Qikiqtarjuaq, about 500 inhabitants, very welcoming. We arrived on Tuesday night, not even one week after leaving Grise Fiord. The last night of sailing was quite long: front wind (light), swell from offshore, darkness due to clouds, and the radar couldn't detect icebergs because it was snowing. At last, we found the little bay we were aiming to, 3 kilometers from the village, despite usual imprecision of the charts in these regions hardly visited.

Last Sunday in Clyde River, we had a few nice encounters, and we met Bob Shepton and his crew on board Dodo's Delight. There was about thirty boats in the North-West Passage this summer!

Qikiqtarjuaq is built on Broughton Island, near the huge Baffin Island. During the last very recent count, fifteen bears were seen on the little island! The population is increasing since hunting has stopped, we have been quickly warned about it. Many narwhals too, the hunting season has just finished when 26 were caught last Thursday (out of 70 per year, total quota). All boats were out of the little harbour, so it was the perfect time for Vagabond to come in to get diesel and water! Léonie is going to Inuksuit school since Wednesday, Aurore found the house for "Parents and Tots", both of them are very happy to have new friends. With many gifts from our friend nurse in Grise Fiord, who has been leaving here for five years, we are gradually meeting with people in Qik.

What a comfort to have a real good shelter so close to town! Before freezing, when the sea is calm, we can go to town using our dinghy in about twenty minutes, or we can move Vagabond and temporarily drop anchor in front of the little harbour.