We had a busy day today unpacking and stowing the gear we brought and then went to launch the dinghy, Olive. Mark did a BEAUTIFUL job on her and I’ve included a close up detail to show you how the two parts of the clam shell design bolt together.  Walt rowed her over to Geraldine where she now resides on the roof all folded up.

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It was foggy and cool all day long though the weekend is supposed to improve. In the afternoon it was 53 degrees here so we have wanted the heat. As I drove to the grocery store to stock up on food I saw huge lupine flowers all about and one patch that was especially gorgeous. I didn’t have the camera with me but asked Randy and Jen to take some pictures tomorrow as they go by; I think the lupines will be taller than Quinlan!

Walt was working on priming the water maker this morning and it now puts out 16 gallons an hour! Isn’t that amazing?! We don’t have to fear taking a shower or washing clothes with this kind of output.

Mark stayed for dinner with us tonight to celebrate the completion of his project! Fun!

I had dinner with Kip and Walt at the Airport Diner in Manchester last night, complete with ’50s music in the background and Canadian pork pie with gravy! It doesn’t get any better than that!

I have posted the three proposed routes that I’ve put together for our passage at a new page on the site. I’ve included a map of each possible route.  Also, I’ll try to find a map with the route that Roald Amundsen took with Gjøa when he made the first successful transit of the Northwest Passage by boat in 1903-1906.

Here is a website I found that provides daily satellite views…although with only moderate resolution. Still, it’s very interesting to note the following as of today:

• There’s a strange piece of water that is wide open due east of Fury & Hecla Strait while Foxe Basin and the Gulf of Boothia are still solid ice
• Fury & Hecla is starting to darken up a little
• You can see that Peel Sound is opening up very rapidly
• Point Barrow is still very solid
• Disko Bay (and the entire Greenland Coast) is completely open
• Very interestingly, Prince of Wales Strait is starting to get very dark already. This could still be a possibility for us (express route!)

If you click on this image, it will take to you an updated shot of the ice as of today!