What was previously considered impassable has been possible for some time now due to the retreat of the ice: in the Arctic summer, the sea route north of the North American continent, which connects the Atlantic with the Pacific, is always ice-free and navigable for ships.
Passage remains difficult
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen was the first person to cross the difficult Northwest Passage. on the ship "Gjøa crossed. Arved Fuchs also sailed this sea route at the turn of the millennium - from east to west and vice versa. Nowadays, the route is being travelled more and more frequently, including by sailing yachts. However, the number of crossings remains limited. It is heavily dependent on climatic conditions and the ice situation. In recent years, an average of fewer than ten yachts have made the crossing.
A yacht for the Northwest Passage
According to the Garcia shipyard, three crews successfully mastered the passage this summer. They sailed under the British, Swiss and Polish flags on three identical Exploration 45 boats, a model that Garcia says was specially designed for the prevailing conditions in collaboration with British sailor and author Jimmy Cornell.
These are characterised by harsh weather conditions and possible contact with ice, as well as the need for complete self-sufficiency. The reason for this is that there is no real infrastructure along the route apart from a few Inuit villages.
"A boat built to go anywhere"
Jérôme Guillou, a spokesman for the company, told YACHT that they were proud of the crews' stamina and skills, as they had mastered the difficult conditions - especially at the beginning of the summer. Technically, the three boats completed the voyage without any problems, Guillou said. Suggestions for improvement from the owners would be taken into account for future developments. Jérôme Guillou:
"This trip confirms the concept and design choices of the Garcia 45 Exploration. A boat built to go anywhere safely, independently and with great comfort."
Through the eye of the needle - the Bellot Strait
In July 2024, the three crews met on the west coast of Greenland. They first sailed westwards through Lancaster Sound and then further south through Prince Regent Inlet. They then passed through the narrow eye of the Bellot Strait, which is often blocked by pack ice and is very narrow. This passage is considered particularly dangerous. In the past, boats have unexpectedly run into drift ice, been crushed by the ice and ultimately sunk. The YACHT reported.
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The small fleet then sailed further west south of Victoria Island. In Tuktoyaktuk, in the far north-west of Canada, they made a refuelling stop and then circumnavigated Alaska. According to the online platform Marine Traffic, the three Garcia yachts are now south of Alaska. They have reached the Pacific Ocean and successfully crossed the Northwest Passage.
