Missed yesterday’s post? Click here.
At 7:30am we were all rowing again. It had rained since 2am and would continue to rain until 5pm. We had rowed 20 miles (23 statute miles, 37 km) yesterday.
TEN MILES THAT FELT LIKE A HUNDRED
The 5.5h and 10 miles (11.5 statute miles, 18.5 km) to Douglas Island were absolutely dreadful. The swell and winds had gone down but the adverse currents were killing us. Struggled to make 2 knots most of the time. Of course, as if fate wanted to spite us, we started making above 3 knots with zero effort on the last 2 miles.
WELCOME COMMITTEE
Douglas Island welcomed us with a committee of around two dozen seals and calm waters in a safe and easy-to-find anchoring location next to a pebble beach and near cliffs.
COLD, DAMP, MISTY
We all changed into dry clothes, but it kept on raining and drizzling, so after a 4h shift the new clothes were no longer dry. Leven had warned me before I left for Cambridge Bay, that the usual waterproofs aren’t of much use at sea. You need proper oils.
GORETEX VS OILS
Having failed at finding suitable oils in my size online, I ended up buying a jacket in Cambridge Bay for the equivalent of £100. There were no pants available. In essence the jacket is like a 2mm thick, jacket-sized rubber bag with zero ventilation, but it keeps 100% of the water out. In turn you sweat like in a sauna, even if you are cold and don’t move much.
SANDWICH PAPER
My £575 Goretex Pro expedition jacket and £600 Goretex Pro expedition salopettes turned out to be as useful as sandwich paper to protect against 24h+ continuous exposure to drizzle. The fabric of both got completely soaked.
For tomorrow’s post click here.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE EXPEDITION
22 July – LHR to YCB
2 August 2024 (Cambridge Bay to Starvation Bay)
4 August 2024 (Starvation Bay to Wellington Bay)
12 August 2024 (From Wellington Bay 6h further Westward)
15 August 2024 (53mi/96km from Botany Island to Richardson Islands)
18 August 2024 (from Richardson Islands past Marker Islands)
22 August 2024 (23mi/37km Westward from Miles and Nauyan Islands past Lady Franklin Point – extremely tough conditions – ‘MISSION IMPOSSIBLE’)
23 August 2024 (Dreadful 10 miles – 12mi/19km – that felt like 100 miles to Douglas Island; welcome committee of two dozen seals)
25 August 2024 (An easy 19mi/31km from Douglas Island to Lambert Island; MS Fridtjoff Nansen passing)
27 August 2024 (An easy 7mi/9km along Lambert Island; yacht Night Owl passing by us)
28 August 2024 (STARTING OUR 64MI/104KM PUSH EARLY; passing Hanseatic Spirit, MS Roald Amundsen, yacht Honshu)
29 August 2024 (Arriving at Cape Hope after 64mi/104km – new team best)
30 August 2024 (EMERGENCY BEACHING at a bay next to Cape Hope)
31 August 2024 (CABIN FLOODED; LEAK FOUND)
Mike’s Poem about our Northwest Passage Expedition
3 September 2024 (REPAIRING HERMIONE)
DETAILS OF LEVEN’S MASTERPIECE: THE PRELIMINARY REPAIR and preparation of the re-launch of Hermione
4 September 2024 (A LOT OF DIGGING and another unsuccessful attempt to refloat the boat)
5 September 2024 (REFLOATING HERMIONE, MOTORING TOWARDS PAULATUK; MILITARY PLANE PASSING)
6 September 2024 (BACK TO ROWING AFTER EMERGENCY MOTOR BREAKS)
8 September 2024 (my 50th birthday; ALMOST CRASHING THE BOAT into rocks; Skynet; a pod of whales)
12 September 2024 (starting our last big push before Paulatuk; RUNNING AGROUND 3X; BIOLUMINESCENCE; Northern lights)
13 September 2024 (ALL HELL BREAKING LOOSE – ALMOST CRASHING INTO CLIFFS)
NORTHERN LIGHTS, 15 September, near Paulatuk
15 September 2024 (REACHING PAULATUK)
16 September 2024 (eating proper food; shower; the good life)
19 September 2024 (flying back home; 5 flights; Breakfast Club at Inuvik Airport)
Stefan will be rowing the Northwest Passage this summer – A little Q&A
Northwest Passage Expedition – Kit List
Trevor’s Travel Trivia IX – The Northwest Passage
My home town’s newspaper, Burghauser Anzeiger, has published an article about the Expedition
Post-expedition Q&As – Coming back from the Arctic after two months
