The difference between low tide and high tide can be quite dramatic in Greenland - -
Before we learned, - and just anchored for the night at what we considered a good place -, it could cause some inconvenience during the night, when the boat suddenly would sit on the bottom and tilt over so that we fell out of our bunks and things fell off the tables and shelves due to the sudden list - - -
But that could actually be quite a rewarding experience, when we tired and sleepy stumbled up on deck to see what was the problem, and then witnessed a pitch dark sky flaming with fantastic northern lights - - -
Those who used the opportunity to take a leak into the ocean, would to their astonishment notice, that the water exploded in light when the pee hit the water - - -
Flaming sky above, - and exploding water below, - and there was absolutely dead silence - - - -
Except when occasionally a distant, deep thundering sound, - like when you fire a cannon -, would roll over the mirror like ocean, indicating that an iceberg far away was breaking up, sending hundreds or thousands of tons of ice into the ocean creating waves and disturbance in the water.
Those waves could travel quite a distance before they finally died, - and it was strange to be waken up by some sudden movements of the boats, when such waves suddenly hit us in an otherwise dead calm ocean - - -
Quite awesome - - - -
 
 

When the season was over this year, it was time for the machinery in SKA 4 to be completely overhauled. Therefore, both the main engine and the small auxiliary engine had to be hoisted onboard the "Ingolf" and transported back to the navy base "Holmen" in Copenhagen, where engineers would give them a major overhaul, and make sure that they were in top shape for the following years rough duty in the waters around Greenland.
 
 

And what happened to the navy boys that for about 5 months challenged Mother Nature, - ice and rocks -, in four small wooden boats in some of the Worlds most hostile waters???
Well, - they all went onboard the "Ingolf", - enjoyed her luxury for a while -, and started the long voyage home!
 
 

The four SKA boats, - Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6 -, continued their brave struggle with the elements along the Greenland coast for 12 more years.
Then the boats had simply become too old and worn down for this rough service, and the survey of Greenland was eventually stopped in 1980.
Nine years later it was decided to continue the surveys, - this time with two new boats, - SKA 11 and SKA 12 -, of almost twice the displacement of the old ones, and more than 5 meters longer.
This time they were not built from wood, but with 1" thick glass fiber hulls.

But the old boats?
What happened to them?

My boat, - SKA 4 and her sister SKA 3 -, went out of service in 1978, and were sold locally in Greenland, where it is quite possible that they still navigate those very beautiful but dangerous waters - - -
SKA 5 and SKA 6 became training ships for the navy, as SKB 1 and SKB 2, and unofficially they also got real names, - "Gråspurven" and "Snespurven", - both names of small sparrow type birds.
They served the navy until 1996/1997,  when they were finally sold to private interests.
Their sister ships SKA 7 and SKA 8 also became training ships for the navy and got the names SKB 3 "Gulspurven" and SKB 4  "Jernspurven".
SKB 3 has since been scrapped after an accident in 1991, where the damage was considered beyond repair.
SKB 4 was sold in 1996/1997 to private interests.

Follow this link to see what the old Greenland Survey boats look like as:

Page initiated.: Oct.15.2006
Updated.......:  Oct.22.2006, - Nov.14.2008