Assuming the winds don’t turn against them (which they probably will) – in about a week, the rowers will have to decide if they are going to risk 15 miles of open water to Victoria Island.
If they don’t do that, they are adding hundreds of miles on to their route. If they do go to Victoria Island, they will probably end up abandoning their boat there as winter sets in.
Reblogged this on Climate Ponderings.
If it’s shallow enough to wade across, tugging their boat, they’ll go for it. Otherwise…..
Who is going to pay to rescue them in time? Canada will not free of charge?
I am amazed that they are so terrified of leaving the shoreline for even a little way. That must be a pig of a boat in the wind. Maybe we can send floaties for them – just until their confidence builds enough to go out past their waist.
They can not row into 5mph winds. Cross winds push the boat whichever way the wind wants. They wait for tail winds to proceed or “Tow Tow Tow your Boat” is the song they sing.
I’d bet the boat would handle better if they had a bit more forward speed. If it was me, I’d be thinking how to rig a sail, and a lar board (in lieu of a keel).
The Aussies and the Fireman are also hogging the coast
The Aussies are catching up to them and the firefighters are way ahead. I expect the Aussies to pass the firefighters by the weekend. The Aussies have a sail!
They will probably try to island-hop first to the tiny Ivonayak Island, then to Douglas Island, then to Victoria. That is the lowest-risk route that I can see.
I agree, but it’s still a 10 mile crossing, and I doubt they’ve been 5 miles out from land before.
I suspect they best they can do is run for Cambridge Bay (I estimate that’s over 400 miles away) and catch a flight home.
Just an interesting side note. Look at the satellite photos about 8 or 10 miles west-southwest from Ivonayak Island for some very interesting terrain. I assume that must be from glacial actions. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Vinayak+Island&hl=en&ll=68.342993,-114.434967&spn=0.255435,0.810242&sll=69.228893,-116.553955&sspn=1.964227,6.481934&t=h&z=10
Very interesting. If you cross a bay to the south that landscape seems to continue on to Takijuq Lake.
Where’s a geologist when you need one?
At the rate they’re going, it looks like decision time for the Larry, Moe, Curly and Shemp ‘yanking together for climate change’ team won’t be till Thursday or Friday.
About two to three days ahead of them, the Expédition Rêve de Glace 2013 kayak team are camped out on Chantry Island tonight; they’ll be at a place to cross to Douglas Island by sometime tomorrow (if they make that decision).
Latest ping shows the http://revedeglace.ca/ team has moved on from Chantry. The kayakers may be in a position to cross over to Ivonayak tonight. Those boys are moving!
Seems I missed the emotional meeting of the kayakers and rowers. Any pics posted of this historic event???
I have not seen any.
The thing about the kayakers is that they’ve spent half of their time walking overland. For example, they bypassed the Parry Peninsula altogether by simply picking up the kayak and hiking over the isthmus.
They are heading for the copper mine around the bend.
I forgot that the kayakers’ destination is Igloolik, so they won’t be crossing the Strait. I guess this is where their two paths should diverge (that is IF the yankers had actually built a rowboat that could stand up to a bit o’ wind and waves enough to get across the narrows of the Strait).
It’s really hard to believe they spent two years planning this and they came to the Arctic with a top-heavy vessel not fit for the occasion. Oh, wait–they believe in faith-based, science fiction. Never mind.
Looks like “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World”… Arctic style.
Guess the draggers will keep “stroking it for the Klimate Con”
I don’t know about them leaving their boat. I’m skeptical they’ll get far enough into the ice that they can’t turn around and head back to Kuglucktuk. I think as soon as they hit some serious ice, they’ll turn back.
The Ice situation looks clear to me.
http://earthdata.nasa.gov/labs/worldview/?map=56696.029992,621620.599641,1039736.029992,1093684.599641&products=baselayers,!MODIS_Aqua_CorrectedReflectance_TrueColor,MODIS_Terra_CorrectedReflectance_TrueColor~overlays,arctic_coastlines_3413&time=2013-08-09&switch=arctic
What is the difference between Aqua/modis and Terra/modis sea ice?
Why don’t they show ice where other charts do?
For fixed-wing assistance, the rowers can either continue on to Kugluktuk/Coppermine on the south side of the Coronation Gulf or make the crossing to Lady Franklin Point, on the southwest corner of Victoria Island. There is an abandoned DEW-line site there with a gravel strip still capable of handling fixed wing aircraft. If they choose Kugluktuk then they still must cross the Coronation Gulf to get to Cambridge Bay – a much longer crossing over open water at that point. Lady Franklin Point is still more than 350 km from Cambridge Bay
The fate of a previous intrepid seeker of the Passage:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/09/09/parks-canada-sir-john-franklin-wreckage-_n_1868987.html
Dolphin & Union strait looks to be an icy crossing…
The bottom is dropping out at Cambridge Bay. 70 degrees today. Probably won’t see that again til next July.
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/Cambridge+Bay+CAXX1205:1:CA
There sure are a whole lot of towns around there. That’s definitely a better place for them to fall back to. Only 100 miles or so from the front end of the ice.
http://ice-glaces.ec.gc.ca/prods/WIS38CT/20130812180000_WIS38CT_0007209106.pdf
“Only 100 miles or so from the front end of the ice.”
Today. But it will change. I think these guys have about 3 weeks left before new ice starts forming. I don’t think they’ll make Cambridge Bay, as ice will probably be forming there before they get there. They may head south to Coppermine. Or recognize the futility when they get to Bernhard Harbour. Trying to cross to Victoria Island when you know you have only a week left would be foolish, even for these jocks.
The next hot shower for the stinky “sailors” is Kugluktuk.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kugluktuk
I base this estimate on their shore hugging track record.
…reminds me of a limerick…
I once knew a lass from Kugluktuk…
The strait does look intimidating:
http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/NEWIMAGES/arctic.seaice.color.004.png
Thanks for the link.
One should feel sorry for them but …… ah what the hell, I don’t. Why should I feel sorry for Idiots.
Useful Idiots.