Sponsored by Frederik Paulsen, a helicopter flight yesterday allowed us to recover the last mooring lost after the 24th March ice breaking-up. The very good weather helped to locate the instruments, and few holes with the hand drill were enough to free them from a 70cm sea ice, on which the helicopter could land safely. The day before, accompanied by a journalist from Le Monde, our friend and guide Stefano came to pick up family and friends to drive them back to Longyearbyen with snowmobiles. France, Léonie and I are alone for a few days, relative solitude because we just had 10 skiers from GNGL visiting us! Weather conditions remain very good and allow me to do daily CTDs since early April, at 4km offshore, on 80m depth, thanks to a safe and negotiable pack ice.

Léonie met her grand father, coming down from the sky with many gifts... thanks to the helicopter that came to pick up Océanopolis' team. So we are for 5 days with family and friends, fresh snow and sunny pack ice for the occasion. While for scientific observations, conditions are good to go every day on pack ice with the CTD. Fantastic.

Articles from Jean Lallouët on 15 and 22 April issues.

Launching the exhibition Voyages aux Pôles, live with Vagabond and her guests from Spitsbergen.

Jérôme Lebreton live from Vagabond on France Bleu Radio to launch the exhibition Voyages to the Poles, on 13 and 14th April.

After welcoming a German TV team for ZDF, who was lucky to see 2 polar bears within 3 days, Vagabond is now welcoming an original team (with Roland Jourdain) for the launching of the exhibition 'Voyages to the poles' at Océanopolis in Brest. Vagabond is representing Damocles and sea ice studies, privileged witness for the climate change. A live call will allow Vagabond's crew and her guests to communicate with the public of Océanopolis on Friday 13 April at 18:00.

The main mooring, drifting for the last 8 days, was recovered yesterday with the helicopter of the Lance, the ship of the Norwegian Polar Institute, at about 45 km from Vagabond. Results should be exceptional.

Temperatures between -20 and -30 for the last 4 days, great sun and no wind, the best weather for the crew change yesterday. The midnight sun will come soon, there is no more night, we have to wait for 5 months to have real darkness again.

One week after the unexpected breaking up, sea ice is still too much thin and uneven to go to the usual CTD station, and to try to recover the moorings gone drifting. So our activities are more nearby Vagabond.

Participating at PAPIERS, S’IL VOUS PLAÎT!, article about clearances around the world, published in Voiles et Voilier magazine.