SAC: Sea ice animation

One of the good things about the route chosen was most of the way we didn't have to worry much about ice, which keeps within the East Greenland current and doesn't venture much west.

The only tricky spot was coming round the north west corner of Iceland, and even then most years its relatively free. But looking back on the web site there were some reports of the odd berg so I kept a regular watch on the Icelandic Met Office's web site.

Then as we approached that coast I used the Iridium phone to call some of the experts over in Greenland to get the very latest.

There was half an idea that if conditions were good we could have headed in towards Greenland but the books were right - its not until late July that you get a chance.

Anyhow I had a bit of fun stringing some of those sea ice charts together to make the animation above. There is of course a big gap in the middle when we were off sailing so I was unable to capture any of the updates.

It loops and the start is when its mostly red i.e. very close drift 9/10 to 10/10 ice.