Keeping up with the Joneses just got a little easier. As we radio our stories, coordinates and photos, you can join us steaming through the icy Arctic Sea to Alaska. To receive automatic updates, click the Subscribe button to the right and paste the url into your favorite RSS reader.
I just wanted to clear up one thing. The reason we are getting off the boat is NOT because of the food. Mom has earned her “Galley Master” nickname, so I thought I’d share some photos of what we’ve been eating. We’ve had hot-baked apricot scones, chile verde, corn chowder, blah blah blah. My personal favorite: nachos and milkshakes. That is a square meal if I’ve ever seen one! It was all yummy 🙂
We left Lunenburg at 7:00 am in the fog and headed north to Halifax. The seas were rough; six to eight feet waves with 1/4 mile visibility or less. Jenny’s seasickness continued, and Quinlan also was sick along the way. The boat’s systems all worked well and we were secured at the dock at the Armdale Yacht Club by 1:00 pm enjoying what turned into a beautifully sunny day. From the dock we were able to see the fireworks celebrating Canada Day.
Randy and Jenny have decided to rent a car and travel by land to Prince Edward’s Island, and will meet up with us again at the Bras d’Or Lakes and then will fly home from Halifax rather than continuing on to Newfoundland on Geraldine. We have seen how hard it is for Jenny and Quinny to tolerate the ocean passages and know this is the best decision, but will miss them so much and are glad we will rendezvous again before they head home.
I spoke with the Arctic Regional Operations Center in Sarnia, Ontario again this afternoon. They’ve replaced the 2008 “Ice Guy”…the new guy is Howard Kearley. I sent him all the information that I had sent to Jean Ouellet in May. Here are some of the things we talked about…
They had asked us to contact NORDREG (the Marine Communications Traffic Services Centre in Iqaluit) as soon as we get above 60 degrees. I have NORDREG’s phone number and I’m going to speak with them live tomorrow morning. Those are the people that we will actually be talking to on the SSB radio while we’re running. I want them to know us before we radio in for the first time.
I’m pumped. My juices are flowing. Killer picture of GERALDINE at anchor on the website.
It was 63 degrees in Cambridge Bay this afternoon! I’m packing my shorts. 63 degrees and Pizza Hut pizza — it doesn’t get any better than that!
We spent a second day in Lunenburg as Walt worked on the engine fuel problem. Donnie offered to take us to the food store and we took him up on it! On the way he took us on a tour of the city and then we met Marilyn his wife. Later in the day they came for tea and he gave Walt some good advice on the engine problem which he will implement in Halifax. The rest of us gave Walt free reign of the boat and walked all over Lunenburg checking out the cute shops, galleries and old homes. At 4:00 we all got caught in a huge rain downpour! Jenny had made a plastic bag poncho for Quinny and she just laughed and giggled as they ran to get out of the rain!
