While we seem to have no luck with polar bears, we are much more fortunate with ice. The Victoria straight is normally still pretty packed with ice (and it was 2 weeks ago), compelling a detour of 150 miles via Gjoa Haven – which is what Amundsen did in 1903 and he was stuck there for 2 winters before finally discovering the Northwest Passage. An even more compelling story is that of captain Sir John Franklin who set out in 1845 from England. Both of his ships HMS Erebus and HSM Terror got icebound and eventually sank. Sadly and despite several intensive searches commissioned by Franklin’s loving wife, all 129 men perished.
But fortunately for us, that big Lancaster storm pushed everything out of the way and the Victoria strait is mostly clear. There is still a long band of ice according to the last ice chart and we mark its predicted location on our TimeZero chart, sailing along 6 miles off it. It is blowing 20 knots and with the wind on our starboard quarter, we enjoy beautiful, albeit cold, sailing conditions. The temperature has again dropped to 2°C, much colder with the will chill, bringing an invigorating energy in the arctic air. Because of the proximity of the ice, we are unable to go below even for a minute to warm up or prepare a hot drink, so we have reduced the watches to 2.5 – 3 hours. Another 24 hours and we’ll catch up on sleep in Cambridge Bay! At 13.30, we encounter sea ice, about 2/10 concentration, and we carefully weave our way through for the next 1.5hour, still sailing but with the engine on idle, just in case.
Another night brings a lovely calm passage through the Icebreaker Channel, SE of Victoria Island. Finally, at 2130, after tacking up Queen Maud gulf with Thindra just 5nm behind, we are securely tied up the wharf in Cambridge Bay. Immediately, we are met by a dozen curious (and bored) local children of various ages. And while it is first lovely and fun, they soon proceed to their favourite past time – throwing rocks at windows. It is not personal, we saw a lot of this in Arctic Bay. Up here in Nunavut, almost every car has a broken windshield from rock throwing! But after repeatedly and kindly asking them to stop (and also not jump onboard without permission), we decide to move to anchor, the need of a good night sleep prevailing over anything else.