Final Attempt

After removing the kelp from our anchor we began making our way to Hinlopen Strait. Getting out of Murchisonfjord was an excellent warm up for the conditions we were likely to face in Hinlopen. The mouth of the fjord was packed with ice and Snow Dragon had to break and push her way through. There was not a lot of room to adjust our course due to islands, under water obstacles and seals laying out on the ice that we did not want to disturb.

The seals did not seem bothered by Snow Dragon’s presence and we would occasionally break our concentration on the ice to watch them nap or wiggle around on their chosen resting place. As Frances was watching one of the seals she saw a dark shadow and almost simultaneously the seal jumped in the water as a polar bear appeared. The bear leaped in the water after its prey but was unable to catch up with the slick seal.       

Once in Hinlopen we were happy to find the west side fairly clear. We were relieved to be finally heading down the straight but knew that at any point the ice conditions could change and force us to retreat. The wind was light and coming from the south. After tacking back and forth between the ice and not covering a lot of distance we decided to look for an anchorage.

Anchoring was a big unknown. We had scanned our charts, marking several possibilities but there are few official anchorages in Hinlopen and areas near the shore are rarely charted. In the end we found a nice uncharted bay with good holding.

Taking advantage of the calm conditions, we changed the fresh water pump and the alternator for the engine. The alternator was wearing out belts and had not been charging. Unfortunately the new parts did not resolve the charging problem but did reduce the wear on the belt which prevented the more serious problem of the engine overheating. This left Snow Dragon dependent on her generator as the only viable source of power.

A southerly breeze picked up the following morning and though it was not a favorable wind direction, Snow Dragon continued to work her way south under sail. The ice remained light on the western side of the passage but since we were tacking we came close to the heavy ice on the east side. When the wind died, we dropped anchor beside Valhalifonna Glacier with waterfalls cascading down its ice face and a sliver of sandy beach in the foreground.