Slept in today. Another cold, damp night with lots of flushing and gushing sounds from the crack in the hull under the generator in the middle of the room. Every now and then, one of us gets up and shines the torch down the latch opening into the compartment to check the water levels.
NO FLOODING
Luckily the water never reached any significant level during the night. Usually just between zero and 10cm (4in), a good 35cm (14in) below floor level. The open below-floor level space just behind the latch door when you enter, which is where we normally store the life raft, even stayed entirely ‘dry,’ just the usual intense condensation and general dampness.
ELLIE ON HER WAY TO SYDNEY
Ellie, my good wife, and I messaged a lot back and forth before she boarded her 24h flight from London to Sydney via Changi (SG) this morning. We have more close friends in Sydney than in London, so I envy Ellie. And of course, Ellie’s parents and her brother with wife and our niece, little Chloe, are living down under. The Australian early spring should be around 18 to 27C (64 to 80F), compared with around freezing point for early autumn up here in the High Arctic.
MORNING BRIEF
When everyone was gathered around the newly ignited log fire, Leven talked us through his plans for the repair works tomorrow in more detail. The big take-away was “it’s going to be dangerous, don’t mess this one up.”
A CARIBOU, A FOX, TWO HARES
In the afternoon we spotted a single, very large, male reindeer, or caribou, as they call them here. Mike and I spotted a fox hunting hares. Well, a fox trying to hunt hares. He ran after them. The hares’ reflexes kicked in, but after reaching a safe distance, they realised that this fox was skinny and probably weighed less than themselves. So the two hares started a staring contest with the fox, who quickly conceded defeat and retreated. That fox was not worried about losing his face. He had no reputation to protect and ran away fast and far.
LAPLAND LARKSPURS, WINDBREAK
Furthermore, some Lapland larkspurs were seen close to our campfire. Mike and Leven had created a very useful and impressive windbreak using driftwood, seaweed, rocks and all kinds of other flotsam and debris.
MORE AIRING, A LOT OF ROCKS, RAIN
I laid all my clothes and sleeping bags, blanket, towel, DryRobe and all out to air and dry in the sun once again. During the low tide, we could see all the rocks and boulders which are usually submerged and barely visible in the silted water. The evening saw some dark clouds and a bit of rain which made for some very moody pictures. We all felt a bit of a weight on our shoulders, when we said our good nights. Tomorrow would be a big day.
2 Comments
Poor skinny fox can never outrun anyone But then I also don’t want hares to be eaten as well. Your air drying system looks very picturesque! 🙂 The cold and dump approaching doesn’t sounds fun, stay warm!
Is there plenty of driftwood lying about then??