The long term forecast for the ice to start retreating in the approaches
to the critical part of the Northwest Passage gives the first or
possibly second week of August as a likely time for favourable
conditions to set in for the continuation of our voyage. So, after four
enjoyable days in Dundas Harbour, the skippers of Aventura and Suilvan
decided to cross Lancaster Sound to Admiralty Inlet on the south side of
Lancaster Sound. The deep inlet leads to Arctic Bay, which shelters a
small Inuit settlement.
The latest ice chart issued daily by the Canadian Ice Service shows the
15 mile-wide inlet to be choked by ice, so I called the local vstation
of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to find out if Arctic Bay
itself was accessible. The helpful duty officer confirmed that it was
free of ice but could give no indication on the ice situation furher
out. We shall therefore approach the area with caution, and if we are
lucky and there is an open lead along the shore, we hope to be able to
reach our destination.
Having shared Dundas Harbour with the Scottish yacht Suilvan, our fellow
Blue Planet Odyssey participant, by this morning two more boats had
dropped anchor next to us: the American Revenge, and the French Manuvai.
This is the second time we are meeting the latter, which, just like
Aventura, is also a product of the French boatyard Garcia. We are all
westward bound.
