13 September 2017 | King Cove, Alaska
13 September 2017 | Urilia Bay--at the tip of the Alaskan Peninsula
08 September 2017 | Apporaching Nome, AK
29 August 2017 | Enroute: Gjoa Haven to Cambridge Bay
17 August 2017 | Ft. Ross, Nunavut, Canada
16 August 2017 | Pond Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
06 August 2017 | Graham Harbour, Nunavut, Canada
02 August 2017 | Stratton Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
25 July 2017 | 74 39'N:84 59'W, Cuming Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
23 July 2017 | 74 35'N:74 06'W, Lancaster Sound, Canada, 100 miles to the west
20 July 2017 | 69 46'N:56 08'W, At Sea...off the coast of Greenland
19 July 2017 | 68 48'N:51 11'W, Disko Bay, Greenland
17 July 2017 | 68 48'N:51 11'W, Disko Bay, Greenland
16 July 2017 | 68 45'N:52 31'W, Disko Bay, Greenland
14 July 2017 | 66 34'N:54 06'W, Arctic Circle, Greenland
13 July 2017 | 65 24'N:52 54'W, Maniitsoq, Greenland
09 July 2017 | 64 15'N:51 13'W, Itiisoq
04 July 2017 | 64 10.2'N:51 43.5'W, Nuuk, Greenland, Inner Harbor
02 July 2017 | 63 56'N:52 21'W, Approaching Nuuk
01 July 2017 | 61 26'N:52 54'W, In Davis Strait
ICE!
06 August 2017 | Graham Harbour, Nunavut, Canada
Charlie
Every day, I download ice charts from the Canadian Ice Service which we use to plan the next leg(s) of the voyage. I plan the sail in ice- free areas or in areas of the ice chart which are colored blue indicating less than 10% ice coverage and/or bergy water.
Icebergs are pretty easy to avoid because they are large and easy to see (unless it's foggy). Larger icebergs show on radar at a distance of several miles. Sea ice, on the other hand, is low to the water and is more difficult to see as it bobs up and down in the ocean.
So today's trip was to be a 60-mile jaunt from Graham Harbour to Beechey Island. The ice chart showed blue water all the way with green (10-30%) to the south. All was well for 10 miles--we encountered a few bergy bits but no problem. We could see a white band on the horizon but couldn't tell whether it was a fog layer or ice, so we pressed on.
When only a few miles away, the white band materialized into a solid band of ice blocking our way. It was in front of us and ran out of sight both north and south. When we got closer, I roused up the off-watch crew to take pictures. Our masthead video camera showed the narrow band of ice followed by lots of broken but passable water, followed by another band.
I turned south to follow along the band of ice looking for an opening. We found one spot where we could possibly get through by pushing chunks of ice out of the way...not at all what I had in mind. Such an opening would be OK if we could see clear water ahead, but with the possibility of being unable to get back through, it was not an option.
After three miles south with increasing density of ice, I turned back to our safe harbor and Graham Harbour where we are once again safely and comfortably anchored.
Gallery Error: Unknown Album [1:]:38022