You can probably walk from Germany to Sweden over the Baltic Sea right now.

A number of years ago, Terry and I went to Nantucket Island with a teaching buddy of mine, Tom, and his wife. We took his car out on the ferry and stayed at a B & B that was a short walk from the center of town. He and I went birding along the coast while the ladies went to town and peeked in the store windows. A good time was had by all and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

It was a cold, cold winter and there was lots of snow on land and ice in the water. Looking down from the lighthouse on the Atlantic side we could see ice floes with seals on them heading south. Tom got all concerned that if the harbor on either the mainland or the island froze up, we could be stuck for longer than we wanted to be. That didn't happen (dammit!) largely because the Coast Guard ice breaker in the area wouldn't let it and because the frequent movement of the ferries back and forth prevented the ice from getting too thick between trips.

I mention this story because of what's happened in the Baltic Sea:

50 ships stuck in Baltic thick ice

STOCKHOLM, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The Swedish Maritime Administration said on Thursday that about 50 vessels are stuck in the thick ice in the Baltic sea off Sweden's east coast.

Among the vessels, there are six large passenger ferries which are in total carrying more than 2,000 passengers, the administration said in a statement.

Two of the ferries, including the large Isabella passenger ferry carrying 1,322 passengers and crew, have been freed.

Four other vessels, including the Amorella, another passenger ferry with 753 passengers and 190 crew members aboard, are still stuck.

I don't imagine there's much in the way of provisions on these ferries. Those who board are not expecting more than a cruise of a few hours, not days. Should they have to remain where they are much longer, I'm sure either food drops will have to be made or evacuation via helicopter and/or hovercraft will occur.

How is this possible in these days of AGW fear mongering? (Remember, the Arctic Ocean is supposed to be experiencing record low ice levels according to the computer models. In fact, the ice extent has increased every year since 2007.)

Sweden has suffered an unusually harsh winter this year, with temperatures across the country almost continuously lying well below freezing since December.

Where's Denmark again? Oh yeah, it's on the northern shores of the Baltic Sea just to the west of Sweden.

I'm betting right about now the folks in Copenhagen are wishing they had never heard of the IPCC and Al Gore.