Last night 35 Knots, our little boat rocked around in our sheltered Cove halyards clanking against the mast, we were safe from the roaring seas outside, but its frustrating not to get going

Thursday evening 4th August, Nordenshel’da Archipelago just at the start of the Vilkitsky strait in the South Kara Sea

Every night we stay here, the night seems to get longer. Partly because everyone is going to bed earlier. That is probably because the wine and Vodka is getting scarce. Very scarce. We are down to birthday Vodka, then its anti freeze !

One thing you learn very quickly when you are flying (ballooning), is too check the weather, and re check before you take off. One very apt saying is, ‘Wish you were up there flying, when you are grounded, rather than flying wishing you were down on the ground’ That has happened to me a couple of times, and it’s horrible.

It is equally apt with Sailing. Last night the wind got up to 35 Knots, our little boat being rocked around in our sheltered Cove. The halyards clanking against the mast, it was a lovely feeling in a nice warm sleeping bag to think we were safe from the roaring seas outside, but it is frustrating not to get going. it feels like a winters day here. I actually think the scenery is more like Dartmoor than the Shetlands now.

Our new Canadian Charts today are depressing in that we would really have easy sailing at the moment, with little ice, I hope we get around fast enough before the re freeze.

Today is my Cooking day, very wisely, I swopped with Constance. I do her washing up and she cooks. Whilst we have plenty of water at the moment, we still clean in salt water and rinse in fresh hot water. Not used the marigolds yet, luckily, no upset stomachs yet. We are pretty religious about using the Anti bacterial solution. A lesson hard learnt in Tibet !!

So several days of hard wind in a South westerly direction, what will the charts tomorrow show ? My bet is the coast of the Laptev sea will be clear now, but the straight re- blocked. It will be nice to get going, but Denis Birthday on Sat. The girls are already planning his meal. Lucky boy, hope he shares it with the rest of us.

David