Definitely OT, but may be of interest (if you haven't come across it
already):

There's a lady living on Svalbard who publishes regular (eg weekly)
YouTube videos about life on Svalbard. The weather is relatively extreme
of course, but plenty of modern amenities too (at least for those that
live in the village). Here's one sampler:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMqm-bCO4Ec

On Tuesday, 26 January 2021 at 11:11:34 UTC, JGD wrote:
Definitely OT, but may be of interest (if you haven't come across it
already):

There's a lady living on Svalbard who publishes regular (eg weekly)
YouTube videos about life on Svalbard. The weather is relatively extreme
of course, but plenty of modern amenities too (at least for those that
live in the village). Here's one sampler:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMqm-bCO4Ec

Yes it is interesting, thanks.

Getting supplies there in winter must be quite an issue, I must watch more of her videos. It's bad enough out on Scilly (Population 2,000 of which 400 live on the 4 inhabited off Islands). There is no Ferry in winter, just the freight ship 3 times a week. There is an air service from Lands End in Islanders, but clearly that is not the way you're going to get emergency supplies like potatoes & beer in. Going by air or boat in winter can be a very interesting experience. In fact, out in the Atlantic the weather frequently verges on the frightening,

2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl3_2bkYfOQ
That sea wall, middle distance, is higher than the centre of High Town, the only 'town' on the Islands. The road slopes down through Hugh Town to the Harbour, so if that wall is breached . . The very high sea level early in the clip is a good example of a wave setup surge, the level starting to drop back towards the end. In a normal Spring tide, the waves are some way from reaching even the base of the sea wall.

I loved my days when I could visit the Islands regularly at the Steamship Companies expense!

Graham
Penzance

In message ,
Graham Easterling writes
On Tuesday, 26 January 2021 at 11:11:34 UTC, JGD wrote:
Definitely OT, but may be of interest (if you haven't come across it
already):

There's a lady living on Svalbard who publishes regular (eg weekly)
YouTube videos about life on Svalbard. The weather is relatively extreme
of course, but plenty of modern amenities too (at least for those that
live in the village). Here's one sampler:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMqm-bCO4Ec

Yes it is interesting, thanks.

Getting supplies there in winter must be quite an issue, I must watch
more of her videos. It's bad enough out on Scilly (Population 2,000 of
which 400 live on the 4 inhabited off Islands). There is no Ferry in
winter, just the freight ship 3 times a week. There is an air service
from Lands End in Islanders, but clearly that is not the way you're
going to get emergency supplies like potatoes & beer in. Going by air
or boat in winter can be a very interesting experience. In fact, out in
the Atlantic the weather frequently verges on the frightening,
snip

I know that Hurtigruten runs a ferry and cargo service up the coast of
Norway throughout the year, as some places even on the mainland can be
pretty much impossible to reach by any means other than sea. I don't
know, but I imagine that their route would also take in Svalbard. It
must get very hairy at times, though, and presumably would be impossible
if the Arctic sea-ice ever extends to surround the island. (Though that
might be less of a problem now than it would have been a few decades
ago.)
--
John Hall "Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always
pays off now." Anon

John Hall wrote:

In message , Graham
Easterling writes
On Tuesday, 26 January 2021 at 11:11:34 UTC, JGD wrote:
Definitely OT, but may be of interest (if you haven't come across it
already):

There's a lady living on Svalbard who publishes regular (eg weekly)
YouTube videos about life on Svalbard. The weather is relatively extreme
of course, but plenty of modern amenities too (at least for those that
live in the village). Here's one sampler:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMqm-bCO4Ec

Yes it is interesting, thanks.

Getting supplies there in winter must be quite an issue, I must watch more
of her videos. It's bad enough out on Scilly (Population 2,000 of which 400
live on the 4 inhabited off Islands). There is no Ferry in winter, just the
freight ship 3 times a week. There is an air service from Lands End in
Islanders, but clearly that is not the way you're going to get emergency
supplies like potatoes & beer in. Going by air or boat in winter can be a
very interesting experience. In fact, out in the Atlantic the weather
frequently verges on the frightening,
snip

I know that Hurtigruten runs a ferry and cargo service up the coast of Norway
throughout the year, as some places even on the mainland can be pretty much
impossible to reach by any means other than sea. I don't know, but I imagine
that their route would also take in Svalbard. It must get very hairy at
times, though, and presumably would be impossible if the Arctic sea-ice ever
extends to surround the island. (Though that might be less of a problem now
than it would have been a few decades ago.)

We've done the Bergen-Kirkenes-Bergen round trip on the Hurtigruten twice in
recent years, once in February on one of their large ships, the 'Finnmarken'
and once in July on the last of their small traditional ships, the 'Lofoten'
(launched in 1963). A stunning trip in either season. There' a video at the
following address of the whole northbound trip speeded up to only 37 minutes
elapsed time at

https://youtu.be/2uXzkNYsQfM

Loads more Hurtigruten videos on Youtube. Well worth a look.

I first became interested in the Hurtigruten trip about 50 years ago (but I
didn't make the trip then). At that time, it did extend to Svalbard in summer
but it doesn't today.

The two trips we did are two of the best holidays we have ever had.

In 'normal' times a ship departs Bergen every evening of the year, except
Christmas Day, for the 12-day round trip. I think the service is currently
suspended.

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.
https://peakdistrictweather.org
Twitter: @TideswellWeathr

In message , Norman Lynagh
writes

snip fascinating stuff
In 'normal' times a ship departs Bergen every evening of the year,
except Christmas Day, for the 12-day round trip. I think the service is
currently suspended.

I'm a little surprised by that, as for some small ports inaccessible
except by sea I believe the Hurtigruten service is pretty much their
only contact with the outside world. I know that back in March, when
Norway first closed their ports to cruise ships, they made an exception
for Hurtigruten ferry and cargo operations, though presumably they would
no longer have been allowed to carry tourists. I could understand if
they had since banned ferry passengers, but I would have thought the
cargo and mail delivery side would have been viewed as essential.
--
John Hall "Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always
pays off now." Anon

On Wednesday, 27 January 2021 at 21:11:47 UTC, John Hall wrote:
In message , Norman Lynagh
writes

snip fascinating stuff
In 'normal' times a ship departs Bergen every evening of the year,
except Christmas Day, for the 12-day round trip. I think the service is
currently suspended.
I'm a little surprised by that, as for some small ports inaccessible
except by sea I believe the Hurtigruten service is pretty much their
only contact with the outside world. I know that back in March, when
Norway first closed their ports to cruise ships, they made an exception
for Hurtigruten ferry and cargo operations, though presumably they would
no longer have been allowed to carry tourists. I could understand if
they had since banned ferry passengers, but I would have thought the
cargo and mail delivery side would have been viewed as essential.
--
John Hall "Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always
pays off now." Anon


You can track shipping in & out of Svalbard here https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais...ry:71.5/zoom:5 A supply ship will be green. Currently plenty of fishing still going on, a bit chilly I should imagine.

The supply ship to Scilly is currently at St Mary's. It can normally take a few passengers, but at the moment you'd need an excellent reason to be travelling, basically key workers. I know that 4 or 5 days without a supply ship & the Coop on Scilly (there is only 1 supermarket) is pretty much stripped bare.

Graham
Penzance