(71 deg 16.3′ N 154 deg 43′ W) It is about 4:00 am and we have been on our watch since 1:00. We are now 30 miles from Barrow. We observe the sun in an interesting way on these nights. The sun is going down right at the bow as we travel west. At 1:00 if we look to starboard at, 2:00 on the horizon, and there is an orange glow which travels along the horizon until it is almost behind us, and then the sun rises. This has been happening each night and is something very beautiful to look at as we go. I got a picture to show you. It is dark before us so we can’t see any obstacles and pray through the night that God would clear a path before us and He has been so faithful. When we went up Baffin Island the skies were mostly clear and we had so much light through the night. This has not been the case through the Beaufort Sea; clouds cover the sky and it is more than a month later. We hope to have a night that is clear and get the opportunity to see northern lights. We did see them while in Tuk while aground and it was so cool. Do you remember my telling you about seeing them out the plane window when going to Paris 2001? Both times the lights were white and moving about as if coming near and then drifting back.

The throttle on the engine has started sticking and keeping us going at full speed ahead! Only a bad thing when you want to stop. We have been running constantly at 1300 rpm and when the driver lowers it to idle, it takes 11 minutes for the engine to slow down. We first discovered this as we came into Cross Island, and Shane could not slow down so we went in a circle until the motor did slow down enough to anchor.

We have seen several boats with AIS in the fog and contacted them to make our presence known and that has been fun.

We had pizza for dinner last night and continue to have salad from Salinas. The lettuce was packaged in a bag that prevents deterioration and it works! I want to contact the company when I get home!

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(70º31.4′ N, 127º23.2 ‘ W — Amundsen Gulf) Greetings from The Geraldine! We have enjoyed a quiet and calm day today with one knot of wind and flat seas! Yea! After a good night’s sleep at a firm anchor, we started out at first light and have put lots of water under the boat so far today. The sky looked overcast and stormy but it’s been so pleasant. We saw some whales and a pair of birds we haven’t seen before that escorted us for a long time. The male had long plumes but the female did not as you’ll see in the pictures. We wish we had a book on the names of the birds we are seeing.

Our plan is to run through the night again as bad weather is coming behind us and we want to get to Tuktoyaktuk tomorrow afternoon. So all of us have been napping through the day to be ready for our night shifts. Kip is making plans to leave the journey for home in either Prudhoe Bay or Barrow to get back to start up in BSF. Ed Wright, Walt’s friend from the BSF School Program, will be joining the crew then for a few weeks.

Pat is downstairs making bread at the moment,in the fine Renaudin French tradition of four generations of bakers on his mother’s side of the family. Shane is driving, Walt is reading “90 degrees North, the quest for the North Pole”, and I am writing you! We successfully made 30 gallons of water for the second time and are hopeful that running at the lower pressure will do the trick so there will be no more failures.

Tonight we ate Arctic Char pasta; do you detect a theme? Reminds me of Forrest Gump and the many ways to fix shrimp! Char baked, Char pasta, Char chowder, Char sandwiches, Char scrambled eggs, Chicken-fried Char, Char a-la-mode, Char tartar…..we love it! Pat is hoping Arctic Char also restores hair loss! 🙂

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(69º 48.78′ N, 121º 52.77′ W — Keat’s Point) Tonight we are almost due north of our home in Los Gatos. We got email today! We tried a SSB connection through Friday Harbor, Washington, [ed. the radio communicates over vast distances to antenna stations scattered around the globe] and made our best connection in days. The harbor we are stopped in is beautiful; low lying cliffs of rock on two sides with a beach in the middle. It will be nice having a chance to sleep quietly for the night. We have been running since Wednesday and today were in very rough seas again for most of the day.

About 3:00 am Walt and saw a cargo ship coming toward us and hailed them on the radio. They are on their way to St. John, Newfoundland. Later in the day we thought we saw two sail boats and hailed them twice on our radio with no response. Turns out they were unmelted ice on the shore! Rather cold and unresponsive! We had Arctic Char sandwiches for lunch which was like tuna only better. Then we had char again for dinner. It is simply delicious. We had a problem with water accumulating on the V berth floor. Turns out the anchor locker weep holes were plugged with mud and a little sleuth and plumber work on Shane’s behalf and we are all cleaned out.

Editor’s Note: We are trying to organize a crew change. Kip needs to get home to lead her BSF class, so she’s planning to fly out in a week or so. In searching for a replacement crew member, we drew a name out of a hat containing all the people who have commented on the site. The winner is… Ed Wright. Ed will be joining the Geraldine at either Prudhoe Bay or Point Barrow. In conversation with the crew, they’ve mentioned the weather has not been as placid as they’d like. With wave reaching 15 feet, the largest of the trip, a fresh set of eyes and hands will be welcome. Thank you Ed!

Double Editor’s Note: Due to a severe drop-off in website comments, I thought I’d make it clear: we didn’t draw Ed out of a hat, his joining the crew was pre-arranged. Comment away without fear!

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******Here are pictures from 8/22 you might enjoy seeing!*****

You can see Keats Point at sunset and then again in the morning the next day.  The chain picture is of the chain locker weep hole plugged with mud and thus the water leak all over the V-berth floor.

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(69 deg 06.8′ N, 105 deg 03.6′ W) We just arrived at the city dock at 12:45 am and are ready to fall into bed.  We made water today with the new parts and it all seems to be fine so far.  It was a mostly sunny day with calm seas in the afternoon finally.  The sunset took two hours and was so beautiful as was the moon rising. The picture during the sunset that looks like ice bergs is a mirage and not real.  The satellite pictures say we are completely out of the ice now.  We will find internet access in the morning and get caught up with pictures.  Shane said Rebecca is excited because they are both in the same longitude now! There is a storm brewing east of us, but if we are headed west in the next 30 hours we are predicted to miss most of it. Good night! 

Next morning: A local office invited us to use their internet so I am going to quick send the photos to add to the site. We slept until 8:30 this morning and are feeling better from the late night and several days of traveling in shifts. Pat and Shane went on a walkabout and came back with some groceries and souvenirs. We were warned to leave a person on the boat as children who are so curious will climb all over your boat and take their own souvenirs if you are not there. We saw that level of couriosity back at Nain in Labrador, but not here in Cambridge Bay. Anyway, I am here to get my job done and get a peek at town. All of us want to get to the site to see the comments which are like getting mail. We read them together and have a good time connecting with home!

Editor’s Note: Check back as far as 8/14 for photo updates

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