Harmon and Randall's Voyage…

Leg 2

Blog 14

August 15, 2024

We left Barrow (Utqiagvic) but the ice did not leave us. Both the surface and the water temperature dropped (the water was in the 30’s and the air was in the 40’s). But the sun was shining and it was a beautiful morning as we dodged the bergy bits and growlers as we (tried) to head due east to Herschel Island.

The above video is a fairly typical example of us making our way through the ice. On the one hand, there was not a tremendous amount of surface ice. It would come in and come out. Mōli is built for such conditions, but hitting any of them head on could damage the hull or the prop.

Above is a good example of how the underwater ice extends out beyond the surface. Meaning that you cannot cut it too close as you maneuver the boat or you will cause impact. Try as I might, as I was helming I brushed up against a much smaller growler that was sub surface (it looked like a tiny snow-cone from the surface but there was more than met the eye underwater. It caused quite commotion as it made that unmistakeable sound hitting and brushing down the side of the boat. Randall, of course yelled, “What was that??!!” “Oh nothing I replied….just your imagination!”

Like a snowflake (thank you Ingrid!) every bergy bit and growler is unique. It is a cerebral and meditative experience if you can let your mind wander for just a moment to take in the uniqueness (preferably before impact). I first thought this was a Rorschach test that was dependent on my mood at the moment, but in the end, I “saw” more animals than anything else. Above left, well those are animals (birds) on their personal island. On the right is the Loch Ness Monster on vacation from Inverness (Scottish Highlands).

Above left: Ok…a little bit of a push, but I am seeing the Egyptian Sphinx; Above right: Clearly a rounded Nautilus shell on top of the bergy;

Above left: I am seeing a Japanese Pagoda dropping into the water; Above right: Looks like a fire-breathing dragon to me

Above left: The mystical arctic long-neck sea tortoise. Above right: Could somebody please help that poor elephant out of the water?

Above: Ok..I am back to my Egyptian Sphinx phase again (albeit bigger this time.)

Prudhoe Bay: About 175 miles east of Utqiagvic is Prudhoe Bay. After more than 40 years of production, Prudhoe Bay remains the largest oil field in North America and ranks among the 20 largest fields ever discovered worldwide and has a total area of 558 square miles – 75% on land and 25% off shore. There is a 48 inch pipeline capable of transporting 2 million barrels of oil per day to Valdeez. Production peaked at 2.1 million barrels per day in 1988 and now hovers at around 500,000.

Cruising along the Chukchi Sea, it feels like Prudhoe Bay goes on for more than 100 miles. It is huge, vast and mysterious. On land are these mega industrial buildings that are barely visible offshore. With their smokestacks and gas flares, they look something out of a dystopian novel or out of a James Bond movie as the evil empire headquarters. Sailors and mariners are not allowed to go ashore under any circumstances including a life threatening emergency. Off-shore there are a number of security barriers as well as off-shore oil rigs. It is surprisingly quiet from the sea.

Kaktovic: As a special treat for me, Randall wanted to stop at Kaktovic (above), a village that is another 100 miles east of Prudohe. Kaktovic is known to be a hang-out for Polar Bears – they are just all over the place. Here is a local tour company that can show you around! http://www.akookarcticadventures.com

The problem was that there was no harbor at Kaktovic, just an open lagoon that we tried to enter (most tourists fly in). The chart plotter guaranteed 15 feet of water at the entrance, but we quickly noticed that the depth went to 8 feet, and then 7 and then 6 at which point Mōli’s keel hit the the mud and we ran aground. Before we got stuck, Randall quickly backed us out and we tried again and hit bottom again. At that point, we said goodby to Kaktovic and all of her wonderful Polar Bears.

Here is a not so good picture of Mōli kicking up mud from the bottom as Randall does a quick reverse and gets out. In the Arctic, there is no Vessel Assist, so one needs to get out of trouble quickly.