Life on a schooner in the remote fjords of scoresby sound, east greeenland
- Matt McGee
- Mar 21
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 22
People have often asked me what it was like to live on a schooner at what seemed to be the edge of the world, off the grid, with the closest village hundreds of miles away. It was more than just a trip, it was a rare moment of total immersion, and it was the closest I've ever come to feeling at one with the planet. . The isolation, the freedom from distractions, and the majesty of the landscape made me feel insignificant, but also utterly connected to our world.
Climbing on board the schooner from the zodiac feels like stepping back in time hundreds of years. There are no immediate signs of modern technology. The first part of the ship I touched was the rope and wood ladder that was all weathered and frayed. The deck and sails had patina from time spent in the salt water and air. This was what it must have felt like to travel on the seas when humans were still mapping out the world.
The path below deck was an almost vertical flight of stairs the end of which places you in the salon/ kitchen. This ship was an old fishing boat, and the hull where the fish were held had been converted in a dining room and kitchen. This also served as the main gathering area since the rest of the ship was made up of cabins.
Speaking of cabins, you should know that they are tiny, and personal space is at a premium. My cabin was in the bow (front part) of the ship and consisted of 4 bunks. The only way that my 3 roommates and I could be in there at the same time was when we were all in our bunks. We pretty much had to conduct any activities one at a time while the rest of us were either in our bunk, or out of the room.
The other thing you should know about life on a schooner is there is only one bathroom that doubled as a shower for the entire boat. The toilet had to be filled and flushed but using a hand pump to manually draw the water in and out. This expedition was about the experience, and not comfort, so we all pretty much had to leave our egos behind on shore.
The ships would sail throughout most of the day. Once we reached our desired locations, land excursions would happen for a few hours to explore the area. When we went on land, our guides had to carry rifles to in case we encountered polar bears. Although we never actually saw a polar bear, we had to be constantly vigilant and always on the lookout.
Land excursions typically last a few hours which gave us time to stretch our legs and do some hiking, explore old abandoned buildings, take photos, and fly the drone. It was pretty awe inspiring to be walking on land in such a remote part of the world knowing that very few humans have ever, or will ever walk where we were walking at the time. It's amazing to see evidence of humans being able to exist in such harsh environments so far from civilization.
At the end of a day of exploring Scoresby Sound, the 3 ships would anchor, and would all be tied together. This gave us an. opportunity to move between the boats and see what life onboard the other ships was like. When the weather was nice, we could grill outside and have dinner on the deck. Greenland is cold, but in early September, the temperatures are often warm enough that being outside with a jacket isn't bad.
On occasion, we would opt to take zodiacs to land, and have a fire on the beach after dinner. These were some of the most memorable night of the week.
Back on the ship people would gather in main salon areas and have conversation late into the night. When you're this far from civilization, there's no internet and no television, so you have to actually have meaningful conversation with people. And that was one of the best things about an expedition like this... the people. The group was curated by the expedition leaders, and everyone went through a sort of screening process so that there were people from all over the world, and each of us would bring something interesting in terms of life history and story, to bring to the group. None of us had met before the expedition, and we all had experiences to share from our lives all over the world... so we had lots to talk about. The common thread among us was our willingness to get out of our comfort zone to have a unique experience. For example, these ships were cramped, you couldn't sit up in your bed, there was only one bathroom per ship, and it was anything but luxury, yet we all wanted this experience. The conditions were part of the experience and was absolutely intentional. Not one person complained... about anything.
This expedition was one of those rare instances where it's almost as if you catch lightning in a bottle, if only for a week. Meeting a few dozen like minded strangers from all over the world, and having the opportunity to experience one of the most remote and beautiful places on our planet is something I don't have words for. Despite the cold, despite the cramped quarters, despite not having all the conveniences of the modern world, we still had one of the most unique opportunities that we will al never forget. And then we went back to the real world, and our individual lives...
Here's a video I put together from this expedition
Comments