Distance traveled:
May 31st: 131.3 km
June 1st: 21.6 km

Position: N70°41'55.2 W080°40'58.4

The winds were slowly increasing, and by 5pm we set off on our final leg, towards Pond Inlet. With the warm spring weather it is to our advantage to travel during the cooler nights when the snow surface is hard packed, and to sleep during the warm days.

Igloolik Island faded out of sight as we headed north crossing the Fury and Hecla Strait, a 50 km crossing before arriving on Baffin Island. The strait is named after Parry's two ships, who spent many years searching for the Northwest Passage.

During his first expedition Parry sailed north of Baffin Island mapping a huge artery of one of the Northwest Passages; Lancaster Sound.

On Parry's second expedition, he decided to sail south of Baffin Island through Hudson Bay in hopes of discovering a more southern passage to the Orient. His ships became locked in the ice near Igloolik for several years.

During that time the Inuit told him about a passage between Melville Peninsula and Baffin Island. With that knowledge and rough sketches of the area that the Inuit drew for him, he set out on an overland expedition. Sure enough there it was a narrow passage, filled with islands and clogged with ice even during the late summer months which made it impassible for his ships.

Now with a warmer climate and strong icebreaker ships, the Hecla and the Furry strait has been sailed a few times making it one of the several Northwest Passage routes.

With good winds we crossed the frozen strait, and continued north across Baffin Island. Weaving our way across the rolling landscape dodging rocks, we continue well into the morning till we were to exhausted to continue. Today however the wind only allowed us to travel a couple hours before diminishing.

Sarah

[Via Pittarak: Northwest Passage Expedition]