Northern lights illuminating the Polar yacht BC. Image courtesy of Association Nord-Est and Eric Brossier (click to enlarge).
Vagabond at Inglefieldbukta October 10, 2005. Image courtesy of Association Nord-Est and Eric Brossier (click to enlarge).
LINKS
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Polar yacht Vagabond update
Posted: Sep 27, 2006 08:42 pm EDT
Vagabond achieved the first polar circumnavigation in 2003. While crossing the Davis Strait on 20th of September, Vagabond reached the Labrador Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Her success through the North-West Passage, followed her success through the North-East Passage, the 2 arctic routes that link the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Vagabond is at Ny-Alesund since 1st September, used as a base camp for DAMOCLES in Storfjord, East Spitsbergen. Here's an update from Eric Brossier:
Sunset between drifting ice in the great King's Bay
"France and I are preparing the third winter and are using the facilities of the AWIPEV Research Base. Varnishing, painting, servicing and various maintenance, cleaning, packing, sorting out, supplying of food... activities are many and varied on board!"
"Between 2 jobs, we are exploring the surroundings with mountain bikes pulled by our dogs, paddling at sunset between drifting ice in the great King's Bay, watching the reindeers or polar foxes coming right into the village, talking - and sharing a drink - with scientists or technicians...!"
"Strong wind and snow for the last 2 days, summer is really finished now. Some boats are stopping here: the Nordsyssel, Svalbard governor's ship, could finaly drop the little cabin close to Vagabond's wintering location (the same one from 2004 to 2008); the Lance, Norwegian Polar Institute's, just finished a cruise in Fram Strait, including some work for DAMOCLES."
DAMOCLES (Developing Arctic Modeling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies) is an integrated ice-atmosphere-ocean monitoring and forecasting system designed for observing, understanding and quantifying climate changes in the Arctic. DAMOCLES is specifically concerned with the potential for a significantly reduced sea ice cover, and the impacts this might have on the environment and on human activities, both regionally and globally.
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