A Change in the Weather?

As we were no longer in Fort Ross when he passed by, the Captain of the Bremen launched one of his ribs and left two small rucksacks in the care of the Tandberg Polar to be collected upon our return. When we got back to Fort Ross we collected these rucksacks and found one contained an assortment of goodies and the other some bananas, lettuce and tomatoes but the real treasure was the ice charts and grib files that did hold out some hope for our onward journey.

The ice charts showed that the ice in Peel Sound, and in the Franklin and Victoria Straits was continuing to melt and thin out a little, the better news was the prediction that winds would switch to the north east for two days, blowing 15kts or more in the Bellot and 20 kts plus on the other side.

Sure enough in the afternoon the winds began to move into the east and increase in strength. Initially this gave us more problems with the ice as the floes that had driven us out on their way in now wanted to do the same on their way out. But anticipating this we had anchored closer to shore in much shallower water and was able to fend off the ice until around 2.00am this morning when there was non left in the bay.

As I type this the wind is blowing from the ENE at around 15kts, out beyond our anchorage the ice is streaming past but heading south west and hopefully is not being taken into the Bellot. The ice charts later today should show some movement the other side of Bellot Strait.....More later!