We are safely moored alongside another couple of commercial boats in Nuuk harbour. As we understand now, it is common practice in Greenland to raft alongside other boats, whether they are sailing vessels, tugs or fishing boats. The downside is that the local boat will give you little warning of their departure and if you’re lucky, they will rouse you out of bed ruthlessly to move out of their way. If you are not on board, they may move your lines so they can get out. The other drawback is that climbing over a series of commercial boats can sometimes be a feat worthy of Indiana Jones meet Mission Impossible. Having said that, there is often no alternative option or an unsafe one at anchor so we are grateful for the opportunity of a sound sleep night.
So here we are. We have sailed just the two of us from Iceland to Nuuk, the capital of Greenland on the southwest coast. Nuuk is a place name that I always found exotic and exciting, filled with hardship and bravery. I can’t believe we are here, finally, and with our own boat. I look forward to explore the town over the next few days.
Our friend Petter is arriving tomorrow, just on time to celebrate my 50th birthday. Nothing planned for that other than pizza and drinks in the evening over at Ugly Betty, who very generously invited us on their spacious yacht to host my birthday. We also invited the crew of Thindra, who beat us on the race motorsailing throughout the night. We’re all planning on doing the NWP and it’ll be great to all meet together at once. Exciting stuff!
