22nd Aug
The night got colder and colder..the snow started about 01:00, then the low cloud and (oooohhhh joy) then the fog. At least the fog only lasted for a while, the snow persisted for the rest of the morning until lunchtime.
The 2/10 ice was quite serious at first as we tracked across Prince Regent, however, it started to clear as we bagan to see the west side of the inlet, the snow eased and the weather improved no end.
We were heading for Batty Bay now.........and the sun came out..............only for a few minutes mind................we are in the Arctic remember......;-)
The game plan was to head forFort Ross as dircted by Doug and Mark the Ice Pilot from the cruise liner "Silver Explorer".............we were on it !!!!!!
Lillian B.....seemed to disappear in Prince Leopold Bay...............despite all our efforts we could not raise them on the VHF or SSB.............strange.........there was also no AIS plot.....weird.
We carried on down the inlet intending to stop at "Fury Beach"..........the last resting place of HMS Fury in the 1820's, she was driven onto the beach in a gale and wrecked.
However, the wind picked up a bit and it was so mind numbingly cold we decided not to chance launching the dingy in worsening seas and apparently the sailing directions for the area noted nothing special on the beach itself. So carry on to Fort Ross we did.
The 9/10 ice that had been at this location 2 days ago slowly started to appear 2 to 3 miles offshore, blown there by the westerly winds, which were still blowing.
I was due on watch at 21:00, at 20:45 i heard a shout from Ding.......it's impassable !!!
I got all my gear on and went up................holy polony, we had ice everywhere.......Dinghad followed a "lead" and it looked like a dead end. i got the binoculars and climbed up onto the jib boom. Ahhha..............i could see a way out, first we had to push our way through a flat section of ice in front of us. Slowly does it.......CRUNCH!!!!!!.......we're through.
Ding and i spent the next 2.5 hours tracking through what we believe to be 4 to 6/10 ice...........really exciting and frightening at the same time. You can pass through a load of ice, then suddenly it closes behind you and you're stuck fast. Anyway, on we plodded, me looking for "leads" and Ding on the helm. Yyyyaaahhhhoooooo, we're through we could see a wide clear section in front of us, along the South east coastline of Somerset Island.
Steve & Tel had come to help for the last 3/4 hour, we were all relieved to see clear water.
Off we set for Fort Ross, where Steve & Tel too us to at 03:00 next morning (23rd Aug).
23rd Aug
Woke about 08:00..........sausage, tomatoes, egg and toast for breakers..........mmmmmmm.
Dingy launched and we're off to shore to have a look around.
The weather was good with some wind, but the cold was quite noticeable................yeah i know........we're in the Atctic.....strange we were at the same latitude in Arctic Bay, but somehow it seemed warmer.
We leave the dingy and walk over to the old Hudson Bay Company huts. The sailing directions for the bay say leave some tinned food in the hut for emergency use. We decided a large tin of red beans would suffice.............
The accomodation building was open..................fotos below.
We then walked over to the other hut, on the way we passed some alpines..well i think they were.
The hut / warehouse at first appeared shut...we then realised the aluminium ladder was there to gain access to the top of the door covered in timbers. It said on the door...."key at the south east corner"...............however, it was open.......good job there was no key !!!
The inside was amazing...................all the previous visitors had left drawings and "T" shirts of their boats. We decided to do one for our visit on Novara.
David Scott Cowper had left a new visitors book , so we duly made an entry.............and left the tin of beans.
Good day all in all......
Rough legged buzzard overflew
And so the asy bit aarives, so time for a few photos.......................believe me....this is the easy bit !!!!
We have passed the hard part !!!!
In the accomodation house at Fort Ross..........Tel decides he needs a rest !!!!
Not too sure whats happened here.............the gun is no joke......polar bears everywhere !!!!
A tad out of touch here.............Ding at the helm leaving Carswell bay..........
clear water
Fort Ross
The house at Fort Ross
Above the house at Fort Ross
Ordanance Survey Canada plaque
Novara in Depot Bay, Fort Ross
The flagpole at Fort Ross
The stove in the house
The main room
Alpines ???
The original HBC building at Fort Ross
Art farty
Tel, removing the timbers protecting the door to the emergency building
inside
previous visitors
aha ......Bob's last visit on Dodo's Delight
my best attempt at a view of Novara from memory
amazing lichen........marks on the stones
MS Bremen
Me at work on the picture of Novara
The ise chock at the west end of Bellot Strait......bollox !!!
Bearded seal on a floe near us in Fort Ross
The night got colder and colder..the snow started about 01:00, then the low cloud and (oooohhhh joy) then the fog. At least the fog only lasted for a while, the snow persisted for the rest of the morning until lunchtime.
The 2/10 ice was quite serious at first as we tracked across Prince Regent, however, it started to clear as we bagan to see the west side of the inlet, the snow eased and the weather improved no end.
We were heading for Batty Bay now.........and the sun came out..............only for a few minutes mind................we are in the Arctic remember......;-)
The game plan was to head forFort Ross as dircted by Doug and Mark the Ice Pilot from the cruise liner "Silver Explorer".............we were on it !!!!!!
Lillian B.....seemed to disappear in Prince Leopold Bay...............despite all our efforts we could not raise them on the VHF or SSB.............strange.........there was also no AIS plot.....weird.
We carried on down the inlet intending to stop at "Fury Beach"..........the last resting place of HMS Fury in the 1820's, she was driven onto the beach in a gale and wrecked.
However, the wind picked up a bit and it was so mind numbingly cold we decided not to chance launching the dingy in worsening seas and apparently the sailing directions for the area noted nothing special on the beach itself. So carry on to Fort Ross we did.
The 9/10 ice that had been at this location 2 days ago slowly started to appear 2 to 3 miles offshore, blown there by the westerly winds, which were still blowing.
I was due on watch at 21:00, at 20:45 i heard a shout from Ding.......it's impassable !!!
I got all my gear on and went up................holy polony, we had ice everywhere.......Dinghad followed a "lead" and it looked like a dead end. i got the binoculars and climbed up onto the jib boom. Ahhha..............i could see a way out, first we had to push our way through a flat section of ice in front of us. Slowly does it.......CRUNCH!!!!!!.......we're through.
Ding and i spent the next 2.5 hours tracking through what we believe to be 4 to 6/10 ice...........really exciting and frightening at the same time. You can pass through a load of ice, then suddenly it closes behind you and you're stuck fast. Anyway, on we plodded, me looking for "leads" and Ding on the helm. Yyyyaaahhhhoooooo, we're through we could see a wide clear section in front of us, along the South east coastline of Somerset Island.
Steve & Tel had come to help for the last 3/4 hour, we were all relieved to see clear water.
Off we set for Fort Ross, where Steve & Tel too us to at 03:00 next morning (23rd Aug).
23rd Aug
Woke about 08:00..........sausage, tomatoes, egg and toast for breakers..........mmmmmmm.
Dingy launched and we're off to shore to have a look around.
The weather was good with some wind, but the cold was quite noticeable................yeah i know........we're in the Atctic.....strange we were at the same latitude in Arctic Bay, but somehow it seemed warmer.
We leave the dingy and walk over to the old Hudson Bay Company huts. The sailing directions for the bay say leave some tinned food in the hut for emergency use. We decided a large tin of red beans would suffice.............
The accomodation building was open..................fotos below.
We then walked over to the other hut, on the way we passed some alpines..well i think they were.
The hut / warehouse at first appeared shut...we then realised the aluminium ladder was there to gain access to the top of the door covered in timbers. It said on the door...."key at the south east corner"...............however, it was open.......good job there was no key !!!
The inside was amazing...................all the previous visitors had left drawings and "T" shirts of their boats. We decided to do one for our visit on Novara.
David Scott Cowper had left a new visitors book , so we duly made an entry.............and left the tin of beans.
Good day all in all......
Rough legged buzzard overflew
And so the asy bit aarives, so time for a few photos.......................believe me....this is the easy bit !!!!
We have passed the hard part !!!!
In the accomodation house at Fort Ross..........Tel decides he needs a rest !!!!
Not too sure whats happened here.............the gun is no joke......polar bears everywhere !!!!
A tad out of touch here.............Ding at the helm leaving Carswell bay..........
clear water
......
Fort Ross
The house at Fort Ross
Above the house at Fort Ross
Ordanance Survey Canada plaque
Novara in Depot Bay, Fort Ross
The flagpole at Fort Ross
The stove in the house
The main room
Alpines ???
The original HBC building at Fort Ross
Art farty
Tel, removing the timbers protecting the door to the emergency building
inside
aha ......Bob's last visit on Dodo's Delight
my best attempt at a view of Novara from memory
amazing lichen........marks on the stones
MS Bremen
Me at work on the picture of Novara
The ise chock at the west end of Bellot Strait......bollox !!!
Bearded seal on a floe near us in Fort Ross
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