life in the old lane

Aug 26 Boat Day 14. 10:30am MDT. There is almost no connectivity today. It is also cold, 31 degrees or so. There’s snow and ice on the decks. Wind is howling and is promised to get worse. Most of the outside is closed and only the hardiest smokers are outside in the smoking area. There were a couple of people working on a seal skin on the top deck.

But, this is the arctic. And an excellent day to read, drink coffee, visit with new friends and nap. There are no off ship activities planned for the day. And, I think we are a little past the halfway point.

Halfway lesson learned.

1. I might have overpacked. But I haven’t gotten soaking wet (yet).
2. Glad I brought my slip on indoor shoes. I wear them all the time onboard.
3. Don’t think I would care for a ship larger than this one and I am not sure I would like Nansen if it were full.
4. This is billed as a voyage of discovery. Not all discoveries are external.

About dinner time, the sea got pretty bumpy and I had had enough to eat for one day of inactivity so, I skipped dinner and called an early night.

Posted from Gjoa Haven 68.61765 N / -95.88997 W

 

I wasn’t all that excited about a zodiac trip to look at old Hudson Bay Trading Company establishment Fort Ross. However, the sun was out. Never mind that it was snowing a little.

During breakfast, what should appear but an 87 meter sailing yacht. The Aquijo.

Getting in and out of the gear and riding around in a cold zodiac was rather tiring. So I decided to have a bowl of soup, so I was in the restaurant when we passed the northern most point in the continental Americas. You could walk from here to Patagonia. It really wasn’t all that impressive.

There’s a zodiac trip planned for 6 or 7 this evening. I would like to go, but it’s rough, foggy, and sleety. Not sure if I want to see polar bears that bad. Or if they will even go. Last night’s zodiac trek was canceled because of wind.

PS this evening’s zodiac trek has been canceled due to snow.

71.80473 N / -96.29662 W

Beechey Island was today’s first adventure. After Beechey Island, I watched a pod of Beluga whales. They really are white. No pictures. We are now sailing to some bird rock. And at 5pm we walruses can take a zodiac to get closer to the rock. And the birds. Sounds like a good chance to get shit on. I may or may not go.

It’s been a fine day and I think I am going to pass on the bird trip. It’s going to leave after 5:30 and really by then my day is winding down. Not to mention it’s windy and I am a wimp.
74.02443 N / -90.43823 W

Much later today, around 7pm, the walrus group gets the chance to go ashore for a 2km hike. I have given myself permission to not go. And shore leave will be cancelled if there be polar bears.

Heard a little Inuit humor. Apparently, the Inuit who hunt bears and whales are afraid of bees. A young Inuit man explained that was because you can’t shoot bees.

Yesterday I heard a fellow passenger describing our Wi-Fi as a “dead parrot”. I have to agree. But it’s better than no WiFi.and since there’s signal off this’ll go.

74.44N/-82.05W

It’s very tempting to play the old woman card and stay on the nice warm boat. The walruses are scheduled to leave in 30 minutes. Will see what I decide.

72.71N/-77.95W

I am exhausted. But, I don’t think that I will ever walk past a house that had a polar bear skin being cured/tanned in the front yard again.

Another chilly damp bumpy sea day. So what have I done?

We just crossed into Canada. And in an hour it will be time for cake and coffee. Oh yes, I have to go vacuum my walrus gear before we land in Canada tomorrow.
I am posting this early since we seem to be in StarLink range.

N72°21′ W64°38′

At north 67°39′ west 57°35′ there is almost no Internet. We are sailing again. It’s gray, damp and in the upper 30s. Seas OK today especially down on deck 4 where I live. Going to send this off. Hopefully it goes.

Ok, maybe this adventure isn’t my brightest idea. The ship is still kaput. It’s gray, windy and cold. And 15 foot waves are predicted if we get going.  What can possibly go wrong?  

I am reading Ronald Amundsen’s account of his original voyage, we are supposed to follow his route. He mentions some of his crew getting seasick in the area were 15 foot seas are promised. Of course he soon had greater concerns. He ran aground. 

According to Carlton: If you think you’re having fun then you’re having fun. So. Think fun.

Nuuk is the hardest place I have ever seen. Nuuk appears to be one solid granite bolder. With a tiny overlay of moss in a few places. Dynamite must be the most important construction tool.  It’s just solid hard. No dirt, no sand, not even rocks.  It’s just a bolder. Apparently the bolder is stuffed with copper, platinum, and cobalt. 

Just returned to my cabin and felt something bumping. 

The colorful old houses are pretty but I suspect that the modern apartment blocks are more practical. 

Time for some culture. Off to find the National Museum.

Enough culture. Let’s find a grocery store.

Sure this place is like Skagway, Everyone knows when the produce arrives and they scarf it up.

We are having boat trouble. Going to spend the night in Nuuk. Then who knows what happens.  Not my problem. Stay tuned.

 

We go back to the boat for a 15 minute potty break then on to an almost abandoned Danish army base. We come with broccoli, onions, carrots, potatoes and tangerines. 4 soldiers and 1 dog. That’s the population of the base. No photos allowed. We are on a 5 km hike to find muskox.  They are brown and fluffy with skinny legs. Didn’t get close enough to photograph with my phone.

Today we went all of 65 miles. Glorious miles. Through Prince Christian Sound.

Not enough WiFi to do anything this evening. Another lovely day at sea. I think we should see Greenland tomorrow. Mandatory briefings s. Got fitted with real sturdy boots. Weather turned cloudy and chilly. Ocean is a little lumpy. 

I’m am going to try to upload this now and maybe there will be a StarLink satellite closer later and I can upload a picture or two.