A sheltered anchorage in the bay
Being blocked by ice to the south of the Tasmania Islands, in the North-West Passage, Yvan Bourgnon had to turn back to protect himself from the ice cubes which could damage "Ma Louloute", his sports catamaran. Eager to return to the small bay which has sheltered him for the past 6 days, he found himself once again blocked by ice. By "miracle", he managed to reach his shelter before being disturbed again by the ice and having to find a more sheltered place.
"The entrance to the bay was blocked by ice accumulated by the wind. I was desperate to reach my anchorage and began to contemplate a night of drifting at sea at the mercy of the growlers. And by some miracle, a passage between the coast and a block of ice widened because of the current, to leave just the width of the boat. I say " indicated Yvan.
Human presence and new crossing attempt
When he woke up on Saturday morning, Yvan found himself surrounded by three other sailboats, both aluminium and motorized, and yet they too were blocked by the ice cap. The idea of being surrounded warmed Yvan's heart, being able to break with his loneliness and exchange via VHF.
Immediately, the decision was made to try the " because at the same time, the wind, which was from the front and forbade me to enter this passage, passed right through ! I took advantage of this unexpected conjunction to cross the obstacle !" again. With the winds having turned, a new rift opened. But after a few miles, the three yachts found themselves stuck in a dead end. Yvan then found himself forced to turn back, for the third time in a few days.
"coup"
Since then, Yvan has been brightening up his days with VHF conversations with the other yachts anchored in the same bay as him.
"The winds failed to chase the ice away and yet they were blowing in a favourable direction. North or west, we're sure the ice won't drift. If there has to be east for it to move, it's far from being won! Last year, one of the boats in the bay didn't see any ice on the same portion of the course. It's clearly a bad year... "
Deteriorating mooring conditions
Since August 27th, Yvan has been experiencing icy winds from the north at 25 knots and dropping the temperature to -5 degrees. He is struggling to warm up in his sleeping bag, which is nevertheless dressed in several layers of clothing and protected by his sliding protection. He is forced to "It's nice to be able to talk a little bit. There's Susan who I met in Nome and who is here to be the first woman to cross the Northwest Passage alone. She is marked by the current ice conditions and is reluctant to give up. But it's super deserving already, what she's accomplished at over 70 years of age!" with his water - to prevent it from freezing - and his stove - which can't stand the intense cold.
"sleep" explains Yvan.
An approaching deadline
Yvan absolutely must not stay stuck for more than 10 days for the rest of his challenge. Indeed, he would then face bad weather, much longer nights (which are already getting longer and longer) but also storms or freezing fog.
Since August 28th, a north wind has been blowing, giving a note of hope to the adventurer.
"The north wind is icy, I've never had such a low temperature since the start. I wiggle my toes constantly to avoid numbness, even in my down. Luckily the anchorage is holding steady at 25 knots and I'm a little out of the way of the growlers."
We'll have to wait a little longer to know the outcome of the Bimedia Challenge. Today, two liners are waiting to pass and only the icebreakers are able to pass.
Photo credits : Yvan Bourgnon
