2001 for a 30,000 miles travel rounding both poles on the epic circumnavigation.
Since December, the Campina was encased in the ice of the Arctic Sea near Tiksi, Russia. Being blasted by the full effects of the Siberian winter, the ship and her skipper faced gale force winds and sub-zero temperatures reaching –50º C. That's seven months frozen in a block of ice. Not until August 20 could Campina sail again. But she didn't get far. The passage did prove Impossible.
Henk de Vekde has previously sailed around the world four times, three times non-stop and solo. The first trip lasted between 1978 and 1985… so Henk is known to take his time when out exploring.
The reason for traveling like this is to experience new things and enjoy life to the fullest.
Images of Campina stuck to the ice, and a walrus colony nearby courtesy of Henk De Velde.
|
|
Feature Stories |
|
Latest News |
more news |
 |
North Pole Russia: Borneo Base up and running
Full Story
|
 |
North Pole Russia: It's over - all teams evacuated!
Full Story
|
 |
Russian Polar Borneo Station status update
Full Story
|
 |
The rules of Adventure
Full Story
|
 |
Russian frontier department angered by Cerpolex
Full Story
|
 |
North Pole teams on the ice - no rescue agreement with Borneo
Full Story
|
|
|
The battle for the North Pole - full story
Full Story
|
|
|
| OneWorld expedition: It's over Jun 3, 2005 | | Vancouver to Moscow - 1 year anniversary! Jun 2, 2005 | | Arctic wrap-up: The Single ski Weight Watchers Greenland program Jun 1, 2005 | | Arctic wrap-up: Rain and world record May 31, 2005 | | ExplorersWeb Week in Review May 30, 2005 | | 12 year old doing well on Greenland ice cap crossing May 27, 2005 | | Vagabond update - Polar bears, 200 candles and ice melting in Inglefieldbukta May 26, 2005 | | Arctic wrap-up: Polar hygiene, and Napoleon on ice May 26, 2005 | | Contact GEO hits Greenland May 25, 2005 | | Iridium: "Invalid battery - matches found, 0" May 24, 2005 |
| | Arctic wrap-up: Adventure family kites 162 km, reaches halfway point May 23, 2005 |
|
|
