Barrow Bound

69’16N 165’44W, 7.5kn, course 035

Having passed the Bering strait and finally entered the Chukchi sea we have sailed over the ancient land bridge that once connected these two great continents. In this place the water depth does not exceed 20 meters. Having come from the south Pacific this feels a little strange. The fog lifted yesterday just some hours after we entered the Arctic circle. The unmistakable blue was very welcoming to the misty travelers! It makes one wonder about the brave souls that went before us. Many came in search of the fabled North West Passage or maybe in search of fame. For many it became a Voyage of Dissolution.

 Not so for the children of these barren grounds. They learned the necessary survival skills these lands demand long ago. There is no need to fight nature as long as it provides for you. In summer the Inuit set of in there skin on frame open boats, Umniaks. The short Arctic boating season was used to hunt the Bowhead whales. The brave young men rivalled to be the bowman, the person to launch the harpoon. Success guaranteed a young bride. The ice flows provided Walrus. Their hides where used for the boats, fat to burn and meat to eat! Even bones were used to support the tents. Nothing was wasted! On land the cunning hunters harvested the Caribou. Who ever put in the effort could provide for their family.

 We have been following the footsteps of another set of brave souls. The Blossom set of for the Bering Strait in 1825 under command of the navy officer and hydrographer Frederick William Beechey. The ships mission was to support the exploration of the North West Passage by traveling east wards via Bering Strait to meet the explores Sir John Franklin and Sir Edward Parry who where traveling from the North Atlantic, west ward. We have stopped at nearly all the places the Blossom did. From the wild coasts of Patagonia to the green hills of Tahiti. The expedition stayed at Pitcairn for over two months. Our stay there was two hairy hours offshore in a cross sea. Turned out there was an outbreak of COVID on the Island which gave us a good excuse not to try the impossible landing in Bounty Bay.  (no islanders got seriously ill) Most of the time the Blossom had to stand offshore for the anchorage was to rough and landing in Bounty bay not possible. Time spent there was used to write down the later famous story of “old Adams” one of the surviving mutineers of the Bounty!


However interesting this may be, the book also mentions the building of a small dispatch vessel. This of course caught my imagination and great admiration! For the little schooner became the key figure in the chapters to follow! A handsome little topsail schooner with very shallow draught. It was used to go into places the Blossom could not dream of. She mapped most of the coast we are passing now, making a narrow escape from being crushed by the ice. Many of the names ashore remind us of that expedition. Blossom Shallows, Point Franklin, Cape Lisburn, Cape Sabinne, Cape Beaufort etc etc. I am looking at a beautiful hand drawing of Cape Lisburne, which we have just passed. Only the RADAR station on top of the hill gives a way the time and age.

  The gallant crew had to man haul the boat a long the lee shore. At some point she grounded and all seemed lost. A favorable breeze sprang up and a lead trough the ice was found. She was to rendezvous with the Franklin party who set of over land from the Mackenzie river. They never met and the brave little boat had to abandon her mission. After setting up a post at Refuge Inlet they headed back, running for the fast-approaching winter.

Our situation looks less perilous; however we are in a hurry! The North coast of Alaska seems to be ice free as does the Point Barrow area. This is a little gab we need to use. No time for holidays, we are on a mission!

   With this progress we will pass the furthest point the Blossom expedition reached tomorrow. Her Commanders words that described her crew’s achievement’s and toils have been of great inspiration for more than a year. I will miss them. We will pick up a new adventure. Maybe McClure in the Investigator. Or back track the Simpson and Dease expedition in their open boats. There are plenty of stories here even one of an old herring drifter that passed these ways some years ago

 All is well. To be continued

 Gijs

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