The "Ocean Change" expedition has to be interrupted again. A defect in the tow bar has forced the crew of Bad Bramstedt adventurer Arved Fuchs, 65, to make a longer stop on Greenland. The breakage of the same component in Iceland had already forced the crew to take a break in July.
At the time, Fuchs expressed his astonishment at the "enormous forces" that caused the component, which had only been replaced a few years ago, to burst in three places. "We will probably never know the exact causes," surmised Fuchs, adding that such damage was "not to be expected".
The rod was pulled in Kevlavik, Iceland, at great expense, especially as all the slip capacities were initially occupied. The broken tie rod is part of the drive train. It runs in the shaft and is used to change the angle of attack of the propeller blades. This controls the thrust as well as the direction of travel. If the tie rod breaks, the ship is unable to manoeuvre under power and the propeller blades fall into random positions.
"Of course, we are all a little frustrated because of the loss of time," said Fuchs at the time, when the expedition could finally continue after the successful repair. Nevertheless, the planned programme could be completed almost in full in the following period. Until the damage occurred again. The "Dagmar Aaen", Fuchs' tried and tested shark cutter, was towed to Aasiaat in Disko Bay, Greenland.
Arved Fuchs says: "We were lucky in our misfortune. The damage to the propulsion system hit us eleven nautical miles south of the town of Upernavik. The wind was on our side and we were able to enter the harbour there under sail. Once again, the advantages of a sailing ship became apparent. A purely motorised vessel would have run into real difficulties in this sailing area with its rugged coastline, many shoals and icebergs as well as unpredictable currents without a functioning propulsion system."
The skipper continued in a statement from on board: "This new forced stop is very annoying for me and the crew, as it means a loss of time and additional costs. Nevertheless, the mood on board is good. We all know that an expedition on a traditional sailing ship can always throw up unforeseen events, both positive and negative. We are glad that the damage did not occur in Smith Sund, in the far north, in the pack ice. There, away from any infrastructure, damage could have had far-reaching consequences for the ship. But now we have to keep calm and work carefully. We will find the fault, rectify it and continue the expedition."
This time, an expert from Denmark will be called in to analyse and repair the fault and examine the entire drive train. Although the "Ocean Chance" expedition has been affected by the new defect, it has not been cancelled. The planned wintering in Lunenburg on the Canadian east coast is still realistic.
