14th August 2023 – Allen Bay near Resolute.
We have been unable to get ashore for several days now and have settled into a routine of eating, reading, and playing “….Head” before retiring to bed. The routine was interrupted today when we spotted a Canadian Coastguard Ship called Pierre Addison(?) anchoring just off May Island. Will called them up on VHF and they confirmed the current wind speed was 55 kn or storm force 10. They also confirmed that it was unusual to get such a prolonged period of bad weather. On the positive side they informed us that the ice was “clear” in the Peel Sound.
This should mean that as soon as the wind abates, maybe by Friday, we can get underway and head towards Gjoa Haven. Of course, this delayed start means we will need to make up time somewhere along the voyage. We will still need to take on fuel, so some stopping will be essential. The weather in the Bering Straight can deteriorate badly from mid September so the aim is to clear it by 14th September. We will need some favourable winds to achieve that but at this stage we feel it is still doable. The temperature has been around 3 degrees C but much colder in the wind.Tomorrow we hope to get ashore while there is a lull in the wind.
Well, we made it ashore wearing floatation suits in case it all went badly wrong. We left the suits on the beach and walked 5 km towards the settlement before being kindly offered a lift in a passing pick up truck.
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