Northwest Passage

[S&S]

Anyone done the trip (E to W)? I'm interested on pilotage and routing tips, where you stopped etc. (and anything else you learned that may be useful)
Thanks!

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by S&S

Anyone done the trip (E to W)? I'm interested on pilotage and routing tips, where you stopped etc. (and anything else you learned that may be useful)
Thanks!

We have not done it, but I have routed two boats thru.

The ice charts are at:
Canadian Ice Service

This site does a good job tracking everyone who is going thru each year:
Oceans News Explorersweb - the pioneers checkpoint

The two key harbours are Cambridge bay 69 6N 105 3W and Gjoa Haven 68 37N 95 92W. You can get fuel and repairs both places.

The ice at the key choke (just before and after Gjoa) point breaks open very consistently around August 20th for a couple weeks. So you need to do all your planning aorund that date.

[S&S]

Thanks guys! Any other resources you think of would be appreciated.

[estarzinger]

I was waiting to see if anyone else who has made the passage would chime in - there are quite a few folks around who had now done it. If you get really serious about doing it PM me and I can give you a couple contacts and e-mail addresses.

A typical E to W route would include Nuuk, Sisimiut, Upernarvik (all in Greenland), Beechey Island, Resolute, Gjoa Haven, Cambridge Bay, Tuktoyaktuk, Nome, Dutch Harbor.

The equipment needed is the normal cold weather cruising gear, except:
(1) HF/SSB radio does not work very well at those latitudes and you really need an iridium phone (or other sat phone system) to get the ice reports.
(2) A 10' pole with spike is very useful for pushing ice away from the bow.

[Jacques2]

Hi !
I wrote a thread weeks ago about a Bavaria 44 that sails the Northwest Passage last 2009…

What I 'd like to suggest you now is to order the issue of the french nautical journal 'Voiles et Voiliers" from March 2010.

Even if you do not read french, it will be very interesting (IMHO) because you have 20 pages about the Passage with the names of the 48 sailboats (from Gjea (1903) to Bagan in 2009 who did it. You will have the names of the 15 boats who did it in in 2008/2009 , the names of the sailors (different nationalities, of course), etc. So that you can do a research with google and find their Blogs and get a lot of informations.

I give you the links with these french publication

Voiles et Voiliers
http://www.voilesetvoiliers.com/item…e_picture/6062

[S&S]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

I was waiting to see if anyone else who has made the passage would chime in - there are quite a few folks around who had now done it. If you get really serious about doing it PM me and I can give you a couple contacts and e-mail addresses.

A typical E to W route would include Nuuk, Sisimiut, Upernarvik (all in Greenland), Beechey Island, Resolute, Gjoa Haven, Cambridge Bay, Tuktoyaktuk, Nome, Dutch Harbor.

The equipment needed is the normal cold weather cruising gear, except:
(1) HF/SSB radio does not work very well at those latitudes and you really need an iridium phone (or other sat phone system) to get the ice reports.
(2) A 10' pole with spike is very useful for pushing ice away from the bow.

Thanks Evans, sent you a PM.

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by S&S

Thanks Evans, sent you a PM.

Yes, sorry . . . been busy, will get the e-mail addresses to you in a couple days.

[S&S]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

Yes, sorry . . . been busy, will get the e-mail addresses to you in a couple days.

No worries! thanks for looking into it!

[westsail42]

The westsail 42 fiona recently did the NW passage (last year).

A good read here.

Yacht Fiona North West Passage Cruise - Newsletter 1

[goboatingnow]

If youre serious I could put you in touch with Paddy Barry and Jarlath Cunnane who sailed Northabout through the Northwest Passage in 2001 ( and the northeast passage as well). I have a mutal friend PM me for more details

[S&S]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

If youre serious I could put you in touch with Paddy Barry and Jarlath Cunnane who sailed Northabout through the Northwest Passage in 2001 ( and the northeast passage as well). I have a mutal friend PM me for more details

sent you a PM.

[marlinespike]

Hello S&S

Are you planning to cruise the NW passage this season. We are leaving Nova Scotia for the NW Passage around the 15th of July.

Don and Peter

[S&S]

Originally Posted by marlinespike

Hello S&S

Are you planning to cruise the NW passage this season. We are leaving Nova Scotia for the NW Passage around the 15th of July.

Don and Peter

I have to shake down the repower this year So next year at the earliest. Let us know how it goes this summer!