• Sadik HafizovicChpt 8: The Northwest PassageTraveler
    Sun, some wind, good vibes.
    Sun, some wind, good vibes.Aglaia at anchor in the morning.Magically, near the coast is an ice-free strip, perfect for navigation.Ice on one side, mountains on the other.The mountains, the birds, the entire setting. Unexpected beauty for miles on end.2Aglaia is passing us.Ice on water is noisy!Just to mix things up, we first deploy the Oxley and then take down the main. Not by the book..Yann at the helm. In ice, all is hand steering.Skiing goggles - very appropriate in the cold wind.Got gloves?Contrast to Canada: exploitation industry everywhere.Humidity is freezing at various surfaces of the boat towards the evening.Sunset - an hour-long event.

    Rounding Barter Island on an ice-rimmed highway

    August 27 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    The day is forecast to start out with “winds on the nose” before it should fade and eventually a new NE wind should build in the afternoon. I have no intention of working against 15 knots of breeze on engine. We now have about 1,200l of Diesel left of our max capacity of 1,900l and I intend to make it count. Motoring against 15 knots costs in the range of twice the amount per mile compared to motoring in a calm. Rather we wait on anchor until the wind has settled. At 1045 the time has come, the wind dies and we depart, it seems Aglaia was thinking along the same lines and they independently leave almost on the same minute.

    As expected, we commence a motor leg along the coast on one engine, at 5.5 knots, economy mode. After a few hours the announced wind starts to build. We hoist the main and motor sail for a while before we switch to genoa and main without engine. On the way I fly the drone and take some shots of Aglaia and us cruising up the extremely pitroresque coast line on a highway framed by ice on one side and the shore on the other side. I did not expect this coast to be so beautiful. Many photos of the mountains towering in the far distance behind the shore are taken. In breathtaking light constellations.

    We round Barter Island around noon and now on a down-wind course set the Oxley. This sail has the uniquely fitting property that it flies high and doesn’t block the view from the helm on potential ice. With yesterday’s learning we decide to sail as far as the wind and the light conditions takes us and with the mild forecast for the night we anchor at midnight sheltered from the swell by a small spit.

    Temperatures have decresead further. Now in the evening humidity is freezing on some places of the boat. The solar cells for example are covered with white frozen humidity. For the first time on the trip I decide to leave the heater running through the night, albeit a short one.

    The alarm is set for 5am, all is merry. Tomorrow should be good sailing!    Read more