I updated my previous post late last night with a mail from Chalky but just in case you missed it I'll paste it below:

We're doing ok here. Had a dodgy day yesterday where it all looked terminal for the trip with bad weather and ice reports and moral a bit low. We've got a much more positive outlook today after sailing up and looking at the Bellot Straight and getting some new info on weather and ice along the Alaskan side which seems a bit better. Fingers crossed for a safe passage through in the next couple of days and then on our way again. If not then time is ticking.
This was sounding promising then Chalky managed to get another mail to me later last night. With a very sad heart I've pasted it below:
Hi Love,
Bad news from Canada I'm afraid. Its crunch time and we've had to turn back and head out of the passage. Decision made about half an hour ago and we're now heading back out from Bellot across to the eastern side of Regent to head back towards Baffin eventually. Really sad but the ice hasn't moved from Franklin Straight and Bellot is impassable and Peel hasn't opened at the top all season. Sea temperatures 4 degrees lower than usual at this time (only -1C). It seems like we chose a really bad year for ice. That with the 45 knot Winds forecast have forced us to make the decision and head for cover. Its a real downer as we've a long way to sail now without the expedition side of it just knowing that we didnt make it.
I guess we'll be going via Pond on the way back so I'll try and get some comms with you there.
Love you loads and sorry :-(
xxxxxxxxxx
I am absolutely gutted for them. It just goes to show what a dangerous expedition this has always been and such decisions are not taken lightly. Getting home in one piece must be their primary objective. Still, I just want to hold Chalky in my arms and not let him go and to end his mail with sorry?! Like he's let us down?! I don't think so Chalky! I've never been prouder or fonder of him and on the plus side we should get to see each other again sooner rather than later. I'm just going to have to make him do this all over again and write a 'Chalky Sails the Northwest Passage - Again' blog. Also, he has a valid US visa for a year, guess we should make good use of that.
Sadness aside, here's the ice charts. The first one being the southern aspect of Somerset Island showing Bellot Strait and the second one showing the northern aspect and (exit through) Prince Regent Inlet:
22-08-2013 - Queen Maud, Bellot[22:08:2013 18.00 UTC - Queen Maud, Bellot Strait Impassable]
22-08-2013 - Approaches to Resloute, Bellot[22:08:2013 - Approaches to Resolute, Prince Regent Inlet looking impassable to me]
This second image concerns me. The ice conditions on the northeast aspect of Prince Regent Inlet is yellow which is 40 - 60% ice coverage. I believe they can sail through up to 30% coverage so this tells me that their exit is also impassable. Of course I don't have weather charts to track and can only hope that the predicted 45 knots coming their way will blow some ice aside to let them through. Things have turned from 'are they going to make it through?' to 'are they going to be able to make it back?'. My heart is out there with the Molpigs, I just hope Chalky catches it.
I've not bothered with the map of their location as it's not really changed much from the last one but here's the link to the aprs map if you want to look yourself:http://aprs.fi/#!call=a%2FM0LPG&timerange=604800&tail=604800 and here's the Shiptrak link showing pretty much the same: http://www.shiptrak.org/?callsign=m0lpg&filter=30
All the luck in the world to Arctic Tern and her Molpigs :'(
Check blog comments asap - CCGS icebreaker HENRY LARSEN just smashed western Bellot Strait ice choke-points. Suggest ARCTIC TERN contact CCG for routing advise, likely icebreaker could return Bellot Strait for other commercial traffic escort.
Smooth seas,
Doug