The North West Passage calls- Who will answer this year?

North West Passage: a grand adventure but an uncertain challenge SW

Northwest Passage routes © SW

The great annual sailing adventure these days is not crossing the Atlantic, or even going around the world.

It's not going solo, it's not even idiotically braving the Gulf of Aden.

No, the greatest adventure of the current era is undoubtedly transiting the once impassable North West Passage. The weather is warming - but not evenly - and conditions will always be uncertain.

Douglas Pohl, the best North West Passage Watcher, tells who will be embarking in 2014.


This is a work-in-progress, so please let us know if you have any more details for Douglas.

West to East 2014 :

1. S/V CELESTE - Ellen and Seth Leonard on a 40 ft cold-molded sloop designed by Francis Kinney (http://gonefloatabout.com/) No word on a departure date but said was planning a direct Gulf of Alaska crossing to shake-down all of the new equipment... lol

2. S/V SANNA - Dave and Marie Ungless on a custom 15 m (49.9 ft) GRP hull by Bavaria Production Yard to European Class A and Cat 1 blue water ocean offshore cruising specification. (http://www.sanna-uk.com/) Reporting Prince Rupert about June 20th - re-considering a 2014NWP or delaying to 2015 to enjoy the Inside Passage and Alaska - marvelous boating country!

Polar Bound - six North West Passage crossings already, about to attempt the seventh © SW

East to West 2014 NWP:

3. S/V AVENTURA IV (GBR) - Jimmy Cornell's new Garcia 45 flagship for the Blue Planet Odyssey circumnavigation rally (http://www.blueplanetodyssey.com/)
AR 20140621 Nuuk Greenland

4. S/V CATRYN - Dia Rice on an Island Packet 43 motor sailor (http://blog.mailasail.com/catryn)
Underway for Greenland on 20140615

5. S/V FESTINA LENTE (GBR) - Author Nick Pochin on a Discovery 55 (http://blog.mailasail.com/festina.lente)
Iceland preparing to depart 20140623 for Greenland

6. S/V NORDLYS -Nigel and crew on a Swan 47 (http://www.sailblogs.com/member/nwp/)
Underway for Greenland on 20140616

7. S/V NOVARA - Stephen Brown on a Bestevaer 60C w AeroRig departing from Maine USA (http://www.sy-novara.com/)
Underway on 20140618 ETA Lunenburg NS 20140625

8. M/V POLAR BOUND - 170hp 48 foot expedition motor vessel with world explorer David Scott Cowper on his seventh NWP Watching weather conditions. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Scott_Cowper)

9. S/V SUILVEN - John and Linda Andrews on an Oyster 47 departing from Oban (http://blog.mailasail.com/suilven)
AR Iceland 20140617, Departed with FESTINA LENTE for Greenland.

Solanus in the North West Passage © SW

2013 Vessels Continuing in 2014:

10. S/V EMPIRICUS (USA) - Jesse Osborn in a custom 50' ketch sailing vessel continuing August 1, 2014 Cambridge Bay his West-to-east 2013 NWP. Blog: (http://empiricusembarks.wordpress.com/)

11. S/V GITANA (USA) - Mike Johnson in a 44' Lapworth Schooner continuing an East to West 2013NWP from Cambridge Bay

12. S/V LADY DANA (POL) - Ryszard Wojnowski continuing an Arctic Circumnavigation through the NWP on a 14.3 m steel sloop after wintering over in Vancouver Canada. (http://arctic2013.pl/en/route/) Reported Prince Rupert June 16, 2014.

14. M/V LE MANGUIER (FRA) (known as MANGO) - Captain Philippe Hercher continues a West to East Arctic voyage after wintering over in Paulatuk NWT in a 21.1 m ex-navy steel tug with stay-sails rig. (http://www.navirelemanguier.com/)

Several east to west vessels in 2013 suffered a breakdown else made the decision to retreat part way through and may possible return in 2014-2015. Details anyone?

The rowers and paddlers:

15. Rowing Vessel 'ROWING ICE' (FRA) (Mathieu Bonnier's 2010 row boat named TICO after his Alaskan Husky dog) - Charles Hedrich is attempting to become the first person to row the entire NWP. He departed from the Pacific Arctic Circle at Wales AK on July 1, 2013 and arrived Tuktoyaktuk NWT on September 10, 2013 covering 1,100 miles in 72 days for an average speed just over 15 miles per day. ROWING ICE was placed on the hard with an Eskimo family and he plans to continue rowing as soon as the 2014 ice opens.

(http://charleshedrich-nordouest.blogspot.fr/?view=sidebar)

Tuktoyaktuk to Pond Inlet via Bellot Strait is 1600 miles. Can Charles Hendrich row this extra distance in 2014? If ROWING ICE can winter over in Pond Inlet, the 2015 distance to the finish line is only 700 miles to the Atlantic Arctic Circle in Davis Strait.

16. Anne Quemere who will be paddling her little red kayak between Inuvik and Pond Inlet? While not an official Northwest Passage she does have interesting comments and content online. Departed Inuvik around June 24, reported Tuktoyaktuk June 27th - she is on the move... (http://www.anne-quemere.com/?lang=en)

As stated at the beginning of the article, our author Douglas Pohl would appreciate any updates from readers. You can contact Douglas as follows:
Email: douglas_pohl@yahoo.com
Blog: northwestpassage2014.blogspot.com

The sights are amazing - photo by Eric Forsyth © SW