We are on the way to Iqaluit and we are running into bands of 90% ice. So far we have found leads through each band. The Coast Guard says that so far one small boat has left Iqaluit (3 days ago) and that no boat has come in without ice breaker support. They think we can make it if we are careful. We will be, though we won’t arrive until tomorrow.

We tried to anchor on the south shore of Frobisher Bay but the bottom was slick rock and was of no avail. The scenery was a 10! It was a combination of Yosemite, the Grand Tetons, and Glacier Bay all in one package. Picture a fiord with El Capitan at the entrance, a large glacier at the head with jagged peaks with snow patches in between.

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We are off to Iqaluit (63 deg 43.9 W, 068 deg 30.9 W) for repairs. The main engine wouldn’t start this morning and we are using our get home motor. We’re wondering if it is all part of dousing the engine room 3 times; twice with watermaker failure, and once with the wet exhaust leak. We will probably be in Iqaluit for a week to fly in parts, repair etc. In the meantime, more ice will melt. Please pray for all to come together this week, so that we again have a 100% operational vessel and will be able to resume our trek north next week.

The whole crew is in favor of this. We are all fine; warm and well.

We stayed put all day and rested, worked radio issues etc. I understand the SSB radio a lot better but am not sure we are any better off. Much of the ice seems to be gone as we look out; we’ve been quite secure here. We raised the Nunavut flag today in a very “informal” ceremony. Charlotte, Pat’s Admin, is working spare parts and logistics; pray for devine connections.

I somehow forgot to report yesterday that Shane got off the boat and lept to a bergy bit. We took pictures of him and he us. We did go back & get him; he’s way too valuable to leave behind. (Rebecca, you will love this post – especially now that it is after the fact. After all, how many people have been adrift on an iceberg in the arctic? You will love the pictures.)

Water temperature is 36 degrees, air temp is 45.

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Queen Elizabeth Foreland of the Hall Peninsula (62 deg 22.9′ N, 064 deg 30.4′ W): We had non stop ice today. The Canadian Ice Service says we had 70% coverage, but we think less. We were dodging ice virtually all day. The ice authority says to forget the route through Fury & Hecla Strait. If you look at the NW Passage Page > Possible Routes, we’ve eliminated #1 as a possibility. We are finding that our charts lack the detail we’re accustomed from more “civilized” areas, so we are like early explorers. We saw many mirages today too, even a fishing boat that disappeared and was not on radar.

We had problems again with the water maker, and are trying to arrange delivery of replacement parts. In the mean time, the water tanks are full.

I am working on learning how the long range SSB radio works and weather fax too. There is time for tinkering as we run all day. Not a very eloquent post, but we are all tired. We are going to try and rest longer tonight.

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