August 3

Headed to Iceland – we have been north of the Arctic Circle and will head there again.  I didn’t know that the position of the Arctic Circle is not fixed, but depends on the Earth’s axial tilt, which flutuates due to tidal forces from the orbit of the Moon.  It is currently drifting northwards at a speed of about 49 feet per year.

Relatively few people live north of the Arctic Circle.  Sisimiut, Greenland has the largest North American community north of the Arctic Circle, and Barrow, Alaska the second largest. Norway and Russia have the largest.

There is no greater Naval tradition worldwide than a line crossing ceremony.  This was considered a rite of passage that tested the sailors’ ability to withstand a long ocean journey (appropriate for us??!!)

Seamen crossing the Arctic Circle become members of a fraternity known as the “Order of the Blue Nose”.  All of us onboard will receive a certificate commemorating having crossed the line, entitling us to proudly proclaim our status as a true and trusty brine-encrusted Bluenose!