Yesterday was May 1. That means that the eclipse on Aug 1 is 3 months away - 91 days in fact. In that time we have to get to Dutch, fix some things, reprovision, get lots of advice, charts, warm clothing etc - and then get up to Nome 600 miles or so north, wait for favourable ice reports at Point Barrow and go north and, if we're lucky, around the corner and across the top at least as far as Cambridge Bay by Aug 1 so that we are in the path of the eclipse. I think the Haughton Mars Camp people - Pascal and his crew - leave Devon Island around Aug 15 so we need to be up at Beechey by then if possible. Talk about water under keels!
Dutch fixes: the laptop; perhaps a strip and refurbish of backup watermaker motor; the ST 4000 tiller autopilot (which seized yesterday and I'm awaiting advice before taking it apart - where are ya Matt Reyes-McGyver?); major repack of boat to squeeze Kimbra in; maybe fit checkstay points on the mast - seems to be flexing forwards rather a lot and I'm not used to bendy masts so feel a bit unsure of what is reasonable flex and what should be stayed. We have to buy a bear rifle, guinness, other medicinal compounds and soul food. Cold weather diesel and maybe an extra external tank. The rest will depend on what happens between here and Dutch and what facilities there are up there.
So, so far so good but it's a finely balanced enterprise - massively so - and we still need a lot of luck. Keep 'em all crossed for us please.
