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FISHING PARTNER
NAVIGATION COMMUNICATION
Communications, VDR, Radar, ECDIS,
Sonar, Monitoring, Depth and Fish
Finders, Fleet Broadband, VSAT, BNWAS.
Refuelling Resolute bay
Net Monitoring System.
Net Monitoring Systems.
Winter harbour Melville Island
Cristina is a hands-on superyacht owner and likes to take the
wheel, especially when we get in a tight ice situation. She is
a good helmsman, although it is interesting trying to give her
instructions when you are high up in the mast looking for a
passage through the ice flows.
Normally onboard my boat, people follow my suggestions and
steer to port when I say go to port, but Cristina is a woman used
to making up her own mind and when she sees an opening to
starboard she will boldly turn that way, regardless of what I have
to say. I think she would get on well with my wife and daughter.
While travelling west in Parry Channel we finally got stopped
in our tracks by a big ice field with some multi year ice flows in
it, stretching all the way across Parry Channel. We had to back
track to a small bay on Bathurst Island, waiting to see if the
ice might clear. It is amazing how quickly the ice situation can
change from one day to the next, and it is easy to see how you
can get into trouble up here.
In the morning the ice charts looked more promising and after
an inquiring visit by a polar bear with her cub, we set off, this
time detouring far south and circumnavigating the worst of the
ice pack. In the evening we arrived in Winter Harbour, Melville
Island, made famous by Admiral Parry who overwintered here
on-board the Hecla in search of the North West Passage. There is
a big sandstone rock in the otherwise featureless landscape which
has engravings dating back as early as 1819 from the various
expeditions that have wintered or visited since. Obviously,
being here and touching the stone is a bit of Holy Grail in some
quarters, maybe there are a few ghosts hanging around the place.
There is also a more recent abandoned hut with some nice old
wooden boats in need of a bit of tender loving care.
We left a time capsule/note behind inside a small brass tube
following an old Arctic tradition. By now midnight has shades
TV antennas,
VSAT, Fleet Broadband.
TV antennas. Fleet Broadband,
Mini VSAT.
Satellite Airtime,
Fleet/Fleet Broadband, Iridium, SatC.
ECDIS, ECS.
PC Software.
YOUR MARINE ELECTRONICS EXPERTS
www.enl.co.nz
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120 Dealers Nationwide. For further information Auckland - 09 373 5595 or Nelson - 03 548 4987 or visit www.enl.co.nz
January/February 2013 Professional Skipper 23
