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www.sea-technology.com November 2014 / st 29 Arctic feld, including the French scientifc North Pole 2012 Expedition, and Austerheim is the for- mer manager of the Kings Bay Marine Laboratory, a laboratory for Arctic marine research in Svalbard, Norway. The two had a good idea of what they would need to facilitate a successful project—from the technologies that would keep them safe on the sea, to the provisions they would need on board to stay healthy and comfortable, to the laboratory and feld equipment their research would require. In preparation for the journey, they outftted the Argelvor with a recondi- tioned hull and engine, a rebuilt fuel system, new insulation, a new stove with connective radiators, optimized storage units and a brand-new elec- trical system that would draw power from two windmills, three solar panels and a 6.5-kilowatt diesel generator. A freezer was added to preserve scientifc samples at -80° C, and an electrical gantry crane was installed at one end of the boat to assist the researchers with operating sampling instruments and lifting heavy equipment into and from the sea. "It never ceases to amaze me how much preparation is needed to get ready for this type of expedition," Le Tressoler said. "You have to be able to do repairs if something breaks or malfunctions, and it's not like we could take a quick trip to the store after the ice froze." That was certainly true—the closest town to the har- bor was Ittoqqortoormiit, a small settlement with just 452 people, and the only town for 850 kilometers. To get there after their boat was frozen into place, the researchers had to walk or ski 3.5 kilometers across the frozen ocean, or farther through snowy mountain passes. Trips into "Ittoq," as they affectionately called it, were infrequent and treacherous. L ong, dark winter months on an ice-locked boat in the Arctic Circle. Polar bears and orca whale sightings. No other humans for miles. This isn't the setting of a new adventure mov- ie, or the result of an accident—boat blown off course, sailors forced to survive a frigid winter as supplies run out. No, this is the Arctic Science Field Logistics project, led by French researcher and explorer Alan Le Tres- soler and Norwegian marine biologist Elin Austerheim. These two scientists spent the au- tumn, winter and spring of 2013 to 2014 frozen in ice off the east coast of Greenland in the Argelvor, a 43- foot, steel sailboat equipped with an onboard laboratory. Here, Le Tressoler and Austerheim carried out scientifc research and assisted visiting scientists, including microbiologists and ornithol- ogists, in their work. It was not long ago that an expedi- tion of this length and type would not have been possible. Recording and storing scientifc data, keeping open lines of communication with stake- holders across the world, navigating around icebergs, track- ing location data and anticipating stormy weather are all activities that require advanced technology—and very few computers can operate reliably in Arctic conditions. But with help from the ultra-rugged Algiz XRW porta- ble notebook computer from Handheld Group (Lidköping, Sweden), the project provided researchers from around the world a unique opportunity to collect scientifc data in a remote Arctic location, adding important observations and brand-new insights to the scientifc community's under- standing of Arctic ecosystems. Preparing for Winter Le Tressoler and Austerheim are no strangers to extremely cold climates. Le Tressoler has led several journeys into the Scientifc Sampling on The Frozen Arctic Sea Rugged Mobile Technology Assists Researchers off Greenland's Coast By Brynna King A little auk ftted with a temperature and depth logger.