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ATLANTIC OCEAN ↔ ARCTIC OCEAN ↔ PACIFIC OCEAN
R. K. Headland - Revised 3 March 2013
Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, United Kingdom, CB2 1ER.
The earliest traverse of the Northwest Passage was completed in 1853 but used sledges over the sea ice of the central part of Parry Channel. Subsequently the following 185 complete transits of the Northwest Passage have been made to the end of the 2012 navigation season. These transits proceed to or from the Atlantic Ocean (Labrador Sea) in or out of the eastern approaches to the Canadian Arctic archipelago (Lancaster Sound or Foxe Basin) then the western approaches (McClure Strait or Amundsen Gulf), across the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea of the Arctic Ocean, from or to the Pacific Ocean (Bering Sea). The Arctic Circle is crossed near the beginning and the end of all transits unless they proceed to the west coast of Greenland. The routes and directions are indicated. Complements of a few vessels left them for winter to return in a later navigation season. Details of submarine transits are not included because only two have been reported (1960 USS Sea Dragon, Capt. George Peabody Steele, West 1 and 1962 USS Skate, Capt. Joseph Lawrence Skoog, East 1) and they do not need to navigate through ice.
Seven routes have been used for transits of the Northwest Passage with some minor variations (for example through Pond Inlet and Navy Board Inlet) and three composite courses in summers when ice was minimal (transits 140, 168, and 170). These are:
1: Davis Strait, Lancaster Sound, Barrow Strait, Viscount Melville Sound, McClure Strait, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, Bering Strait. The shortest and deepest, but most difficult way owing to the severe ice of McClure Strait. The route is used by submarines because of its depth.
2: Davis Strait, Lancaster Sound, Barrow Strait, Viscount Melville Sound, Prince of Wales Strait, Amundsen Gulf, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, Bering Strait. An easier variant of route 1 which may avoid severe ice in McClure Strait. It is suitable for deep draft vessels.
3: Davis Strait, Lancaster Sound, Barrow Strait, Peel Sound, Franklin Strait, Victoria Strait, Coronation Gulf, Amundsen Gulf, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, Bering Strait. The principal route; used by most vessels of draft less than 10 m.
4: Davis Strait, Lancaster Sound, Barrow Strait, Peel Sound, Rae Strait, Simpson Strait, Coronation Gulf, Amundsen Gulf, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, Bering Strait. A variant of route 3 for small vessels if ice from McClintock Channel has blocked Victoria Strait. Simpson Strait is only 6?4 m deep and has complex currents.
5: Davis Strait, Lancaster Sound, Prince Regent Inlet, Bellot Strait, Franklin Strait, Victoria Strait, Coronation Gulf, Amundsen Gulf, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, Bering Strait. This route is dependent on ice conditions in Bellot Strait which has complex currents. Mainly used by eastbound vessels.
6: Davis Strait, Lancaster Sound, Prince Regent Inlet, Bellot Strait, Rae Strait, Simpson Strait, Coronation Gulf, Amundsen Gulf, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, Bering Strait. A variant of route 5 for small vessels if ice from McClintock Channel has blocked Victoria Strait. Simpson Strait is only 6?4 m deep, complex currents run in Bellot and Simpson Straits.
7: Hudson Strait, Foxe Basin, Fury and Hecla Strait, Bellot Strait, Franklin Strait, Victoria Strait, Coronation Gulf, Amundsen Gulf, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, Bering Strait. A difficult route owing to severe ice usually at the west of Fury and Hecla Strait and the currents of Bellot Strait. Mainly used by eastbound vessels as an alternative is practicable.
Complete transits have been made by 135 different vessels. The Russian icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov has made 17 transits, the largest number of any vessel. Hanseatic has made 10, Bremen 6 (2 with the former name, Frontier Spirit), and Polar Bound 4; 4 vessels have each made 3 transits, and 13 have made 2. More than one year was taken by 19 of these vessels, mainly small craft, to complete a transit wintering at various places along the route. Five vessels have made return transits in one summer. The vessels are from 29 registries: 43 from Canada, 24 Russia, 22 United States, 20 Bahamas, 17 Britain, 11 France, 6 Cayman Islands, 5 Sweden, 4 Australia, and Germany, 3 Poland, 2 Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, and Norway, and 1 from Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Barbados, Croatia, Denmark, Ireland (Éire), Italy, Japan, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, and Switzerland. Passengers have been carried on 40 transits but only three (numbers 74, 75, and 172) were otherwise commercial voyages. Four of the vessels have travelled through the Panama Canal and circumnavigated North America, three have circumnavigated all America, and eight have circumnavigated the Arctic Ocean. Captain Viktor Vasiliev has commanded 8 transits, Heinz Aye and Piotr Golikov 6, David Scott Cowper and Thilo Natke 5, several others have commanded more than one.
To the 2012 end of navigation 185 transits of the Northwest Passage have been made. A route analysis shows:
Route 1 west 3 east 0 total 3
Route 2 west 11 east 4 total 15
Route 3 west 30 east 26 total 56
Route 4 west 31 east 14 total 45
Route 5 west 12 east 22 total 34
Route 6 west 7 east 19 total 26
Route 7 west 0 east 3 total 3
Composite west 2 east 1 total 3 [marked ‘Cp’ in list]
All Routes west 96 east 89 total 185
The list is in alphabetical order in the years of completion of the voyages (not by the precedence of completion). Superscript numbers in the list are cumulative numbers of voyages, commands, flags, etc.
Sources include a compilation by Thomas Pullen and Charles Swithinbank published in Polar Record (1991), with advice from Lawson Brigham (USCG), Peter Capelotti (USCG), David Fletcher, Chris Havern (USCG), Brian McDonald (CCG), John MacFarlane, Peter Semotiuk, Tony Soper, Patrick Toomey (CCG), and Victor Wejer, personal observations made during several transits with Quark expeditions, many publications, advice from persons directly involved and several internet sites. Advice of subsequent voyages, corrections and additions, or similar details is appreciated. It is intended to revise this compilation annually.
| Year | Vessel | Flag | Master | Route |
| 1903-06 | ||||
| 1 | Gjøa (21 m auxiliary sloop) | Norway1 | Roald Engelbregt & Gravning Amundsen | West 4 |
| Wintered twice in Gjøa Haven and once off King Point | ||||
| 1940-42 | ||||
| 2 | St Roch1 (29∙7 m RCMP auxiliary schooner) | Canada1 | Henry Asbjørn Larsen1 | East 6 |
| Wintered at Walker Bay and Pasley Bay, traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 1944 | ||||
| 3 | St Roch2 (RCMP auxiliary schooner) | Canada2 | Henry Asbjørn Larsen2 | West 2 |
| Return voyage, first transit in one season, traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 1954 | ||||
| 4 | HMCS Labrador (icebreaker) | Canada3 | Owen Connor & Struan Robertson | West 2 |
| First continuous circumnavigation of North America | ||||
| 1957 | ||||
| 5 | USCGC Bramble (buoy tender) | United States1 | Henry Hart Carter | East 6 |
| 6 | USCGC Spar (buoy tender) | United States2 | Charles Vinal Cowing | East 6 |
| 7 | USCGC Storis (icebreaker) | United States3 | Harold Lambert Wood | East 6 |
| Travelled in convoy, Storis escorted Bramble and Spar, accompanied by HMCS Labrador from Bellot Strait | ||||
| 1967 | ||||
| 8 | CCGS John A. McDonald (icebreaker) | Canada4 | Paul M. Fournier | West 3 |
| Assisted USCGC Northwind beset 900 km N off Point Barrow with damaged propeller, circumnavigated North America | ||||
| 1969 | ||||
| 9 | USCGC Northwind 1 (icebreaker) | United States4 | Donald J. McCann1 | East 5 |
| 10 | USCGC Northwind 2 (icebreaker) | United States5 | Donald J. McCann2 | West 3 |
| Earliest return voyage in one season1, to and from Thule in Greenland, escorted Manhattan for part of westbound voyage | ||||
| 11 | USCGC Staten Island (icebreaker) | United States6 | Eugene F. Walsh | East 2 |
| Escorted oil tanker Manhattan on eastbound voyage from Point Barrow | ||||
| 1970 | ||||
| 12 | CSS Baffin (research icebreaker) | Canada5 | Paul M. Brick | East 2 |
| 13 | CSS Hudson1 (research icebreaker) | Canada6 | David W. Butler | East 2 |
| Hudson made the first circumnavigation of the Americas, Baffin accompanied Hudson through the Northwest Passage | ||||
| 1975 | ||||
| 14 | Pandora II (hydrographic research vessel) | Canada7 | R. Dickinson | East 7 |
| 15 | Theta (research vessel) | Canada8 | K. Maro | East 7 |
| Travelled in company | ||||
| 16 | CSS Skidgate (buoy tender) | Canada9 | Peter Kallis | East 6 |
| 1976 | ||||
| 17 | CCGS J. E. Bernier1 (icebreaker) | Canada10 | Paul Pelland | East 3 |
| 1977 | ||||
| 18 | Williwaw (13 m sloop) | Netherlands1 | Willy de Roos | West 4 |
| Single-handed after Gjøa Haven, continued to circumnavigate the Americas | ||||
| 1978 | ||||
| 19 | CCGS Pierre Radisson (icebreaker) | Canada11 | Patrick R. M. Toomey | East 2 |
| 1976-79 | ||||
| 20 | J. E. Bernier II (10 m ketch) | Canada12 | Réal Bouvier | West 4 |
| Wintered in Holsteinborg, Resolute, and Tuktoyaktuk | ||||
| 1979 | ||||
| 21 | Canmar Kigoriak (icebreaker) | Canada13 | C. Cunningham | West 2 |
| 22 | CCGS Louis S. St Laurent (icebreaker) | Canada14 | George Burdock | West 2 |
| Circumnavigated North America | ||||
| 1980 | ||||
| 23 | CCGS J. E. Bernier2 (icebreaker) | Canada15 | E. Chasse | East 4 |
| 24 | Pandora II (hydrographic survey vessel) | Canada16 | Robin A. Jones | East 4 |
| Both vessels circumnavigated North America | ||||
| 1981 | ||||
| 25 | CSS Hudson2 (research icebreaker) | Canada17 | Frederick Mauger | East 3 |
| Circumnavigated North America | ||||
| 1979-82 | ||||
| 26 | Mermaid (15 m sloop) | Japan | Kenichi Horie | West 6 |
| First single-handed voyage1, wintered in Resolute and Tuktoyaktuk | ||||
| 1983 | ||||
| 27 | Arctic Shiko (tug) | Canada18 | S. Dool | East 3 |
| 28 | Polar Circle (research vessel) | Canada19 | J. A. Strand | East 4 |
| 1984 | ||||
| 29 | Lindblad Explorer1 (ice strengthened ship) | Sweden1 | Hasse Nilsson | West 4 |
| First passenger1 voyage | ||||
| 1985 | ||||
| 30 | USCGC Polar Sea1 (icebreaker) | United States7 | John T. Howell | West 2 |
| Accompanied by CCGS John A. McDonald for part of voyage | ||||
| 31 | World Discoverer (ice strengthened ship) | Singapore | Heinz Aye1 | East 6 |
| Carried passengers2, traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 1976-88 | ||||
| 32 | Canmar Explorer II (drilling ship) | Canada20 | Ronald Colby | West 3 |
| Reached Beaufort Sea for oil drilling programme from 1976 until completed transit | ||||
| 1983-88 | ||||
| 33 | Belvedere (18 m yacht) | United States8 | Sven Johansson | East 6 |
| Reached Tuktoyaktuk 1983, conducted whaling research to 1987, completed transit in 1988, traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 1985-88 | ||||
| 34 | Vagabond II1 (12·8 m yacht) | France1 | Janusz Kurbiel ('85-87) and Wojciech Jacobson ('88) | East 6 |
| Wintered in Tuktoyaktuk and twice in Gjøa Haven (where changed masters), circumnavigated North America | ||||
| 1988 | ||||
| 35 | CCGS Henry A. Larsen (icebreaker) | Canada21 | Stephen A. Gomes | East 4 |
| 36 | CCGS Martha L. Black (icebreaker) | Canada22 | Robert J. Mellis1 | East 4 |
| Circumnavigated North America | ||||
| 37 | USCGC Polar Star1 (icebreaker) | United States9 | Paul A. Taylor | East 3 |
| Accompanied by CCGS Sir John Franklin to Demarcation Point | ||||
| 38 | Society Explorer2 (ice strengthened ship) | Bahamas1 | Heinz Aye2 | East 4 |
| Carried passengers3, traversed Pond Inlet [formerly Lindblad Explorer] | ||||
| 1986-89 | ||||
| 39 | Mabel E. Holland (12∙8 m lifeboat) | Britain1 | David Scott Cowper1 | West 6 |
| Single-handed voyage2, vessel wintered at Fort Ross twice, and at Inuvik | ||||
| 1988-89 | ||||
| 40 | Northanger (15 m ketch) | Britain2 | Richard Thomas1 | West 4 |
| Wintered in Inuvik | ||||
| 1989 | ||||
| 41 | USCGC Polar Star2 (icebreaker) | United States10 | Robert Hammond | West 3 |
| Accompanied by CCGS Sir John Franklin to Demarcation Point | ||||
| 1983-90 | ||||
| 42 | Ikaluk1 (icebreaker) | Canada23 | R. Cormier1 | East 3 |
| Reached Beaufort Sea in 1983, where worked to 1990 when completed transit | ||||
| 1990 | ||||
| 43 | Terry Fox (icebreaker) | Canada24 | Peter Kimmerley | East 3 |
| 44 | USCGC Polar Sea2 (icebreaker) | United States11 | Joseph J. McCleland | West 3 |
| Accompanied by CCGS Pierre Radisson to Demarcation Point | ||||
| 1991 | ||||
| 45 | Canmar Tugger (tug) | Canada25 | L. Lorengeek | East 3 |
| 1992 | ||||
| 46 | Frontier Spirit1 (ice strengthened ship) | Bahamas2 | Heinz Aye3 | West 3 |
| Carried passengers4, traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 47 | Ikaluk2 (icebreaker) | Canada26 | R. Cormier2 | West 3 |
| 48 | Kapitan Khlebnikov1 (icebreaker) | Russia1 | Piotr Golikov1 | East 3 |
| Carried passengers5 | ||||
| 1993 | ||||
| 49 | Dagmar Aaen1 (27 m yacht) | Germany1 | Arved Fuchs | West 5 |
| 50 | Frontier Spirit2 (ice strengthened ship) | Bahamas3 | Heinz Aye4 | West 3 |
| Carried passengers6 | ||||
| 51 | Kapitan Khlebnikov2 (icebreaker) | Russia2 | Piotr Golikov2 | East 3 |
| Carried passengers7 | ||||
| 1994 | ||||
| 52 | Hanseatic1 (ice strengthened ship) | Bahamas4 | Hartwig van Harling1 | West 3 |
| Carried passengers8 | ||||
| 53 | Itasca (converted tug) | Britain3 | Allan Jouning | East 4 |
| 54 | Kapitan Khlebnikov3 (icebreaker) | Russia3 | Piotr Golikov3 | East 3 |
| 55 | Kapitan Khlebnikov4 (icebreaker) | Russia4 | Piotr Golikov4 | West 2 |
| Return voyage in one season2, carried passengers9 & 10 | ||||
| 1995 | ||||
| 56 | CCGS Arctic Ivik1 (icebreaker) | Canada27 | Norman Thomas2 | East 5 |
| 57 | CCGS Arctic Ivik2 (icebreaker) | Canada28 | Robert J. Mellis2 | West 5 |
| Return voyage in one season3, to and from Kap York | ||||
| 58 | Canmar Ikaluk3 (icebreaker) | Canada29 | D. Connolly | East 3 |
| [formerly Ikaluk] | ||||
| 59 | Canmar Miscaroo (icebreaker) | Canada30 | D. W. Harris | East 3 |
| 60 | Dove III (8∙5 m yacht) | Canada31 | Winston Bushnell | East 3 |
| 61 | Hrvatska Cigra (19∙8 m yacht) | Croatia | Mladan Sutej | West 5 |
| 62 | Kapitan Khlebnikov5 (icebreaker) | Russia5 | Viktor Vasiliev1 | East 5 |
| Carried passengers11 | ||||
| 1996 | ||||
| 63 | Arctic Circle (tug) | Canada32 | Jack McCormack | East 3 |
| 64 | Canmar Supplier II (cargo vessel) | Canada33 | P. Dunderdale | East 3 |
| 65 | Hanseatic2 (ice strengthened ship) | Bahamas5 | Hartwig van Harling2 | West 3 |
| Carried passengers12, grounded in Simpson Strait, escorted by CCGS Henry A. Larsen to Victoria Strait, traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 66 | Kapitan Dranitsyn1 (icebreaker) | Russia6 | Oleg Agafonov | East 5 |
| Carried passengers13 | ||||
| 67 | CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier (icebreaker) | Canada34 | Norman Thomas3 | East 5 |
| Escorted by CCGS Louis S. St Laurent for part of voyage, traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 1997 | ||||
| 68 | Alex Gordon (tug) | Canada35 | Paul Misata | East 5 |
| Escorted by CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier to Franklin Strait and then CCGS Pierre Radisson | ||||
| 69 | Hanseatic3 (ice strengthened ship) | Bahamas6 | Heinz Aye5 | West 3 |
| Carried passengers14, escorted to Victoria Strait by CCGS Henry A. Larsen, traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 70 | Kapitan Khlebnikov6 (icebreaker) | Russia7 | Viktor Vasiliev2 | East 3 |
| Carried passengers15 | ||||
| 71 | Supplier (tug) | Bahamas7 | Allan Guenter | East 5 |
| Escorted by CCGS Terry Fox to Victoria Strait | ||||
| 1998 | ||||
| 72 | Hanseatic4 (ice strengthened ship) | Bahamas8 | Heinz Aye6 | East 3 |
| Carried passengers17, escorted to Victoria Strait by CCGS Sir John Franklin, traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 73 | Kapitan Khlebnikov7 (icebreaker) | Russia8 | Piotr Golikov5 | East 3 |
| Carried passengers16 | ||||
| 1999 | ||||
| 74 | Admiral Makarov (icebreaker) | Russia9 | Vadim Kholodenko | East 3 |
| 75 | Irbis (tug) | Russia10 | Aleksandr Aleksenko | East 3 |
| Travelled in convoy each towing a component of a steel floating dock, Korea to Caribbean | ||||
| 76 | Kapitan Dranitsyn2 (icebreaker) | Russia11 | Viktor Terekhov1 | West 3 |
| Carried passengers18, circumnavigated the Arctic1 | ||||
| 77 | Ocean Search (12∙5 m yacht) | France2 | Olivier Pitras1 | East 5 |
| Traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 2000 | ||||
| 78 | Evohe (25 m yacht) | New Zealand1 | Stephen Kafka | East 6 |
| 79 | Hanseatic5 (ice strengthened ship) | Bahamas9 | Thilo Natke1 | West 3 |
| Carried passengers19, traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 70 | USCGC Healy1 (icebreaker) | United States12 | Jeffrey M. Garrett | West 3 |
| 81 | Kapitan Dranitsyn3 (icebreaker) | Russia12 | Viktor Terekhov2 | West 3 |
| Carried passengers20, circumnavigated the Arctic2 | ||||
| 82 | Nadon (17·7 m RCMP catamaran) | Canada36 | Kenneth Burton | East 6 |
| Voyage to commemorate St Roch 1940-42 transit; circumnavigated North America | ||||
| 83 | Simon Fraser (icebreaker) | Canada37 | Robert J. Mellis3 | East 6 |
| Escorted Nadon | ||||
| 2001 | ||||
| 84 | Kapitan Khlebnikov8 (icebreaker) | Russia13 | Viktor Vasiliev3 | East 3 |
| 85 | Kapitan Khlebnikov9 (icebreaker) | Russia14 | Viktor Vasiliev4 | West 1 |
| Return voyage in one season4, carried passengers21 & 22 | ||||
| 86 | Northabout (14∙9 m yacht) | Ireland (Éire) | Jarlath Cunnane | West 4 |
| Circumnavigated the Arctic3 | ||||
| 87 | Turmoil1 (46 m motor yacht) | Cayman Islands1 | Philip Walsh | West 4 |
| Traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 2001-02 | ||||
| 88 | Nuage (12∙8 m yacht) | France3 | Michèle Demai | East 3 |
| Complement of mother and daughter, wintered in Cambridge Bay | ||||
| 2002 | ||||
| 89 | Apostol Andrey (16∙2 m yacht) | Russia15 | Nikolay A. Litau | East 5 |
| Assisted by CCGS Louis S. St Laurent through Prince Regent Inlet, circumnavigated the Arctic4 | ||||
| 90 | Arctic Kalvik (icebreaker tug) | Barbados | Sanjeev Kumar | East 3 |
| 91 | Hanseatic6 (ice strengthened ship) | Bahamas10 | Thilo Natke2 | West 3 |
| Carried passengers23, traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 92 | Kapitan Khlebnikov10 (icebreaker) | Russia16 | Piotr Golikov6 | East 3 |
| Carried passengers24 | ||||
| 93 | Sedna IV (51 m yacht) | Canada38 | Stéphan Guy | West 5 |
| 2003 | ||||
| 94 | Bremen3 (ice strengthened ship) | Bahamas11 | Daniel Felgner | West 3 |
| Carried passengers26, traversed Pond Inlet [formerly Frontier Spirit] | ||||
| 95 | USCGC Healy2 (icebreaker) | United States13 | Daniel Oliver | West 3 |
| 96 | Kapitan Khlebnikov11 (icebreaker) | Russia17 | Viktor Vasiliev5 | East 5 |
| Carried passengers25 | ||||
| 97 | Norwegian Blue (12∙9 m yacht) | Britain4 | Andrew Wood | East 5 |
| Traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 98 | Vagabond2 (15·3 m yacht) | France4 | Eric Brossier | East 5 |
| Traversed Pond Inlet, circumnavigated the Arctic5 [formerly Vagabond II] | ||||
| 2003-04 | ||||
| 99 | Dagmar Aaen2 (27 m yacht) | Germany2 | Arved Fuchs2 | East 5 |
| Wintered in Cambridge Bay, assisted by CCGS Louis S. St Laurent, traversed Pond Inlet; circumnavigated the Arctic6 | ||||
| 100 | Polar Bound1 (14·6 m motorboat) | Britain5 | David Scott Cowper2 | East 5 |
| Single-handed voyage3, wintered in Cambridge Bay, assisted by CCGS Louis S. St Laurent in Prince Regent Inlet | ||||
| 2004 | ||||
| 101 | Kapitan Khlebnikov12 (icebreaker) | Russia18 | Pavel Ankudinov1 | East 5 |
| Carried passengers27 | ||||
| 2004-05 | ||||
| 102 | Fine Tolerance (13·7 m yacht) | Australia1 | Philip Hogg | East 6 |
| Wintered in Cambridge Bay, assisted by CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier and CCGS Louis S. St Laurent through Bellot Strait | ||||
| 2005 | ||||
| 103 | Idlewild (17∙3 m motorboat) | Canada39 | Benjamin Grey | East 6 |
| Assisted by CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier and CCGS Louis S. St Laurent through Bellot Strait | ||||
| 104 | Kapitan Khlebnikov13 (icebreaker) | Russia19 | Viktor Vasiliev6 | East 3 |
| 105 | Kapitan Khlebnikov14 (icebreaker) | Russia20 | Viktor Vasiliev7 | West 3 |
| Return voyage in one season5, carried passengers28 eastbound | ||||
| 106 | Oden (icebreaker) | Sweden2 | Anders Wikström | West 3 |
| 2003-06 | ||||
| 107 | Minke I (12·8 m yacht) | Canada40 | Peter Brook | East 6 |
| Wintered in Tuktoyaktuk and in Cambridge Bay twice | ||||
| 2006 | ||||
| 108 | Kapitan Khlebnikov15 (icebreaker) | Russia21 | Pavel Ankudinov2 | East 7 |
| Carried passengers29 | ||||
| 109 | Nekton (13·6 m yacht) | Poland1 | Tadeusz Natanek | West 6 |
| 110 | Stary (13·5 m yacht) | Poland2 | Dominik Bac, | West 6 |
| Jacek Waclawski & Slawek Skalmierski | ||||
| Travelled in company, traversed Pond Inlet (Stary changed masters at Cambridge Bay and Tuktoyaktuk) | ||||
| 2007 | ||||
| 111 | Babouche (7·5 m catamaran) | France5 | Sébastien Roubinet | East 5 |
| 112 | Cloud Nine (17·3 m ketch) | United States14 | Roger Swanson | West 4 |
| 113 | Hanseatic7 (ice strengthened ship) | Bahamas12 | Ulf Wolter1 | West 5 |
| Carried passengers30 | ||||
| 114 | Kapitan Khlebnikov16 (icebreaker) | Russia22 | Viktor Vasiliev8 | East 5 |
| Carried passengers31 | ||||
| 115 | Luck Dragon (12·1 m yacht) | Britain6 | Jeffrey Allison | West 3 |
| Vessel abandoned and lost during a storm in Bering Sea | ||||
| 2005-08 | ||||
| 116 | Arctic Wanderer (11∙9 m yacht) | United States15 | Gary E. Ramos | East 6 |
| Single-handed voyage4, wintered in Cambridge Bay thrice | ||||
| 2008 | ||||
| 117 | Amodino (23 m yacht) | Spain | Juan Ribos | East 4 |
| 118 | Baloum Gwen1 (14·9m yacht) | Belgium1 | Thierry Fabing1 | West 4 |
| 119 | Berrimilla (10 m yacht) | Australia2 | Alexander Whitworth | East 4 |
| 120 | Bremen4 (ice-strengthened ship) | Bahamas13 | Ulf Wolter2 | West 5 |
| Carried passengers32 | ||||
| 121 | Geraldine (14 m yacht) | United States16 | Walter Jones | West 3 |
| 122 | Southern Star (23·7m yacht) | France6 | Olivier Pitras2 | West 4 |
| 123 | Tyhina (10·4 m yacht) | New Zealand2 | Peter Elliott | West 4 |
| 2009 | ||||
| 124 | Apoise (67 m motor vessel) | Canada41 | David Ritchie | West 4 |
| 125 | Bagan (17·4 m motorboat) | United States17 | Clinton Bolton | West 4 |
| 126 | Bremen5 (ice-strengthened ship) | Bahamas14 | Marc Behrend1 | West 4 |
| Carried passengers33, traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 127 | Baloum Gwen2 (14·9m yacht) | Belgium2 | Thierry Fabing2 | East 6 |
| Return voyage | ||||
| 128 | Fleur Australe (20 m yacht) | France7 | Philippe Poupon | West 4 |
| 129 | Fiona (12·8 m yacht) | United States18 | Eric Forsyth | West 4 |
| 130 | Glory of the Sea (15·3 m yacht) | France8 | Charles Hedrich | West 4 |
| 131 | Hanseatic8 (ice-strengthened ship) | Bahamas15 | Thilo Natke3 | East 4 |
| Carried passengers34, voyage included a return transit of Bellot Strait from Peel Sound | ||||
| 132 | Ocean Watch (19·2 m yacht) | United States19 | Mark Schrader | East 6 |
| 133 | Perithia (14·6 m yacht) | Germany3 | Uwe Wohnort | West 4 |
| 134 | Polar Bound2 (14·6 m motorboat) | Britain7 | David Scott Cowper3 | West 5 |
| Single-handed voyage5 | ||||
| 135 | Precipice (9·1 m yacht) | United States20 | Rolland Trowbridge | West 6 |
| 136 | Silent Sound (12·2 m yacht) | Canada42 | Cameron Dueck | East 6 |
| Traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 2010 | ||||
| 137 | Ariel IV (15·2 m sloop) | Sweden3 | Eric Boye | West 4 |
| 138 | Dion Sky2 (46 m motor yacht) | Cayman Islands2 | Brian Harrison | West 2 |
| [formerly Turmoil] | ||||
| 139 | Hanse Explorer (48 m motor yacht) | Antigua | Bernd Buchner | West 3 |
| Carried Passengers35, traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 140 | Hanseatic9 (ice-strengthened ship) | Bahamas16 | Thilo Natke4 | West 4 |
| Carried Passengers36, traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 141 | Kapitan Khlebnikov17 (icebreaker) | Russia23 | Anatoliy Kovalenko | East 5 |
| Carried passengers37 | ||||
| 142 | Octopus1 (128 m motor yacht) | Glenn Dalby1 | West 2 | |
| Traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 143 | Rx II (11 m yacht) | Norway2 | Trond Aasvoll | East 4 |
| 144 | Sarema (15·2 m yacht) | Finland1 | Pekka Kauppila | East 4 |
| Traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 145 | Solanus (14·5 m yacht) | Poland3 | Bronisław Radliński | West 4 |
| 146 | Young Larry (13·4 m yacht) | Britain8 | Andrew Wilkes | West 4 |
| 2010-11 | ||||
| 147 | Anna (10·5 m ketch) | Sweden4 | Börje Ivarsson | West 4 |
| Wintered in Inuvik | ||||
| 2011 | ||||
| 148 | Arcadia (35·8 m motor yacht) | Cayman Islands4 | James Pizzaruso | West 5 |
| Traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 149 | Asteria (converted tug) | Marshall Islands | Donald Feil | West 3 |
| 150 | Bremen6 (ice-strengthened ship) | Bahamas17 | Marc Behrend2 | East Cp |
| Composite course: McClure Strait, Prince of Wales Strait, and then route 4; carried passengers38 | ||||
| 151 | Chamade (13·3 m yacht) | Switzerland | Marc Decrey | West 4 |
| 152 | Eshamy (15·5 m yacht) | Britain9 | Jeffrey Allison | West 3 |
| Circumnavigated the Arctic7 | ||||
| 153 | Imvubu, (15·9 m ketch) | South Africa | Ralf Dominick, | West 3 |
| 154 | Issuma (15 m schooner) | Canada43 | Richard Hudson | West 5 |
| 155 | Kotuku (12·2 m yacht) | New Zealand3 | Ian Douglass | East 6 |
| 156 | Leava (12·5 m sloop) | France9 | Alain Bataedat | East 5 |
| 157 | Muktuk (14·3 m sloop) | Austria | Karl Mayer | West 4 |
| 158 | Pangaeas (35 m yacht) | United States21 | Michael Horn | East 4 |
| 159 | Polar Bound3 (14·6 m. motorboat) | Britain10 | David Scott Cowper4 | East 3 |
| 160 | Rus (7·6 m trimaran) | Russia24 | Oleg Volynkin | West 5 |
| 161 | St. Brendan (8·2 m yacht) | United States22 | Matt Rutherford | West 3 |
| Single-handed voyage6, circumnavigated the Americas | ||||
| 162 | Santa Maria Australis (20·1 ketch) | Germany4 | Wolf Kloss | West 4 |
| 2011-12 | ||||
| 163 | Roxane (10·7 m sloop) | France10 | Luc Dupont | West 4 |
| 164 | Teleport (8∙9 junk rigged yacht) | Australia3 | Christopher Bray | West 5 |
| Both wintered in Cambridge Bay | ||||
| 2012 | ||||
| 165 | Beelzebub II (9∙4 m yacht) | Sweden5 | Edvin Buregren | West 1 |
| Also visited Grise Fjord | ||||
| 166 | Beothuk (31∙1 m motor vessel) | Cayman Islands5 | Liam Devlin | West 6 |
| 167 | Best Explorer (15∙6 m yacht) | Italy1 | Giovanni Acquarone | West 4 |
| Traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 168 | Billy Budd (34∙3 m) | Britain11 | Clive Shute | West Cp |
| Made a return transit of Bellot Strait, visited Winter Harbour. | ||||
| 169 | Coriolis 14 (25 m yacht) | France11 | Richard Mergeaux | West 2 |
| 170 | Dodo’s Delight (10∙1 m yacht) | Britain12 | Robert Shepton | West Cp |
| 171 | Fortrus (50 m motor yacht) | Britain13 | Scott Newson | West 6 |
| 172 | Gotland Carolina (183 m tanker) | Bahamas18 | J. Justin | West 2 |
| 173 | Hanseatic10 (ice-strengthened ship) | Bahamas19 | Thilo Natke5 | East 5 |
| Carried passengers39, circumnavigated Cornwallis Island | ||||
| 174 | Jonathan III (14∙9 m yacht) | Netherlands2 | Mark van de Weg | West 4 |
| Made a return transit of Bellot Strait, traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 175 | Katharsis II (21∙9 m yacht) | Britain14 | Mariusz Koper | West 3 |
| Made a return transit of Bellot Strait | ||||
| 176 | Lena (13∙1 m yacht) | Finand2 | Veli Kärkkäinen | East 3 |
| Circumnavigated the Arctic8 | ||||
| 177 | Marguerite (15∙8 m. sloop) | France11 | Janusz Kurbiel | West 4 |
| 178 | Nordwind (26∙8 m yacht) | Britain15 | Hans Albrecht | West 3 |
| Made a return transit of Bellot Strait | ||||
| 179 | Octopus2 (128 m motor yacht) | Cayman Islands6 | Glenn Dalby2 | West 2 |
| 180 | Philos (15∙2 m yacht) | Australia4 | Roger Wallis | West 4 |
| 181 | Polar Bound4 (14·6 m. motorboat) | Britain16 | David Scott Cowper5 | West 1 |
| 182 | Sol (12∙8 m yacht) | Denmark | Kim Bork Mathiesen | East 5 |
| 183 | The World (196∙3 m condominium vessel) | Bahamas20 | Dag Harald Saevik | East 5 |
| Carried resident passengers40, largest ship to transit; traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 184 | Tokimata (13∙1 m yacht) | New Zealand4 | Peter Garden | East 5 |
| Traversed Pond Inlet | ||||
| 185 | Upchuk (15∙8 m motor yacht) | Britain17 | Frank Rothwell | East 4 |
| 2012-13 | ||||
| Balthazar (10∙5 m yacht) | Canada | François Roberge | West 6 | |
| Wintered at Inuvik | ||||
| Tranquillo (17∙6 m yacht) | Netherlands | Bart Veldink | East 5 | |
| Wintered off Pim Island | ||||
Advice of corrections and additions appreciated; <rkh10@cam.ac.uk>
Notes: in 2008 Polarstern, an icebreaker, from Germany, westbound, traversed the Canadian Arctic archipelago, Beaufort Sea and Chukchi sea while circumnavigating the Arctic Ocean; the vessel did not transit Bering Strait nor enter the Pacific Ocean thus is not included in this list. Similarly in 2010 Northern Passage (9·6 m trimaran from Norway, Capt. Thorleif Thorleifssen) and Piotr I (18 m yacht, from Russia, Capt. Daniel Gavrilov), and in 2012 Scorpius (29·5 m yacht from Russia, Capt. Sergei Nizovtsov) traversed the Chukchi Sea, Beaufort Sea, and Canadian Arctic archipelago eastbound but did not arrived from the Pacific Ocean, through the Bering Strait, thus they are also not included in this list. Many other voyages have been made through the archipelago of the Canadian Arctic, such as that of Manhattan which reached the Arctic coast of Alaska but did not continue to the Pacific Ocean; these, and one carried partly as deck cargo aboard a Canadian icebreaker, are not regarded as complete transits of the Northwest Passage.
-/end/-
(Q) What is a Northwest Passage?
(A) A Northwest Passage is a sea route navigation through the Polar Arctic by a vessel on it's own bottom between the geographic points of the Davis Strait Atlantic Arctic Circle and the Bering Strait Pacific Arctic Circle. Direction of transit is usually indicated. Distance depending on route exceeds 5200kms.
4 comments:
Polar prince complete the passage west to east last week. The earliest?
No information here on the POLAR PRINCE - please provide pointers to references. The NWP has been icechocked in 2013 - I'd need lots of information to think a west to east NWP in 2013 was completed as of 20130822.
Thanks,
Doug
polar prince made the trip
I don't know of any details for a POLARPRINCE - DO YOU? - please provide captain's name, dates and ports of call and anyway to validate a NWP transit. Here is the 2014 updated information - don't see a POLAR PRINCE. http://www.rccpf.org.uk/images/website_pdfs/NWP-2014-X-5C.pdf
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