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| The Magnetic North Pole. |
"...We are now north of Matty Island and continuing north. Basically we are now somewhere close to the magnetic North Pole and very very north of eastern Texas. In 130 miles, we will have to decide if we can turn east again and go through the Bellot Strait, or if we should continue north to Peel Sound for another 150 miles beyond Bellot—and then turn east. It all depends on how the ice, wind and currents all play into the game.
Last night we had very rough weather, and because the boat was leaning so far over, the engine couldn't get any cooling water, so it overheated and cut out. Fortunately this morning we got it going again.
After days of fog and rain, today it is finally sunny, but still very cold. I can see my breath in the cabin, and my fingers can barely type.
Having fun in spite of the challenges.
Love,
Martin"
Martin later reported in a text to me that because they are so close to the magnetic North Pole, their compass is useless for navigation. So they can't depend on charts or a compass! Now it's good ol' winging it for now.
I got another interesting email from Martin about the effects of global warming and how its impact on the current climate.
It says:
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| Danny Aaluk - Artist in Goja Haven |
He first saw some bats in Goja Haven about 5 years ago. One was caught by his nephew and turned over to fish and game.
Grizzly Bears started coming to Goja Haven in about 2009, and are showing up now with a lot more frequency.
They are also seeing some new types of bugs they have never seen before.
Mosquitos are changing - They used to just have the small ones that didn’t bother them so much when they were bitten. Now the ones with the worse bite are coming up from the south. They are much bigger mosquitos.
—Martin"
Let's hope they make it through the Strait without too many complications.
—Kym
