We are into September and you wouldn't quite believe the all-encompassing change in temperature that is inevitably going to happen in a just matter of weeks around here.

Yesterday evening and last night we had some superb sailing with the wind dead behind us and all sails set. We even got to try Young Larry's poled out jib. This long wooden pole is used to maximise the boat's sail area when the wind is astern. Quite a complicated long wooden pole that is stowed on the mast when not being used. The outboard end is uppermost so it is the opposite of a dip-pole gybe. During the night the wind gradually headed us (ie it changed direction and started blowing from where we want to go- not what we like) and then faded altogether and the motor (or iron horses) was back on to disturb the peace.

When I came on watch this morning it was foggy and universally grey outside. It took the arctic sun until gone 1pm to burn off the fog and produce another beautiful blue-sky day. The rest of the day has been spent plugging along with the motor in a westerly direction.

We have actually moved on a bit more from the position above. It ha however become a bit of a standing joke on board that I like round numbers for ease of position plotting and choosing waypoints and I couldn't resist the point at exactly 70 degrees north. I did manage to restrain myself from trying to head exactly for 70 degrees north and 120degrees west. Some in the audience might say the only truly round numbers are 90 degrees north or south (where there is no longitude) and possibly the equator on the Prime Meridian. Where is that by the way?

Today we moved west of 120 degrees west and thus out of Nunavut. For those of you not paying attention earlier, I will remind you that Nunavut is the semi-independent land of the Inuit people. We thus lowered the splendid (if in our case rather oversized) Nunavut flag. The flag is half yellow for the midnight sun and half white for the ice that dominates all of life up here. In the centre is a red Inukshuk (figure shaped statue of piled stones) in the centre and the Polaris star in the corner.

When sailing in foreign waters a boat always flies a courtesy flag from the starboard crosstree. We are thus flying the Canadian flag. If one is visiting an area with a strong local sense of pride one would often also fly that area's flag in addition to the national one. An example closer to home would be in Brittany in western France with its black and white flag. Often goes down well with the locals and certainly a number commented positively on our Nunavut flag. The Canadian Coast Guard did think that the national maple leaf flag was a little dwarfed by our Nunavut one!

For lunch today Andrew made pastry for a quiche followed by rhubarb pie. Very impressive and we actually had lunch in the cockpit! My turn to do supper tonight and we rounded it off with a fruit salad including pineapple and mango courtesy of the Hanseatic!

We should get to the hills tomorrow afternoon. Apparently they even glow in the dark and are well worth seeing. From there we will head for Tuk, which should take about a day and a half to two days to reach. All that is, however, very much dependent upon the wind.

Still not much to show you photograph wise as we are some way offshore. The photos today are also from the DEW line station at Bernard Harbour.