Western voyage with d/s "Vesterhavet" 1938

By Sigmund Bøe

Went northeast on Sunday and Monday. Saw a few sculpins and bluebacks, but didn't catch a single one of them. – Tuesday afternoon it started to blow up into a storm, and on Wednesday night we had a strong storm or hurricane from the northeast. We found some life up under a strip. The snowdrift was so dense that we couldn't see more than 40-50 meters from the ship, which was drifting on its side with its lines in the water. The wind was so strong that it was almost impossible to steer the ship, so it was difficult to get clear of the ice, and the heavy swell made it life-threatening to get close to them. The sea spray was thick like frost smoke. – The storm continued on Wednesday with the same strength, but we got a little further in and found better life, so we've been fine since.. – Heard on Wednesday that they had lost contact with the Nordland ship "Isfjell", which has lost its propeller and is lying in the ice. Thursday 24/3: Today the wind is a little lighter, but we are still lying still. They have not yet heard anything from "Isfjell", and one must fear that she has sunk. "Fridtjov Nansen" is on its way and will look for her. 26/3: Heard yesterday that the crew from "Isfjell" was rescued by "Furenak" and "Hisø" before the storm. Now only "Lillemor" has not been heard from. - We sailed on the ESE all day yesterday. The weather was fine with a northerly breeze and partly cloudy skies.

1/4: We arrived in seals on Saturday the 26th at 5 am. Took 160 that day. On Sunday we took 560, Monday 520, Tuesday 440 and Wednesday 212. We were the first of only three ships: ourselves, "Fangstmand" and the Hammerfest ship "Drot". On Wednesday the whole fleet arrived, but by then there were few left. On Thursday we picked 70 animals, but today we have been mostly quiet and have not caught any. There is a northeasterly gale and it is very cold. Ice is breaking during the afternoon watch. We have a good life and are in company with many ships.

– We have had a hard week with catching during the day and skinning at night in gales and storms with biting cold and snow flurries, so now it is good to get outside and rest again.

Most of the ships have not caught anything special yet. – “Fangstmand” called us today, they have caught something, but the frost smoke is so thick that we cannot find them. Tomorrow we will probably look for them as soon as it gets light. (This was the first year that “Vesterhavet” had radio transmissions.) 8/4: We have now reached most of the Strait. It is a straight edge and a winding one. We have been driving along the edge all day and yesterday. There was no more of the seal. We found a strip where he had gone up and was lying down and throwing, but the ice had gathered, so we had to go out from there, and when the ice loosened again, we found nothing. We have been very quiet the last week. It has been windy and snowdrifts and it is impossible to see anything far around.

– On Wednesday we had a little party when one of the guys, Olav Nyborg from Berle, turned 30, and the steward made two nice cakes for the day.

We will continue and try to pick pigs, but the conditions are very bad with a straight edge and no pigs to see, so we may have to go home soon. We were ashore for a day just to sail, when they had to turn off the lighthouse to repair leaking boiler pipes. Afterwards they had to fill the boiler with seawater. – 9/4: We have now had a couple of days in the open sea and have been going west along the edge. The weather has been fine as long as there has been no wind, but heavy rain and an unbearable rolling. This evening at 7 o'clock we found life under a headland and it is now calm and nice. We will be lying here tonight and tomorrow we will have to continue west. 12/4: We left the ice edge yesterday at 11 am. Set course for Iceland and sighted land at 2 am. Went into a bay on the west side of Cape North and anchored at 7 am. Rowed ashore and picked up three boatloads of snow from a glacier, which we used to ice meat. Finished at 11 am and at 11,30 we left Cape North. Fine weather, southwest breeze and light, as we have been living off the land.

Passed Grimsøya at 1 am and had Røde Huk across at 7 am. Passed Langenes at 1 am on Wednesday 13/4. Arrived there with "Signalhorn", which we will keep with over the sea. Fine weather, westerly breeze and mild in the air. 14/4: Have been heading southeast at 7,7 to 8 knots, by midnight on the 13th we had gone out 176 nautical miles from Langenes. The weather is still fine: easterly breeze, a little fog and some sea. 15/4: Went out 364 nautical miles by midnight. Fine weather: light westerly breeze and small sea, but fog and rain. – 16/4: Arrived at Brandal at 5 am this morning. Waited at customs until 9,30 am and then went to Ålesund with the meat. Finished there at 6 am and then went to Brandal.