August 22, GMT 22.00 hrs. We just arrived in Leopold Harbour on Somerset Island  an hour ago.

We travelled down fro Rigby Inlet last night on Devon Island south here and most of the way was clear of ice. We encountered 2/10 and 3/10 ice between the south east corner of Leopold Island and the entrance to Leopold Harbour. The island has 300 meter sheer cliffs all around, is a sanctuary for Fulmars and a very large community of Thick Billed Murres. At present the wind is blowing out of the north west and we are anchored in 12 meters. The whaling fleet often sheltered here from weather that came from the north, west east but not a good place in a south blow.

We all just rested with a cup of tea and some fresh oatmeal cookies that just came out of the oven! Yes, the biscuit/cookie situation has greatly improved and everyone on board has their own stash, well Dai and Pete share and |i have my own little tupper ware plastic container.

Wednesday afternoon we arrived on Beechy Island and anchored in Erebus and Terror Bay where we anchored a few hundred feet from the gravesite of three crew members and the memorial to Franklin and where they were wintered over in 1845.

On Thursday morning when we awoke the landscape and our decks were covered with snow and bitterly cold! We remained on board snug and warm watching the snow blowing around us and keeping up to date on ice charts and communicating with sailing vessel Drinas crew. We have been bonding with the crew members  on Drina and they all have very strong personalities and make for good company in these northern latitudes. Drina will be joining us here within the next hour also from Rigby Harbour and after supper this evening we will have a quiz night  between our two boats over the radio.

Since I am in charge on entertainment on board I will be the quiz master and have been attempting to come up with questions that are challenging to the many of the smart cookies on both vessel! Especially the Aussie gentleman from Kingston, Rhode Island who is very well connected! Matt is the ice guru on Drina and is connected to all the ice experts around the world.

All is well here this evening, there is an unconfirmed sighting of a Harp Seal relaxing on a slab of ice close by by Cath, most of us think it’s a piece of dirty ice! We will let you know next time,we have heard there are Beluga whales here in the harbour. I will also be reporting on which vessel wins the quiz night this evening.

We are awaiting for the ice to melt to the south of us down Prince Regent Sound and are in contact with the Canadian Coastguard ship and also the Canadian Coastguard aeroplane that flew over us this morning on our sail south, the captain of the Tandberg Polar tug boat from Norway who might be still awaiting in Maxwell Bay. Tonight the Rice brothers are busy next to me cooking up a curry, it smells excellent!

Nos da and good night to you all, Hywel.