Through Arctic Winds and Waves, with Teamwork and Purpose

In early June, the TOPtoTOP mother ship Pachamama, accompanied by our daughter vessel Naomi, set sail once more in Lyngseidet – this time first heading north, then South to the vibrant Arctic town of Tromsø.

It was there that volunteer Jane Kaaen joined our crew. We also picked up a brand-new Raymarine wind instrument, thanks to Hans-Christian Grande at Ringjord Elektro AS. This was a sweet stop as we reconnected with our dear friends Øyvind and Janette. However, installing the new system proved to be a serious challenge; after serving faithfully for 26 years, our old wind display had definitely earned its retirement, but it didn’t make the transition to the new tech easy.

To overcome the installation difficulties, we sailed a full day south to meet up with the brilliant marine electrical technician Tomm Storjord from Ringjord Elektro AS in Finsness. If there’s a man who can solve any boat-related electrical problem, it’s Tomm – and he delivered once again.

Being now just one day’s sail from our close friend, sailor and farmer Halvard on Grytøya, we used the opportunity to stock up for our long passage to Svalbard on the island of Bjarkøya. Halvard, ever resourceful and willing, even helped us prepare a custom wooden panel for the new wind system.

Thus began our extended journey across the North Atlantic into the Barents Sea. The winds picked up. Waves grew up to four meters high at times. Luckily, conditions supported our sailing direction. For Janne, it was her first major offshore expedition — and what a start! As the wind shifted from west to northwest, the conditions steepened, and the sail became something akin to riding a roller coaster. In the Barents Sea, strong tidal currents near Bjørnøya added to the challenge. Thanks to Fred we got always the newest weather report over our InReach.

Our goal was to collect offshore environmental DNA samples for ETH Zurich — a task proven nearly impossible in such chaotic seas. Additionally, we aimed to clean the southern shore of Bjørnøya (Sørhamna) from washed-up plastic. High winds and strong currents made landing under sail impossible, and our engine unexpectedly lost cooling water — the cause remained a mystery at the time.

From Svalbard, we sailed towards Norway’s mainland again, heading to North Cape and into the Skjervøy fjord. There, after days without an engine, we finally discovered a microcrack in the lid of the cooling water filter. With that fixed, the engine was back online—our trusted backup restored. Our friend Dag Mollan was ready with a tow if needed, but thankfully, we arrived safely under our own steam. Dag also gifted us with something just as priceless after weeks in the cold Barents Sea: a hot shower. Thank you, Dag!

Our next major clean-up operation brought us to the remote island archipelago of Risøy, a stark but stunning landscape. At Sommarøya, Andrew, Sam, and Aurelia joined the crew. Then, on the western side of Vesterålen, Alegra, Noé, and Andri undertook an almost marathon-length adventure through mountain chains in search of plastic pollution—happily, they found almost none.

A very different story met us on Vestvågøy, where we did a major clean-up effort. The south side of the island was littered with plastic debris, likely brought in by the Gulf Stream. There, the team worked together efficiently to remove the environmental burden — a stark reminder of how remote places are still deeply affected by global pollution. Again Pachamama docked at Kæmmervika Rorbuer, our base in the Lofoten. Our friends Yngwar and Torgunn invited us for a barbeque. As a surpsrise they showed us their polar bear. It is a polar bear skin from the last century, when these giants still posed a great danger to the daring fishermen who ventured into the Arctic Ocean. Today, global warming is threatening the existence of these impressive creatures.

Back offshore, we finally found a calm window to undertake ship maintenance. After 15 years of faithful service, we began removing the aging Sunware solar panels to repaint the deck — an important step to ensure Pachamama remains seaworthy and sustainable into the future. We even had time to do some man-over-board-drills (here Andri in the Arctic water).

And now, we’ve arrived in beautiful Ålesund. Here, old friends Aina and Helge welcomed us warmly, and Christian and Silvia joined us for a few precious days. The team at Nogva — Steinar, Kjekk, and Henning — gave us another heartfelt welcome. With Christian’s help, Noé’s knee — after careful monitoring — is now fully healed! We are grateful and reassured.

Our next major step is equipping Pachamama for the long haul: we will install a very efficient and sustainable Nanni engine, providing a reliable backup system for even the most extreme environments we may face in the future.

Thank you to everyone who made this chapter possible — the volunteers, friends, collaborators, and partners all contributing their time, skill, and generosity. From cold showers and tough seas to mountain runs and shared laughter — this expedition continues thanks to the power of community.

Onwards and northwards — for people, planet, and purpose.
Your TOPtoTOP Expedition Team.