On Sunday, September 10, 2017, Yvan Bourgnon left his Hatt Bay anchorage to cross (at last!) the Baffin Sea. The winds of up to 60 knots had calmed down, allowing him to set sail again. The objective: to reach Disko Bay then head south and Nuuk, his arrival point. But there were still many pitfalls along the way: strong winds, sudden fogs, icebergs along the Greenland coast... However, it was not from the sea that the greatest danger encountered came.
Once again, due to strong winds, an increasingly present night and the permanent proximity of many growlers, Yvan is again on stand-by in the cove of Qikiqtarjuaq (island located in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut, Canada).
During the night of Friday to Saturday, while he was sleeping on his sleeper bench, Yvan Bourgnon was awakened by the unusual position of his boat. The bows of "Ma Louloute" plunged below the surface and the transom rose 1 metre above the water. Jumping, he then got up to discover in front of him what he was afraid of: a bear.
"Ahead of me at bow level, a polar bear had both paws resting on the deck of the port hull which was sinking under water. I immediately grabbed my pistol, which always stays by my side when I sleep, and fired a firecracker over his head, as per the procedure, thinking I would frighten him with the noise.
He didn't move, totally impassive, while my ears were whistling so loudly the noise was deafening. At the same time, I didn't stop screaming at him, as I had been advised. I withdrew without further success... There I was tetanized by the fear of seeing the slightest sign of movement of the animal, and for one or two minutes that seemed like an eternity, our eyes met and death in the soul I considered taking my gun, feeling my life in danger.
It was then that very calmly and without any sign of fear, the bear released the hull of "Ma Louloutte", which returned to its normal trim; he slipped quietly into the water and I followed him with my eyes as long as I could in spite of the darkness.
I was on my knees on the bench for long minutes, shaking like a leaf, conscious of having come close to disaster. I waited for the dawn, jumping at the slightest noise, and searching the depths of the moonless night at 360°. There I fell asleep despite my fears. Never again will I feel safe at anchor."
Expected arrival in Nuuk, Greenland on Thursday, September 21
Yvan was due to leave his anchorage this Sunday 17 September at noon French time to begin the crossing to Nuuk. He should arrive there during the night of Wednesday to Thursday.
