Northwest Passage 2013: NW Passage. Which way are you going to go? Seven basic routes

Thursday, August 15, 2013

NW Passage. Which way are you going to go? Seven basic routes - ICE DETERMINES THE ROUTE

The Northwest Passage is a sea route of more than 3,500 nautical miles between the Atlantic Ocean Arctic Circle in Davis Strait and the Pacific Ocean Arctic Circle in Bering Strait. There are seven recognized routes to navigate during the summer minimal melt season. Anything less than Arctic Circle to Arctic Circle is considered a point-to-point navigation, i.e. between hamlet to hamlet such as between Inuvik and Pond Inlet.

The challenge comes in making a decision which supports your estimation of open water navigation - select the wrong route, filled with blocking ice and you could become stuck in the Arctic for another year or longer.

Here are select ice charts as of today - August 15th - take a look and make a route decision... will the ice melt ALLOWING YOUR VESSELS TO TRANSIT CHOKE POINTS BEFORE WINTER WEATHER RETURNS AND FREEZING RESUMES? AND DON'T FORGET - TRAVELING EAST TO WEST YOU MUST PASS POINT BARROW BEFORE FREEZE UP OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE TRAPPED IN THE ALASKA ARCTIC COAST WITHOUT PROTECTION.

Make a poor selection and you can be wintering over in the Arctic - can you and your vessel survive? How much sea ice pressure can your vessel hull withstand? How low of a temperature cold will your vessel withstand? How about you and your crew? Do you carry enough fuel, food, and water to survive for a year?

FIRST - GENERAL OVERVIEW.... WHAT ARE THE TRENDS THIS SEASON? REMEMBER TWO LIKELY DIRECTIONS OF TRAVEL - EAST TO WEST AND WEST TO EAST - DIRECTION OF TRAVEL IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN MAKING A GOOD DECISION.