So, what is so different about Papay Arctic Adventure, Norway Part 2?
Well we will try to keep this away from becoming too technical. The RIB or Rigid-hulled Inflatable Boat is mostly used as a recreational craft, rescue craft, dive boat or tender as they are highly manoeuvrable, speedy and there is an added safety due to the inflatable collar. In general anyone taking their boat travelling will opt for a sailing boat, motorboat or even a motorsailer. If you own a RIB you are more likely to take it for a quick spin during the day before returning for the evening in the comfort of your own home.
RIBs almost never are used for sleeping aboard, and in the few occasions they are it will be more of a camping experience, maybe one or two nights in the lifetime of the RIB certainly not as a permanent residence. So when all three of the Papay Arctic Adventure, Part 1 crew lived aboard this was exceptionally unusual.
Overwintering on any boat particularly in Norway is rare indeed, and far from the luxury of space and home comforts you might expect on a yacht we will be living in the two spaces aboard Quickstep. The wheelhouse constructed by our friend Paul offers our first "room", it has two main seats and all the instruments you might expect aboard. There is just height enough to stand. Although with actual floor space of less than a square meter, there is no room for walking around. As for the "downstairs" (well we like it to sound grand...!) we have room to sit upright on the floor (just), definitely no standing! This is very much a multi use zone, used for sleeping, storing, cooking and just about anything other you can think of... including the all important toilet! The space in the "downstairs" (or through hatch to be precise) is smaller than most cupboards, room for us to lay out and nothing more.
To make living aboard possible we will be installing a heater aboard. With temperatures north of the Arctic Circle in winter regularly being -20C
or colder we could not manage without a top quality heater. Unfortunately due to the fact we are taking a RIB well out of its comfort zone and design zone there really is no insulation on board and in fact making the boat as insulated as possible is high up on our list for Paul (the wheelhouse constructor, who perhaps foolishly has agreed to come back for more work!!)
As far as we know, no RIB has ever crossed from the UK to Norway and gone further north than the Lofoten Islands. Besides ourselves in Papay Arctic Adventure, Part 1 we know of no other UK RIB crossing to Norway without a support vessel in place and returning to the UK.We are sad that Daniel Elves cannot join us for Part 2, as the extra pair of eyes at sea can be vital, but we are looking forward to witnessing his own plans come to fruition in the not too distant future...
Nowadays you rarely see voyages of such magnitude being undertaken in anything but brand new boats and kit, we are proud to show that our 16year old RIB, 26 year old stern-drive and 11 year old engine is capable, and that doing these sort of adventures is not just for the rich, although we gratefully acknowledge all the help we have received through our sponsors to make Part 1 possible.
