Sailing Magazine
By Richard Crockett
Nick Leggatt does lead a charmed life as one minute he’s racing around the world full-on aboard a racing tri, and the next he is cruising to within 600nm of the North Pole.
Better still though, he has a knack of being able to spin a good yarn and keep reader’s attention as his content and word usage is outstanding.
Which is why today’s feature is an easy and interesting read. Below are a few interesting paragraphs to harness one’s attention.
“Equinox was anchored at 79 26’ N, 013 23’ E, near the head of Bockfjord, on the island of Spitsbergen. We had reliable information that a couple of miles south of the anchorage we could find mineral springs with water warm enough for a quick dip, so after taking all the necessary precautions against hungry Polar bears and the possibility of encountering a sudden blizzard or fog, we set off for the shore in our dinghy.
“After a long walk we arrived at the springs. An icy wind blew off the nearest glacier making the water look less inviting. We all looked at each other, daring one another to be the first to take a dip. “I think I’ll just stay on Polar bear watch,” said Ian, taking the rifle and climbing to the highest point in the vicinity.
“I’ll keep an eye on the kit,” Jonathon announced, as he inspected
some fox tracks.
“That just leaves us,” I said, addressing Gordon, “and I know I am well overdue for a wash!” It had been nearly a week since we had been able to have showers at Longyearbyen, the main settlement and northernmost town on Spitsbergen. With that in mind Gordon and I both stripped off and plunged into the waters of the spring. At 636 miles from the North Pole, swimming in a spring at the foot of a glacier was bound to be refreshing – but it was still quite a shock to the system. The cold knocked the breath right out of me! “How did we even end up here, anyway?” I thought to myself…”
READ ABOUT THIS INTERESTING CRUISE HERE: Pages from 2007 03 – SAILING Magazine – OCR
