A miracle is not going to happen! Despite our determination and the meticulous organisation put in place in conjunction with the French cruise ship operator Ponant to retrieve my Solarboat, we were not able to reach her.
In early September, due to exceptional amounts of ice for the season making navigation too perilous, Canadian authorities asked all boats headed towards the Northwest Passage to turn around. As a result, I was unable to climb aboard Soléal—instead I was stuck on land, feeling helpless and very disappointed about how the situation turned out. As there was nothing more that could be done on the scene, I had to return to Brittany empty-handed. We gave it our best shot, the Ponant team and I thought we could do it right up to the last minute but Mother Nature decided otherwise and in the end had the last word once again…
As I was in the Arctic this summer, I was able to see what was going on. In the course of my discussions with the Inuit I ran into along the way, I learned that they were worried about the very unusual weather for the season. Ubiquitous ice at the height of summer, violent storms that had not stopped blowing across the tundra since spring thus intensifying the already alarming erosion, the absence of belugas—an important source of food for coastal communities—yes, Mother Nature has been speaking loud and clear and is now actually screaming in my opinion.
As regards the boat, it will be difficult to retrieve it now as the Arctic winter slowly rolls in but I’m actively looking for a backup plan and I hope to find a solution in the coming months.
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Good things come in pairs
Much has happened since I got back to Brittany and, caught up in the frenzy of life back on land, I’ve had a bit of a hard time getting used to the hectic pace of daily life and finding a semblance of balance. The few weeks I spent alone in the Arctic aboard the Icade had removed me for a time from this crazy race we are all running. Navigating through open water and ice, the hours gently slipped by—my daily routine consisted in observing the extent of the ice, the strength of the wind, the height of the waves and the beauty of the wildlife. Life is so simple when at sea.
And then there was a hammer blow, the boat thrown onto the shore, the sudden end of my expedition with the boat having to be left behind. It was absolutely heartbreaking. But my luck has held out—first by placing a team of scientists in my vicinity to rescue me at a particularly difficult time and now by providing another surprise.
Recently, the French cruise ship operator Ponant, which has a ship about to leave for the Northwest Passage, offered to take me aboard so that I could try to rescue my boat. It’s so unbelievable that I just can’t get over it! We often hear talk of the spirit of solidarity that exists among sailors, but this assistance goes beyond anything I could have imagined. I would like to thank the Ponant team for this extraordinarily generous gesture.
I am acutely aware of the fact that the problem is far from being resolved, especially considering the severe weather conditions currently surrounding the Icade. Nevertheless, I want to take advantage of this opportunity, so I’m heading back to the Arctic with a smile on my face and packing a healthy dose of optimism in my luggage.
The adventure continues, albeit far different from the one I had imagined last winter but I have no regrets. Even though the voyage didn’t last very long, it was fabulous—the amazing people I have met and have yet to meet make it particularly special and something I will long remember.
I had gotten it into my head that once I arrived in Cape Bathurst, I would head directly to Cape Parry… In the blink of an eye and in one quick hop I’d be there. Yes, it was something I had imagined, but it was only just a dream! The reality of the situation turned out quite differently. While at Cape Bathurst, where I was waiting for the right moment to continue on my way, a white wall materialised before my eyes blocking my path—ice, as far as the eye could see, right where I wanted to go! Having had what I consider a little too much close-up experience with this recently, I decided against taking the ice head on and opted for heading down the coast trying to get around it from the south.
The only problem was I didn’t know where to find shelter along this coast if need be. And sure enough, a few hours after departing, the clouds rolled in, icy rain fell all day long and the storm-tossed sea made for hours of tiresome work. I dropped anchor at the base of the truly amazing Smoking Hills (I looked them up on the internet but I’ll admit that due to my state of fatigue, I won’t be able to give you an exact rendering). An event-filled stopover where, in addition to everything else, I almost lost my sleeping bag.
I had taken advantage of the rare sunshine to dry everything outside when a gust of wind, travelling down the hills sweeping everything away in its path, snatched my sleeping bag which it proceeded to drop into the sea… I gave it two seconds of thought, but after a small hesitation I dove into the water head first to retrieve it because this sleeping bag is not just a mere sleeping bag—it allows me to enjoy a bit of warmth in the heart of this icy, humid environment. Without it, I would almost certainly freeze during stopovers.
To make a long story short, the sleeping bag is back on board, I managed to dry it out as best I could, and to be honest, even though it’s damp and salty, it still feels wonderful to crawl inside! As for me, I didn’t even have time to realise just how icy cold the water was as I was obsessed with this rescue mission. Only once I was back on dry land did I realise that my teeth had been chattering without me being able to do anything about it! Hot coffee and a little magic box with a piece of hot coal inside that you keep close to your body (thank you Yves for this amazing gift which is never far from me)… and I was back to normal!
Before my next update, I still have a little ground to cover and I can only hope that the ice doesn’t get in my way!
I’ll be in touch very soon!
Never give up on your dreams!
It had to come hurtling down in just the most exposed spot, where the barren, rocky coast is the most unwelcoming, to turn the adventure into disaster. In this Arctic region where there is absolutely no place to take shelter, the 47 knots of a frenzied northwesterly wind coupled with heaving seas swept everything away in their path, including Icade. I had even taken the trouble to firmly tie her down, knowing that the weather conditions were going to be brutal, but it didn’t make any difference. My little boat, which had performed like a real champ for almost a month, took several violent uppercuts over a 24-hour period and was thrown like a rag doll on top of a pebble beach. She is still in one piece but no longer in good enough condition to allow us to continue on our way.
The journey ends here for this year. The announcement is a bit brutal but there is no use beating around the bush and imagining some kind of backup plan because there isn’t one. I came out of it unscathed but I still can’t get over the incredible luck I had when I ran into a small team of scientists who picked me along their way before the expedition had a chance to end in tragedy. Eliane, Darrin, Adam and James, I don’t know what miracle put you close to me on July 31, but without you, I don’t know where I would be today… or maybe I know it all too well! Our meeting couldn’t have been imagined, your immense generosity and above all else your solidarity enabled me to overcome the rather violent and unexpected end of this story. I would have so much liked to continue this experimental journey to be able to describe to you this Arctic region that we have so much to learn about.
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I would like to thank everyone who supported me throughout this solar-powered polar adventure… I haven’t wasted any time in informing you, but I still have a great deal of things to organise despite the fatigue accumulated over the past few days and above all tthe huge disappointment in ending this amazing 2018 arctic expedition.
I should be able to get quickly on track and work on the next 2019 Arctic Solar by Icade journey.