“Ice Tactics” Part 1. Negotiating a Brash Ice Barrier By Captain Jesse Osborn

In our 2014 completion of the Northwest Passage, Samantha and I encountered a large band of high concentration ice. We were able to work our way through that ice with tactics we learned along the way. This article is the first of a short series I will be writing on ice tactics. As it seems […]

Pond Inlet Nunavut to Aasiaat Greenland

09/09/2014 1440 UTC Were off! Anchor pulled, chain removed and stowed in the locker. We had a nice sail, broad reaching with bread in the oven. Then the winds dropped off and became fluky from the SE. Samantha made a Fantastic curry and we enjoyed it as the sun dropped behind us. The […]

Captains Log Bellot Straight to Pond Inlet

08/31/2014 0145 We are six miles from Bellot Straight! No or little wind all day, made for a beautiful sunset with reflections on the water and Ice. Just after sunset, I watched patches of water flash freeze over. It crawled along the water slowly. Setting the surface still, just before our bow interrupted its process. […]

Captains Log Taloyoak to Bellot Straight.

08/28/2014 0200 Taloyoak NU Can it get any better? This place and these people are amazing me. Where do I start? I will have to reflect and write more of our visit to Taloyoak. But for starters, we spoke again at the school. This time to a group of 35 school kids under 12. The […]

To My Boys. Isaac and Steven

To my sons. Isaac and Steven. Whom I miss very much. Boys. I know I am not a typical father. It has very much been my intention, not to be. I realized early on, that you would be shown two completely different styles of living. 2 households, 2 points of view and 2 reflections of […]

Clearing Pond Inlet! Greenland here we come!

We made it to Pond! What a ride! No time to post more. The weather is good to cross. Many many stories to follow! Jesse and Samantha SV EMPIRICUS

Captains Log. 08/26/2014 Taloyoak

08/21/2014 2350 Were ready; Wood stowed, bilges dry, deck secure, woodstove pipe modified with reflector behind pipe, Scarlet clean and ready to load, deck secured, floor mopped. A TV crew will be meeting us on the beach at 0800 for an interview and we are not in a hurry. So we will meet them and […]

Captains log. 08/21/2014 A quick note before departure.

08/21/2014 1621 hrs. This morning we woke to the site of an icebreaker moored at the mouth of Gjoa Haven Harbor. I hailed them on the radio, and true to excellent Canadian Coast Guard standards, they had already anticipated the contact. A couple of hours later, the 3rd Mate Brian delivered us (Altan Girl and […]

Captains Log 08/20/2014 Farewell Gjoa Haven and friends.

08/19/2014 1746 hrs. Well the gales subsided enough to row into town. But the only rowing needed was to slow us as we beached. Our anchor held strong, but the nights are getting darker and the ice was gnawing at my gut. So I was pleasantly surprised to view the Ice chart today! That warm […]

Captains Log 08/19/2014 Gjoa Haven

08/18/2014 1354 hrs I think we finally got the weather we’ve been hoping for. Yesterday marked one week, on anchor in Gjoa Haven. It has been cold and windy. Mostly blowing steady from the NW. Friday the 15th, brought snow that stuck to the ground and although it melted later in the day, a furrow […]

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