Maud Returns Home: Summer 2017

*Blog Post Re-Posted With Permission. Written by Jan Wanggaard – mrh.

ARRIVAL CAMBRIDGE BAY – Maud crew Stig was the first to arrive in CB again this year – spending his first weeks waking our tug Tandberg Polar up from its 3rd winter hibernation here in CB. All windows are blinded and we insulate her as best we can to withstand the severe winter cold, averaging in the low minus 30 degrees Celsius. Engines are tested and serviced, and all looks good. Well done to Stig and Terje who has all our engines as one of their major responsibilities.

This week Stig and I have had some wonderful early summer days looking over Maud and starting over where we finished last autumn preparing Maud and barge Jensen for the long trip home to Norway, hopefully starting before the end of this summer, probably around the last part of August, when the ice situation allows us to sail throughout the Northwest Passage direction Greenland, that will probably be our next winter stop. Ideally we will arrive Greenland mid September if all goes well.

Our main tasks in the weeks and months to come is to prepare Maud and Jensen as well as our tug for the long journey home. These days Stig and I have cleaned all the straps and ropes around Maud that was used for the lifting operation and Maud looks even better ( if possible) after being stripped. Inside we are still working to empty loose pieces of wood and mud in the front section of Maud around the main windlass. The one that was also on board famous polarship Fram. Still some tons to dig out will keep us busy for another couple of weeks.

Maud seem to have enjoyed her first winter above the ice since 1930. She has rested on top Jensen through the whole winter and has had good conditions for starting her slow drying process. Experts suggest temperatures in the far low minus as ideal for drying and it was not very difficult for us to arrange for that. Specially the surface of the wood can benefit from this freeze drying process to secure as much as possible of the original surface structure of the wood.

I must say it was a warm welcoming feeling to enter Maud again these last days. The temperatures has raised above 0 degrees Celsius and when the sun comes through it feels like the perfect place to be. We can smell the warm wood of the old lady and every day we find new details that makes this recovery story ever more gratifying for all of us.

In a couple of weeks our team will be complete for the summer when Terje and Bjørn arrives. and as July arrives the ice will open around Maud and we can continue our preparations with Tandberg Polar long side. We are looking forwards to another eventful summer with Maud in the high arctic. Many thanks to Travel Nunavut for helping us out to get promotional tickets for our flight up north this time.

As you well know Tandberg Eiendom of Norway stands alone financing this whole project of bringing Maud back home to Norway.

Maud can experience the spring melting in CB from above the ice this year.

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Photo: Jan W