
Nanuq, heading north - Gulf of Botnia
Baltic
Race (25 May 2015)

Photos: selfportrait at 20m above the
deck - sailing gulf of bothnia - beating our way south - Vasily
S. 2015
First leg of the season to convey Nanuq from Umeå /
Gulf of Bothnia to Copenhagen, port of embarkation for the
expedition 2015/2016: 750 nautical miles in straight line,
890 actual miles because of continuing contrary conditions
forcing us to beat against wind and currents for 6 days. An
excellent appetizer and an opportunity to test the boat and
crew after a winter spent in the Scandinavian ice ... and
at office. Only one seal of the diesel system played tricks.
This was also a great opportunity to list improvements to
comfort in anticipation to possible rough conditions and a
numerous crew this summer.
As for the departure from Umeå, the morning brought
us a last snow shower, quickly replaced by bright but still
cold sunshine. All members of the sailing club Umea
Segelsällskap [1] were gathered to wish good luck
to Nanuq, accompanied for the occasion by the local press
and TV. A beautiful moment of sharing and friendship and invaluable
hands to resolve some of the remaining technical details.
Hope to come back to Obbola!
During the final weeks of preparation, Nanuq will be waiting
on her mooring overlooking Øresund bridge that connects
Copenhagen to Malmö, eager to sail North, for good!
[1] Bredvik : http://wikimapia.org
(63.684287° N 20.303228°E)

GRIB file : day of our arrival southern
Sweden : contrary winds 20-30 knots (see beafort scale)
Science
on board 2015 (24th of April 2015)
Photo credits : oceaneye
- manta trawl and microplastic samples The
passive igloo - a yacht dedicated to adventure and science
The passive igloo offers accomodation to master
students, doctoral students and researchers motivated by an
interest and passion towards research in the Arctic regions,
whether sailing in the summer during escorts or during Arctic
winters during which the vessel is stationary in the ice.
Several scientific partners are enroled : Météo-France,
Oceaneye, University of Brest, University Savoie Mont Blanc,
INRA and University of Geneva. Topics of study cover weather,
climate, biodiversity and pollution of the oceans. The passive
igloo is also involved in Isaaffik, a new gateway connecting
Arctic research, education, consultancy and logistics.
Read more...
The
'passive igloo' on Isaaffik (13 April 2015)
Isaaffik
is a new web platform and gateway connecting Arctic research,
education, consultancy and logistics. The 'passive igloo'
is proud to be associated with arctic research by offering
logistics to international research teams. Visit : http://www.isaaffik.org

Nanuq
in her ice cradle (1st of April 2015)
This is
no April fool: free water is only 30 meters away from Nanuq.
Everything happens for the best under the watchful eye of
our Swedish friends in Bredvik Harbour (Obbola).

Photo credit : Martin E.
DIY
science (9 March 2015)
Thursday
12th of March, the Melise (the student organisation at the
Institute for Environmental Sciences at the University
of Geneva)
organises an information and presentation session for students
interested in associating their passion for science and environment
with the passive igloo: the
flyer with more details... (f)

Media
& media (10 February 2015)
Discover
our new photo walls:
Testing
360° imaging, some from our Drone (views of our basecamp).

Partnership
with Oceaneye (10th January 2015)
We are
pleased to announce the collaboration with the Association
Oceaneye to collect seawater samples in 2015 and 2016 in the
polar regions of the northern hemisphere.

Photo: microplastic sampling
©
Oceaneye - 2014
Oceaneye
is a non-profit organization based in Geneva and founded in
2010 by a committed team of people passionate about travel
by sea and blue water sailing. The goals of the Organisation
are:
- to
participate in raising collective awareness of the problem
of water pollution, especially marine pollution by plastic,
- to
contribute to the study and analysis of the problem, its
causes and effects following a scientific approach.
Pascal
Hagmann, Oceaneye : « This is great news! With the
Passive Igloo, we will have samples of the Polar Regions.
Beyond the scientific interest, we are very proud to be associated
with the Passive Igloo project which will be a real human
adventure.»
Peter
Gallinelli, Passive Igloo : « Our project also aims
to provide a platform to conduct scientific studies. To collect
samples for Oceaneye fully complies with this logic and we
are pleased to contribute to the knowledge on marine pollution
by plastic waste. »
Internet:
http://www.oceaneye.eu
Kick
off 2015 (01 January 2015)
To start
with, from now on you will receive real time news from Nanuq
in the form of information of particular interest :
Online
data are no longer available - sorry!
|
|
Atmospheric
pressure
hPa
|
Outside
air temperature |
|
°C |
Cabin
air temperature |
|
°C |
Cabin
air relative humidity |
|
% |
Cabin
air CO2 concentration |
|
ppm |
Sea
water temperature |
|
°C |
|
|
nanuq
2015 |
This data
is automatically updated every 10 minutes. Last update :
01/01/70 : 01:00:00
The last
few days have been busy equipping Nanuq with essential tools
that only the northern peoples know how to make: ice pick,
ice saw, drill ... all are sharper one than the other. Ice
is 'machined' like wood!

Photo: ©
Peter Gallinelli - Nanuq - January 2015
After
a good -15 ° C the first day, the time has swung to heat
and rain. If the magic of snow and ice has long since disappeared,
our daily anguish consists of the diminishing thickness of
the ice. Further out, large chunks of ice break off and drift
away. Soon, we will have to consider to swim to get on land
...
On board,
life is comfortably installed. We spend our days between visits,
receptions on board, and relaxing moments of reading, writing
or development. We feel more and more at home in this little
world that has become ours, knowing that it is only a parenthesis.
Happy
New Year 2015 (31th December 2014)

Photo: ©
Peter Gallinelli - Nanuq - December 2014
The nanuq
crew wishes you all a Happy New Year 2015 - Cheers !
Ice
... at last! (30th December 2014)

Photo: ©
Peter Gallinelli - Nanuq - december 2014
Nanuq
performs in the newly formed ice.
After
traveling to northern Europe accumulating delays due to snow
and a night travel by bus we finally arrive on board. Outside
temperature is -18°C. In the absence of life on board
the cabin air temperature is still above -5°C thanks to
the water close to 0°C under the 15cm of fresh ice. The
sun rises with difficulty a few degrees above the horizon
before sinking again. After a fantastic welcome by our Swedish
friends and getting various systems and the little wood stove
to work, we settle for a week on board and to initiate a year
that promises to be rich in encounters and discoveries.

Photo: ©
Peter Gallinelli - Nanuq - December 2014
Waiting
for winter... (08th December 2014)
Frantic
preparation, the base camp is installed in the Yurt.
While waiting for the winter - Switzerland is a hot country
- check the current weather on wunderground:
Station |
Altitude |
Latitude |
Longitude |
|
463
m |
45.93
°N |
6.11
°E |
|
7
m |
63.79
°N |
20.28
°E |
|
138
m |
64.09
°N |
21.82
°W |
|
86
m |
64.19
°N |
51.68
°W |
|
61
m |
72.69
°N |
77.97
°W |
|
77
m |
76.53
°N |
68.75
°W |
Voyage
2014 part 2 : Lysefjorden - Bottenviken (28th October
2014)
Norway
is the country where ocean and mountains meet. An invitation
to rock climbing and base-jump, Lysefjorden is the Mekkah
for mountain enthusiasts...
Scandinavia
from Team Nanuq
on Vimeo.
Voyage
2014 part 1 : La Rochelle - Norway (21th October
2014)
The first
leg takes Nanuq to Morgat for a last hull inspection before
casting off into the Irish Sea and a race against time to
meet our crew on schedule in Scotland...
France-Norway
from Team Nanuq
on Vimeo.
The
long road to the ocean... (13th October 2014)
After
a 'transport exceptionnel' from Geneva to La Rochelle and
three weeks of intensive last preparations, the boat was eventually
launched end of June...
Geneva-LaRochelle
from Team Nanuq
on Vimeo.
Status
Seminar 2014 (15th September 2014)
The passive
igloo project has been present at the 18th status-seminar
: Forschen für den Bau im Kontext von Energie und Umwelt,
held the 4. and 5. of September 2014 at ETH-Zürich, Maschinenlabor
(poster).
Nanuq
2014 : scale 1/1 trial before the big adventure
(30th August 2014)
The project
has passed significant milestones:
During
the winter 2013-2014 a 5-day-5-crew trial
has proven that during temperate winters (-5°to +5°C
ambient temperature) thermal performance and comfort are adequate
without any need of heating. Monitoring of indoor air quality
showed satisfactory results and points out the importance
not to make use of candles or petroleum lamps.
Photo: ©
Peter Gallinelli - Nanuq - 5d5p - February
2014
The boat
has been launched in June 2014 and given
a successful 3000 nautical miles trial run from La Rochelle
to Gulf of Bothnia where she will go through an ice test during
the Scandinavian winter 2014-2015.

Nanuq
- season 2014 - map
background ©
worldwind NASA bluemarble
2014
The arctic
winter expedition is planned for 2015-2016. During one year
(8-12 months) a scientific monitoring will document the operation
and performance of the different systems.
Agenda...

Photo: ©
Mathilde Gallinelli - 'sailing' - Victor Guillot
- 'Nanuq' - July 2014
First
impressions on sea
Since
the departure from Geneva, we sailed 3000 nautical miles,
from La Rochelle to northern Europe via Scotland, the North
Sea and Norway. This trial run was essential for the testing
of a brand new boat, designed and built for expeditions to
the North. Technology choices and innovative systems have
performed without significant problems.
At each
stop, 'nanuq' generates interest and fascinates the general
public as well as experts.
As her
predecessors' nanuq sails well and is very pleasant to manoeuver,
even for beginners, despite a sturdy construction capable
of withstanding the most difficult sea conditions and ice.
Fast, the boat provides good performance, reaching an average
speed of 10 knots and even a peak of 19 knots. Safe and secure
in strong wind and rough sea, 'nanuq' is very handy to sail
due to its efficient rigging split into several sails. Also
the motor proved to be efficient.
Comfortable
and friendly, one lives as well as at home. Cohabitation is
convenient for a crew of 8 to 10 during legs of 2 weeks. With
its enhanced thermal insulation, the bright living area is
a friendly place, always warm and dry regardless of weather
conditions, even without heating. The big outside cockpit
allows the crew to enjoy the sunny days and fresh air.
The shallow
draft (1.4m) allows us to access bays, fjords, and other remote
spots, sometimes moored against rocks and trees. It opens
the door to a world of adventure and discovery of lands not
yet charted; especially thanks to the rib which is easy to
use since it is stored inflated in its garage. This vast area
also allows storing kayaks, surfboards and organizing barbecues
...
The experience
gained during this season let us consider sailing to rough
and remote places. This coming winter in Scandinavia will
be used to test the boat in a situation of cold and ice, as
well as to prepare the expedition and the scientific projects
that will be embarked in June 2015-16 for the far North.
Adventure
to be continued ...

Photo: ©
Peter Gallinelli - 'Jura' -
Victor Guillot - 'full speed' - July 2014
It's
been a long way, but there we are!
(June 2014)

Nanuq - on the road : at last (photo
Peter Gallinelli)

Nanuq preparing to sail : La Rochelle
2014 (photo Peter Gallinelli)
“Don’t let your fears stand in the way of your
dreams.”
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