Entered the Bering Straight

Seeing a weather window on the wind charts we took full advantage of it, left Barrow the afternoon of the 7^th and started in on our current leg to Dutch Harbor, via Nome.  We’re now in “Delivery Mode”; no sightseeing, no trips to shore to film, no nuttin’ but hammer down.  Due to their very shallow depths and strong weather patterns, the Chukchi and Bering Seas, where we are now, are notoriously unpredictable. Winds allowing, our aim is to scoot through them as quickly as possibly… winds allowing.

The next morning and in a building NE breeze, we anchored just off the coast in the lee of Kukpowruk Pass. The original thought was to enter and anchor in a small lagoon there but very quickly this proved unwise to attempt as the entrance was sided by heavy breakers suggesting a shallow bar and what opening we could find was about 8 feet deep.  Discretion hopefully being the better part of valor we chose not to enter but anchor off instead. The swell from the NW was still in evidence so we all grabbed a full if not bumpy ten hours of rest.  Around 4:00 p.m. we downloaded more weather charts and saw that the next window had started to open a bit sooner than we expected, so we up anchored and once again got back on the road.  Unfortunately our timing wasn’t exactly spot on as by the time we reached Cape Lisburne we were taking quite a pounding (but not a thrashing); 25 – 30kts of wind with 8 to 10 foot seas.  That lasted most the afternoon and through the night. By the time we rounded we were able to take full advantage of being in the lee of the land and with the dieing breeze, left the swell behind. 

At approximately 3:00 a.m. this morning we entered the Bering Straight (passing by Big and Little Diomede Islands – I guess you could say we saw Russia from our boat – if you really wanted to. We’ve also left the Artic Circle which I’ve very mixed emotions about. More on that in another blog.) and have now officially left the Chuckchi and are motoring quickly towards Nome with a hoped for 4:00 p.m. arrival.  Not much planned at Nome except to officially check into the U.S. as Barrow didn’t have a Customs Office and stretch our legs.  Still too early to make plans but we’re keeping an eye on a promising weather window which may allow us to head out for Dutch as early as this Sunday.  Dutch Harbor will mark the end of this less than visually exciting leg and once away from there we plan to hop our way down through Alaska taking full advantage of the beauty of The Inside Passage.  Said it before and it bares repeating, it will be wonderful to see trees again!