FREEZING IN WITH MAUD

06 October 2014 » Uncategorized | respond

SHORT SUMMER SEASON
One day we had nice autum weather in Cambridge Bay. The next day it was full winter. This year it all happened much earlier than previous years. The summer was short but luckily the ice opened enough for us to arrive with TP and Jensen. That gives us the best opportunity to head on with our salvage plans as soon as the Cam Bay opens up next year, hopefully in late june. That will give us the time we need to raise Maud during the summer and prepare the old lady for the first stage of the long journey back to Vollen and Norway.
All in all it might be meaningfull to get a bit of rest now after this intensive summer bringing TP and Jensen across the ocean and through the NWP. It has taken its toll on all of us, and as we are a small working group we do feel like charging our batteries and gain new energy and motivation for next year big challenge.

WHAT NOW
In the last weeks the MRH crew has left for Norway and yesterday Stig who is done an enormous job for us this summer packed up and flew direction south and home. TP has undegone a process of being prepared for the cold winter and luckily we have found a couple from Canada Ann and Glenn Bainbridge who will spend the winter on board and be caretakers for us. They have sailed with their boat GJOA to Cambridge Bay and wanted to overwinter here, so it was a winwin situation for all of us when they moved in to TP some weeks ago when their boat was put on the shore.

Apart from all these practicalities it will be good for all of us now, at least for some months to come, to regain focus on the essence of this whole operation. To again look more into the planning process for the Maudhouse in Vollen and the primary contents of this major challenge. There is a well of historical data, from the most technical and higly scientific reports to the most personal readings put in words by the crew on board Maud over the years, that we will aim to sculpt into a strong and communicative whole, in the years to come.
This said I am extremely happy to know that Tandberg Polar, Jensen and Maud will spend the winter in the same neighborhood, up in the high arctic. There is progress.
Slow but sure.

jan

Jensen was parked just before the winter set in in Cambridge Bay. jensen-park1