An Interesting Day In Resolute Bay

On Friday, August 7th, we awoke at 4:30 to someone "you-hooing" from shore. My first thought was, "Damn kids, don't they ever go to bed?" Then Joe rolled out, popped his head out the hatch and said, "Shit. Look at this." Resolute Bay was full of ice and it was moving our way.

Beyond the ice Fleur Australe, the French boat, was making its way out by way of the only lead along the shore (Fleur has a swing keel and draws, with keel up, two feet less water than Fiona). But the German Perithia and Fiona were trapped. I wonder why Fleur did not give a toot on the horn or a call on Channel 16 to let us know about the ice, but I can only surmise that the skipper, Phillippe, the winner of two single-handed O-Star races, had his hands full. Or maybe his competitive nature promotes a philosophy of everyone for himself.

I got Eric out of the rack and said, "We've about five minutes before a big hunk of ice touches the boat." On deck a minute later, we raised the anchor and for the next couple of hours maneuvered as we could. After awhile Perithia commanded the only deep water hole left in the small area of clear water. Fiona was just a few feet from shore when the keel gently touched the glacial mud and she stuck ... at high tide on a full moon. A couple of hours later the tide receded, we listed to our side and spent the morning onboard on an angle. Sleeping in the "V" made of bunk and locker is not so bad!

Hard aground.  A 35 degree list.  A day like this moves one to ask, Why am I doing this?  Why did I want to come here?  It's not a job.  There is no livelihood.  I have no mission.  Why make a choice to put oneself in harm's way with no tangible reward?

Does one need an excuse to do something like this?  I suspect, as I lay 'tween locker and bunk, that some people may need to "cook up an excuse" to come here; watching the environment or climate change, scientific research or maybe a good-will tour.  What if all those reasons are just excuses?  Perhaps some people need a disguise to mask their real desire - a desire that lies somewhere buried below articulation, buried somewhere in the "Why."

I suspect, as Gordon Lightfoot wrote, we can know the wherefore, the outward appearances, but may never know the why.

Good for us that the afternoon tide was just a couple of inches higher. With the help of both dingys from Perithia and Fiona we were able to push the bow to the south, unstick the keel and maneuver to water that had cleared of ice.

For the past two days we've been raising and lowering the anchor and moving the boat trying to stay clear of the ice floes. By now we've become a bit blase about it. So we touch one now and again ... it bumps, we bounce off and, if the worse happens and we get some damage, the hotel and airport is just a dingy ride away ...

The wind blew hard this morning from the east and the bay seems to be clearing a bit. Let's see what the next few days bring to us.

Today was supposed to be laundry day.

-RR

Fiona Anchors at Beechey Island

On August 2, Russ, Eric, and Joey visited Beechey Island where Sir John Franklin's Expedition wintered over 1845-46. Armed with Fiona's shotgun as a precaution against aggressive polar bears, they visited grave sites of crew members who lost their lives there during Franklin's last Northwest Passage expedition. Position, 74 43N 9150W. Fiona planned to sail to Resolute today, 3 Aug. ~DH~

From Russ Roberts' journal:

We are in Erebus & Terror Bay.  Arrived at midnight.  The Russian Akademic Ioffee, anchored nearby, left shortly after our arrival.  Raised on Channel 16, he is on his way to Resolute and will be there at 7 A.M.

This morning awoke to find Fleur Australe anchored near the bay's mouth.  We are further east in fifty feet of water.  Later, we took the dingy to shore, paid respects to Franklin's dead and prepared our own contribution to the collection of correspondence compiled by passing vessels over the years.  They are all stored in pieces of metal pipe.


While napping this afternoon a trawler anchored nearby.  My bet it's Bagan.  Now there are three here in the bay.  We heard an overflying Dash 7, call sign "Transport 922," call on "16."  He was calling for Bagan but Fleur answered.  The airplane asked about points of departure and destination, advised on Canadian law regarding dumping trash or oil, bid the boat a good day and left.

By 8 P.M. we were underway for Resolute.  The estimated time underway is ten hours.  Passing the trawler Eric saw the name "Pitch Perfect" on the boat's side  He suspected that was the name of the boat.  I had not heard of a "Pitch Perfect" transitting the Northwest Passage this year.  However I gave him the benefit of the doubt that two Nordhavens may be making the run.  I was disappointed Eric did not call upon the vessel so we could say "hello" and solve the identity mystery on our way out of the bay.



Off watch tonight I dozed.  I seemed to remember the name of the trawler as "Silent Spring."  In my slumber I thought Rachel Carson's book title to be a good moniker for a NWP transiting vessel intent upon bringing attention to the environment.  Upon awakening I remember the name "Pitch Perfect."  It had nothing to do with Rachel Carson's book!  How did my sleep turn that into "Silent Spring?"  However, I do not think it's "Silent Spring" or "Pitch Perfect.  I think the boat is Bagan.

Clearing the headlands of Beechey Island we look back to see the sails of Fleur Australe.  Phillou, even in the light wind, has all canvass spread and looks to be taking a course closer to land, more direct toward Resolute.  Our course goes somewhat south to clear ice that shows on the forecast chart.
 

Links to Beechey Island and Franklin Expedition:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechey_Island

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin

Cure for a Squeeky Belt

We changed a squeeky, rattling engine belt this morning.  It powered the alternator and refrigerator compressor.  My job was to hold a wrench.  There is not much room for more active helping in Fiona's little engine room.  The belt changing job took just a little more than an hour.

This morning I recall drinking last night's rum, a special concoction Geraldine Danon gave us aboard Fleur Australe.  That visit was quite noisy.  So much for the silence of the arctic.  Not with an attention craving three year old!  But on Fiona some peace reigned on a cold, foggy morning.  Overnight the freighter Sea Bird berthed just feet in front of our boat.  He left and sailed into the brash filled harbor just as we did a few hours later at 10:00AM.

6:43PM:  We are well underway.  I wonder whether Fleur got away today.  We are sailing, finally, in light wind.  Today I worked my second celestial navigation problem.

-entry from Russ Roberts' journal

Meeting Fleur Australe

Today we put on 300 liters of diesel (about 79 gallons).  The tanks are now topped off.

While in the Pisifik grocery store today I met the captain and crew of Fleur Australe, a French boat which is also attempting the Northwest Passage this year.  They are Phillippe Poupon and his wife and crewmate, Geraldine Danon.  The had several of their kids in tow.

Tonight Phillippe motored his dingy over to Fiona, picked us up and took us to Fleur for drinks.  There we met the rest of the family (the Poupons are sailing the Northwest Passage with a Jack Russell Terrier and four children, ages 1 to 13 years).  Geraldine's old make-up artist, Georges, completes the crew.  Make-up artist?  Geraldine is an actor in France.  On this trip she's Fleur documentary filmmaker.  Cameras are mounted around the nine month old steel ketch.  She is often seen with a camera on her shoulder.  It makes my effort with a little Canon seems paltry.

Phillippe, also known as "Phillou,"  is a veteran sailor.  While on board he showed us a book filled with his accomplishments, included winning two single handed transatlantic O-Star races more than twenty years ago.

Will we leave Upernavik tomorrow to begin crossing Baffin Bay.

-entry from Russ Roberts' journal