August 20th 2013

Leaving Dikson

Today, after studying the latest GRIB files, we decided to leave Dikson.

This has nothing (or very little) to do with our impatience because from

Thursday onwards more favourable winds should be blowing for about two to

three days which might open a passage that could enable us to sail around

the Taymyr Peninsula. We will first stop at the abandoned Mikhaylov

Fishing Settlement, 75° 04,63' N, 86° 58,57' E, about 145 miles east of

Dikson, and then gradually move closer to the ice edge while waiting for

the ice to retreat. If we are (extremely!) lucky, we could be on the other

side of Cape Chelyuskin sometime next week.

P.S. We have now come to realize that it is also possible that the passage

is not going to open at all this season or that it will open so late that

we won't have time to sail through it. Our permit expires on the 25th of

September after which we have to be out of Russian territorial waters.

This means that we have about two more weeks to wait for the passage to

open, and if that does not happen, we have to turn back and sail to

Norway. We try not to dwell on this possibility too much!