Position update 00.27 CEST: 70.50081 N, 164.12152 E

Position update 12.18 CEST: 70.28984 N, 166.42079 E

Position update 16.23 CEST: 70.28905 N, 167.56718 E

Position update 23.58 CEST: 70.04376 N, 169.44873 E
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Sailing slowly past an old iceberg.

Expedition Report, 12.08:
“Calm winds but from the right direction has been the situation the last couple of days. With our gennaker and schreacher sails we are able to achieve a decent speed, and expect to pass Pevek Monday morning. Headwinds and calm have actually been the biggest challenges so far – and not ice as we expected. With more favourable winds we would probably have been finished with the Northeast Passage by now.

When we checked the pontoons, or floats as sailors of multihull boats call them, we found about 60 litres of seawater in the port pontoon and about 30 in the starboard one. With the weight we have in there from before, we were overloaded; moreover the leakage posed a serious problem and a safety hazard. Fortunately we now think we’ve manage to isolate the problem. We initially thought it was the inspection hatches, but we now suspect the real problem has been a vent hole at the back of each pontoon. Since this part is more or less constantly in the water in bad weather, water is seeping in and slowly filling up the pontoons. This must be a construction error – and quite dangerous if one is not aware of the problem. We have now sealed of these vent holes and will inspect the pontoons again after next gale.

Yesterday we entered into an area with scattered old ice floes, and that continued for most of today as well. It was a very open drift, as Nick at the Norwegian Ice Service in Tromsø would describe it. We had no problems navigating through it. Visibility was good, and the ice field ceased precisely where Nick told us it would.

Another potential danger that we always have to be on the watch for is timber and driftwood. This can be very difficult to see, but hitting a big piece of driftwood would be just like colliding with a rock. It is getting quite dark during the night, and it’s important to keep a constant lookout.”

Best regards,
Børge

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A roll of tape is handy for many tasks on a sailing boat – such as sealing the ventholes on the pontoons.

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Today’s forecast:
Weather: Mainly sunny, risk for fog patches.
Wind: 320-340° 2-6 knots, between 12.00-18.00 UTC becoming calm, and after 18.00 UTC becoming 140-160° 4-8 knots.

(For a more comprehensive forecast, with explanations, please see Weather4Expeditions.com.

Position update 04.25 CEST: 71.11814 N, 159.40724 E

Position update 08.02 CEST: 71.00475 N, 160.34953 E – Medvyezhi Islands

Position update 11.56 CEST: 70˚53’ N, 161˚12’ E
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Note: Rikki has made an excellent map that shows progress so far, with links to expedition reports.

View <ahref="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&source=embed&msa=0&msid=113176050556904622023.00048a91284e3f2d83fd2&ll=71.965388,171.386719&spn=19.776759,74.707031&z=3 Northern Passage - 2010 in a larger map
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Expedition report, 11.53 – Our CONGRATULATIONS to “RX2”!
Today we want to honour our friends on the yacht “RX2”, who finally managed to sail through the Northwest Passage yesterday. As you may know, they tried to do both passages last year, but were delayed by Russian bureaucrazy, and had wait until this year to continue their journey. With yesterday’s crowning success, they have now done both passages! Well done, guys!

We’re sailing the East Siberian Sea, and the weather is fickle to say the least. Yesterday we were hammered by foul weather before being able to ride a riding gale-force wind; today a gentle breeze is pushing us eastward. It’s great to have tailwinds instead of the wind right on the nose.

The Medvyezhi Islands are in sight. Soon we expect to encounter more ice – in fact from here and the whole way eastward to the Bering Strait. There is a huge area of drifting ice floes ahead. The recommended route is to stay close to coast where there is more open water. It is always tempting to sail further north and take a shortcut – but that means entering a maze and risk getting stuck in the ice. In our opinion that risk is too high, so we will follow the coast.

The sea and landscape that surrounds us is vast, flat and monotonous. The sea has a brownish colour.

The absence of animal life is frightening. During the last two days we have spotted just a few lonely seagulls and a single seal. What is going on? We know that scientists around the world are trying to understand the ongoing global changes and the effect on animal life. Walrus and polar bears depend on sea ice – and the sea ice is decreasing. The effect of the thawing permafrost is another uncertain factor. The consequences are also enormous for the indigenous people who live here in the Russian Arctic: the Nenets and Nganasan, Dolgans, Evenks and Chukchi.

We have a library on board – a tiny one, as we need to conserve weight. We have brought along some issues of The Circle, published by the World Wildlife Federation’s (WWF) International Arctic Programme. We can really recommend this magazine to all of who are interested in the rapid changes that are taking their toll in the Arctic. A word of gratitude to our friend Knut Fredrik Horn who gave us the magazine package on our departure from Oslo on Midsummer’s Eve, 23 June!

Best regards,
Thorleif

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At the moment Thorleif, Børge and Stas are north of the Medvyezhi Islands. Medvyezhi means “bear”. No humans live here, but polar bears thrive and breed. Most of the year this archipelago is surrounded by ice, which makes it excellent hunting grounds for the white-furred King of the Arctic!
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Polar bears have no natural enemies in the Arctic, and thus little fear. They will stop at little to satisfy their curiosity – or hunger. (This polar bear was photographed during one of Børge’s previous expeditions.)

Good coffee and many high-calory meals are prepared in our humble kitchen. Even in the worst gale there is little chance of this kettle being thrown off the hot plate.

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Forecast:
Weather: Sunny, scattered cloudiness – no precipitation.
Wind: 270-290°12-17 knots, after 18 UTC becoming 290-310° 8-13 knots.
(For a more comprehensive forecast, with explanations, please see Weather4Expeditions.com.