Connemara crew prepares for epic voyage from Killary to the Arctic

by Máirtín Ó Catháin

A forty seven foot craft, six sailors and a desire to challenge the unknown – they are the essential elements of a venture that will take its crew from Killary Harbour to the Arctic Circle, beginning next month. 

The expedition will be led by Jamie Young, the managing director of the Killary Adventure Centre Company in Connemara.  It will comprise sailors, kayakers and climbers who will set out on different missions once the vessel has reached the icepack inside the Arctic Circle.

June 15 has been set for departure from the Killary. 

The six sailors have been selected for the voyage which will initially take them 1,667 miles north to Nuuk, the capital of Greenland over a estimated journey time of ten to 14 days.

The vessel, The Killary Flyer, is a former Admiral’s Cup racing boat and it is described as very strong and “made of steel”.  It survived the storm and the tragedy of 1979 South of Fastnet.

It is insulated and has two stoves and appears to be perfect for Arctic Travel according to Jamie Young – but it is not the Queen Mary II and such trips are highly challenging. 

The crew will link up with three other kayakers and climbers as they sail further north of Disko Island and then onto Upernavik on the west coast of Greenland.  At this stage they will be well inside the Arctic Circle.

The crew will then split up and the kayakers will travel a further 300 kilometres along the Greenland coast.  The climbers on the expedition will scale new ascents not previously beaten by human beings. 

All the while the Killary Flyer, as the boat is baptized, will keep in touch with the various efforts.  A film crew will record the events – the highs and the lows and the days and nights of the trip.