Winter nights

Eric Brossier

  • Aurore et lever de lune sur Vagabond
  • Charlie rince les palourdes

The winter sky is festive, over Vagabond. Dancing northern lights, bright moonlight, pinkish dawn, low sun... This one is back for a few days, it is at the highest (south) at 11:28, so it is especially in the morning that we enjoy his light.

We have been back on board for ten days, we could not wait! Valentine and Vincent spent two short days with us before flying to Quebec, leaving us an impeccable Vagabond. Maybe they will come back soon? They were adopted by the inhabitants of Qikiqtarjuaq, also giving us a very warm welcome, with many "welcome back home!". It is a 4x4 truck that took us across the three kilometers of sea ice from the airport to the boat. Amazing!

Leonie found her friends at school, as well as Inuktitut and ice-skating courses, right on the day after our arrival. She was very much expected. Aurore was also eager to return to the "Parents and Tots" (for children under five years old, age of school entry). The following weekend, some children came on their own by snowmobile to play outside with them, next to Vagabond.

Floortje was on board this week, with her ​​cameraman Oscar. We will discover their report next month! Together we watched Charlie diving under the ice, very happy with his good collection of clams. I took advantage of the hole to use our plankton net.

The camera set up in early October still works, at the rate of one image every hour. The freeze up and the polar night have been recorded! The ice reaches almost a meter thick in the vicinity of the boat, above water at -1.71 °C... Field work and trips on the ice are in preparation, most of the equipment will soon be shipped from Quebec. The new Takuvik's snowmobile is breaking-in, it is now time to find and organize qamutiks (sled). We will be very busy in spring!

Last Wednesday, the wind allowed us to test one of the four sails offered by ParaskiFlex when we visited the headquarters of the company, near Montreal. A beautiful partnership totally unexpected! Thus our journey in France and Quebec was busy.