The full eclipse of the sun occurred just off Novaya Zemlya (Nova Island) at 11.57 am. We saw it in position 75.4543N, 54.4173E. The Temperature drop was from 50F to 41F. During the eclipse we could see Venus and Mercury.

We were in cloud and had to race against time to get to the bright patch of sky to see a full eclipse – we really were ‘chasing the shadow’.
 
It plunged the area into darkness – the only 2 mins  23secs of darkness on the whole of the trip.

The Captain and many other seamen had never seen an eclipse.