Aventura IV’s Logs

The final stage

Aventura at Gjoa Haven

Gjoa Haven is the place no sailor attempting to transit the Northwest Passage will miss as it is here that Roald Amundsen spent the first two winters of his successful voyage through this challenging waterway.
His Gjoa was the first vessel to achieve that aim and gave her name to this Inuit settlement.

Our enjoyable stopover in Gjoa Haven had to be cut short when the latest ice charts forecast an imminent improvement in the conditions ahead of us. With more than 300 miles to the point that would give us access to the Atlantic, we set off immediately.

This last section of the Northwest Passage may prove to be the most difficult of the entire voyage, as we had to contend with both strong contrary winds, and having our route blocked by several areas of large ice concentration.

13 August 10.35 p.m. sunset over a large field of ice

With the prospect of achieving our aim of completing a transit of the Northwest Passage almost within reach, we spared no effort to make good progress and were rewarded by a spectacular sunset worthy of a Turner….

Negotiating a large concentration of ice in failing light

… albeit, we would have preferred it without all that ice in the foreground!
During the four hours of twilight we had to cross two large areas of ice. It was becoming almost too much.

14 August 2.45 a.m. sunrise over Boothia Peninsula

As dusk fused into dawn, the sun slowly rose behind Boothia Peninsula, the northernmost land of the American continent.

Dawn and another large field of ice to cross

Soon we were surrounded by ice once again, but we carried on valiantly as with only 80 miles to go to Bellot Strait we are determined to get there before the day is out.

See you tomorrow!

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