These easterly winds make us sailing fast toward our destination. In the beginning of the afternoon, we’re approaching our target. A tiny brown line to the horizon indicates us the presence of the Laguna who marks the Northernmost point of Alaska. This narrow stripe of sand makes draws the limit of Elson lagoon protected from the Beaufort sea.
We’re sailing in 3 metres of brown water. Some breakers shows us a sand bar which is not at the same position on the map. It’s quite normal, pack ice in winter time works like bulldozer and move the shape of the bottom easily. We take the pass between the Laguna and Deadman Island. While inside, we’re obliged to cast anchor quickly by lack of water, too shallow. We really feel in the middle of nowhere. The beach where we can leave the dinghy is 2,5 nautical miles away and then there is another 9 kilometres to reach the village.
The Bering Strait is 450 Nautical miles from here. Since Gjoa Haven we did not see a single piece of Pack ice. For this leg, the pack ice was 80 milles further North. The total distance since Tromsø is 6171 Nautical milles.

For the seventh leg of “Around North America” expedition the crew was :

On top, from left to right : Didier Lasserre (France), Thierry Deakin (Angleterre), Olivier Pitras (France).

Bottom, from left to right : Gabriel Pitras (France), Philippe Rouillé (France), Laurent Cérésoli (France), David Alexander (Canada), Tino Schuman (Allemagne).

Our route is straight along the Alaskan coast. It makes a big difference with the Canadian archipelago. We’re sailing in fifteen metres of water and we see nothing from the coast. Not even a small, very small hill or pingo. The front sail alone pushes us at good speed in a regular wind.
Couple of birds are visible in the distance. We do not see any cetacean in this sea which was full of whales before. The last whalers coming from the west coast in the late 19th century was harvesting only baleens, carcasses was abandoned. They could stay long, up to three or four seasons before heading South again.

Couple of hours after Kugmallit Bay, we’re in front of the river itself. Waters are very loaded with sediments. The wind who was from the North-West so far, starts blowing stronger and easterly.
Every thing is grey, it’s raining. Miles are running fast downwind, the sea is not so rough, our advance is quite comfortable. In the end of the afternoon, we’re entering in Alaskan waters and leave in our wake the Canadian North West Territories.

The month of September tells us it’s time to keep going west. The Bering Strait is still 1000 nautical miles away. Nights are long now and temperatures colder. Birds start their migration to the south for their winter places.
It’s 9h00 when the village move behind the stern. We had a warm welcome here, it makes the departure difficult as usually. The wind is calm, Sky and sea are grey. We’re sailing in three meters of water to the north-west to clear Pullen Island, the North-western tip of Kugmallit Bay. After that we will be able to head straight to Point Barrow, our next destination.