Today, we had a big big crew change: Marielle, Naima, Line and Anissa flew off via Kugluktuk, Yellowknife, Edmonton, Montreal and Zurich to Shanghai, where the girls will join their new school.

The boat feels very empty without them. No one reading, drawing or giggling. No music from ipods, less stuff lying around, less movement. No more ginger tea and Bircher Muesli in the mornings and hot water bottles in the evenings. Only men left (Yves, Sylvain, myself). We are very sad that they're gone.

But we got two new crew members: My uncle Michael Dechamps from Munich, as well as Richard Tegner from Stockholm. Richard was initially on another boat doing the passage, the Swedish DAX, but due to engine failure they had to give up in Pond Inlet, and Richard continued for a while on expedition cruise ship Akademik Ioffe before joining Libellule in Cambridge. Arte is filming a 10-hour documentary on the Polar Sea, part of which consists of filming Richard's progress - and they actually did a film session with us today.

And then there was a lot happening in Cambridge in general today: There were 5 sailboats (east to west) and 3 sailboats (west to east) on the dock. Then cruise ship Hanseatic arrived. And then 1 rowing boat and 2 kayakers arrived (west to east). Everyone at the same time, timed by the recent ice opening. Annual rush hour in Cambridge Bay!

We left Cambridge Bay again in the evening, as we want to get as quickly west as possible, that is before the sea ice around Barrow will close again with new ice. First leg: Cambridge Bay-Tuktoyaktuk 700 nm (appr 5 days). The tricky part will be Cape Bathurst, where there still is 2/10 to 5/10 ice...