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Bound for the Pole

Regular readers of Latitude 38 will recall the story in the February issue on Jerry ‘The Iceman’ Borucki and his yearly expeditions north aboard his Freya 39 Arctic Alpha Wülf. A retired NASA fluid-dynamicist, Borucki is fascinated by ice, and has spent the last four years sailing solo to the Aleutians and beyond. Last summer, he made it as far as 76° 20′ — well into the Arctic Circle — before being turned back by icepack. This summer he believes he may actually make the North Pole.

Jerry Borucki has passed the Aleutians for the fourth time in as many years, and is still heading north.

© Jerry Borucki

Borucki sent us the following report this morning:

"I made the Bering Sea through Unimac Pass about 8 a.m. today. I’m on my way to the far north after a 30-day solo voyage from Half Moon Bay. Not bad time considering the light winds — and yes, this is the fourth time in four years for the Aleutians. It’s very foggy and cold at the moment, with wind out of the east at 15 knots. I got the tide right for once and just shot through with no turbulence. So far I’ve seen very little wildlife and no puffins, my favorite bird up here. I have had a few minor problems but all is going well. May put into Nome in a week to 10 days to get parts and food — then on to the North Pole!!"

And you thought 27 days was a long solo passage! We’ll have more on Borucki’s voyage in an upcoming issue of Latitude.

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