The following is the official list of Northwest Passage transits, by all vessels in recorded history. Empiricus is number 208! Ever!
There is also some brief but interesting reading in the introduction. They have Empiricus listed as a “Ketch”, but thats an easy mistake to make. We have requested a correction to “Yawl”, but thats a minor detail. The difference is, that a YAWL carries her Mizzen Mast Abaft of the rudder-post. The mizzen is mostly used for trim and balance, although it does add some driving force to the rig.
I did a quick count of the list. It looks like a total of 22 vesses from the United States have ever made the Northwest Passage transit.
Of those 22 transits, 11 were made by US Coast Guard ships. 1 by buoy tender. 10 by Icebreaker.
Although the list does not record by state. I believe that EMPIRICUS is the first ship from Alaska, to ever transit the Northwest Passage. Wohoo! Way to go Crew!
Transits of the Northwest Passage to end of the 2014 navigation season
Atlantic Ocean ↔ Arctic Ocean ↔ Pacific Ocean
- K. Headland revised 1 October 2014
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 220 complete maritime transits of the Northwest Passage have been made to the end of the 2014 navigation season before winter began and the passage froze. 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) through the Bering Strait. 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 two composite courses in summers when ice was minimal (transits 153 and 170). These are shown on the attached map and proceed as follows:
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 smaller vessels if ice from McClintock Channel has blocked Victoria Strait. Simpson Strait is only 6·4 m deep, it has shoals and 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 smaller vessels if ice from McClintock Channel has blocked Victoria Strait. Simpson Strait is only 6·4 m deep, complex currents run in it and in Bellot Strait.
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 162 different vessels. The Russian icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov has made 17 transits, the largest number of any vessel. Hanseatic has made 11, Bremen 8 (2 with the former name, Frontier Spirit), and Polar Bound 5; 3 vessels have each made 3 transits, and 14 have made 2. More than one year was taken by 24 of these vessels, mainly small craft, to complete a transit wintering at various places along the route. Return transits in one summer have been made by 5 vessels. The vessels are from 31 registries: 47 from Canada, 24 Russia, 24 Bahamas and United States, 21 Britain, 16 France, 9 Cayman Islands, 6 Sweden, 5 Australia and New Zealand, 4 Germany, Marshall Islands, and Poland, 3 Belgium, and Netherlands, 2 Austria, Antigua and Barbuda, Finland, Norway, and Switzerland, and 1 from Barbados, Croatia, Denmark, Ireland (Éire), Italy, Japan, Nouvelle Calédonie, Panama, Singapore, South Africa, and Spain. Passengers, excluding those aboard private yachts, have been carried on 48 transits but only 6 (numbers 74, 75, 122, 175, 203, and 218) were otherwise commercial voyages. Several of the vessels have travelled through the Panama Canal and circumnavigated North America, a few have circumnavigated all America, and others have circumnavigated the Arctic Ocean by also using the Northeast Passage from or to the Pacific Ocean. Captain Viktor Vasiliev has commanded 8 transits, Heinz Aye, Piotr Golikov and David Scott Cowper 6, and Thilo Natke 5; several others have commanded more than one.
An analysis of the transit routes used through the Northwest Passage to the end of navigation in 2013 shows:
Route 1 west 3 east 0 total 3 Route 2 west 11 east 4 total 15
Route 3 west 35 east 28 total 63 Route 4 west 31 east 10 total 41
Route 5 west 21 east 30 total 51 Route 6 west 14 East 28 total 42
Route 7 west 0 east 3 total 3 Composite west 1 east 1 total 2 [marked ‘Cp’ in list]
All Routes west 117 east 103 total 220
The list is in alphabetical order of vessel names in the years of completion of the voyages (the voyage numbers do not indicate precedence). 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 Cowper (Fort Ross visits), 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.
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 Moise Fournier West 3
Assisted USCGC Northwind beset 900 km N off Point Barrow with damaged propeller, circumnavigated North America
1969
9 USCGC Northwind1 (icebreaker) United States4 Donald J. McCann1 East 5
10 USCGC Northwind2 (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 return 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 Robert Michael 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 Discoverer1 (ice strengthened ship) Singapore1 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 (1985-87) and
Wojciech Jacobson (1988) 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 5
36 CCGS Martha L. Black (icebreaker) Canada22 Robert J. Mellis1 East 5
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 5
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 CCGC 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 passengers16, escorted to Victoria Strait by CCGS Sir John Franklin, traversed Pond Inlet
73 Kapitan Khlebnikov7 (icebreaker) Russia8 Piotr Golikov5 East 3
Carried passengers17
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 6
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
80 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 5
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 passengers25, 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 passengers26
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 Bremen4 (ice-strengthened ship) Bahamas12 Marc Behrend1 West 4
Carried passengers29, traversed Pond Inlet
109 Kapitan Khlebnikov15 (icebreaker) Russia21 Pavel Ankudinov2 East 7
Carried passengers30
110 Nekton (13·6 m yacht) Poland1 Tadeusz Natanek West 6
111 Stary (13·5 m yacht) Poland2 Dominik Bac, Jacek Wacławski, and
Sławek Skalmierski West 6
Travelled in company, traversed Pond Inlet (changed masters at Cambridge Bay and Tuktoyaktuk)
2007
112 Babouche (7·5 m catamaran) France5 Sébastien Roubinet East 5
113 Cloud Nine (17·3 m ketch) United States14 Roger Swanson West 4
114 Hanseatic7 (ice strengthened ship) Bahamas13 Ulf Wolter1 West 5
Carried passengers31
115 Kapitan Khlebnikov16 (icebreaker) Russia22 Viktor Vasiliev8 East 5
Carried passengers32
116 Luck Dragon (12·1 m yacht) Britain6 Jeffrey Allison West 3
Vessel abandoned and lost during a storm in Bering Sea
2005-08
117 Arctic Wanderer (11∙9 m yacht) United States15 Gary E. Ramos East 6
Single-handed voyage4, wintered in Cambridge Bay thrice
2008
118 Amodino (23 m yacht) Spain Juan Ribos East 4
119 Baloum Gwen1 (14·9 m yacht) Belgium1 Thierry Fabing1 West 4
120 Berrimilla (10 m yacht) Australia2 Alexander Whitworth East 4
121 Bremen5 (ice-strengthened ship) Bahamas14 Ulf Wolter2 West 5
Carried passengers33
122 Peter Faber (cable layer) France6 Robert Hansen East 3
123 Geraldine (14 m yacht) United States16 Walter Jones West 3
124 Southern Star (23·7m yacht) France7 Olivier Pitras2 West 4
125 Tyhina (10·4 m yacht) New Zealand2 Peter Elliott West 4
2009
126 Apoise (67 m motor vessel) Canada41 David Ritchie West 4
127 Bagan (17·4 m motorboat) United States17 Clinton Bolton West 4
128 Bremen6 (ice-strengthened ship) Bahamas15 Marc Behrend2 West 4
Carried passengers34, traversed Pond Inlet
129 Baloum Gwen2 (14·9m yacht) Belgium2 Thierry Fabing2 East 6
Return voyage
130 Fleur Australe (20 m yacht) France8 Philippe Poupon West 4
131 Fiona (12·8 m yacht) United States18 Eric Forsyth West 4
132 Glory of the Sea (15·3 m yacht) France9 Charles Hedrich West 4
133 Hanseatic8 (ice-strengthened ship) Bahamas16 Thilo Natke3 East 4
Carried passengers35, voyage included a return transit of Bellot Strait from Peel Sound
134 Ocean Watch (19·2 m yacht) United States19 Mark Schrader East 6
135 Perithia (14·6 m yacht) Germany3 Uwe Wohnort West 4
136 Polar Bound2 (14·6 m motorboat) Britain7 David Scott Cowper3 West 5
Single-handed voyage5
137 Precipice (9·1 m yacht) United States20 Rolland Trowbridge West 6
138 Silent Sound (12·2 m yacht) Canada42 Cameron Dueck East 6
Traversed Pond Inlet
2010
139 Ariel IV (15·2 m sloop) Sweden3 Eric Boye West 4
140 Astral Express (12·5 m yacht) New Zealand3 Graeme Kendall West 3
Single handed voyage6
141 Dione Sky2 (46 m motor yacht) Cayman Islands2 Brian Harrison West 2
[formerly Turmoil]
142 Hanse Explorer1 (48 m motor yacht) Antigua and
Barbuda1 Bernd Buchner West 3
Carried Passengers36, traversed Pond Inlet
143 Hanseatic9 (ice-strengthened ship) Bahamas17 Thilo Natke4 West 4
Carried Passengers37, traversed Pond Inlet
144 Kapitan Khlebnikov17 (icebreaker) Russia23 Anatoliy Kovalenko East 5
Carried passengers38
145 Octopus1 (128 m motor yacht) Cayman Islands3 Glenn Dalby1 West 2
Traversed Pond Inlet
146 Rx II (11 m yacht) Norway2 Trond Aasvoll East 4
147 Sarema (15·2 m yacht) Finland1 Pekka Kauppila East 4
Traversed Pond Inlet
148 Solanus (14·5 m yacht) Poland3 Bronisław Radliński West 4
149 T6 (48·5 m motor yacht) Cayman Islands4 John Spencer (?) West 3
Traversed Pond Inlet
150 Young Larry (13·4 m yacht) Britain8 Andrew Wilkes West 4
2010-11
151 Anna (10·5 m ketch) Sweden4 Börje Ivarsson1 West 4
Wintered in Inuvik
2011
152 Arcadia (35·8 m motor yacht) Cayman Islands5 James Pizzaruso West 5
Traversed Pond Inlet
153 Asteria (converted tug) Marshall Islands1 Donald Feil West 3
154 Bremen7 (ice-strengthened ship) Bahamas18 Marc Behrend3 East Cp
Composite course: McClure Strait, Prince of Wales Strait, and then route 4; carried passengers39
155 Chamade (13·3 m yacht) Switzerland1 Marc Decrey West 4
156 Imvubu, (15·9 m ketch) South Africa Ralf Dominick, West 3
157 Issuma (15 m schooner) Canada43 Richard Hudson West 5
158 Kotuku (12·2 m yacht) New Zealand4 Ian Douglass East 6
159 Leava (12·5 m sloop) France10 Alain Bataedat East 6
160 Muktuk (14·3 m sloop) Austria1 Karl Mayer West 4
161 Pangaeas (35 m yacht) United States21 Michael Horn East 4
162 Polar Bound3 (14·6 m. motorboat) Britain9 David Scott Cowper4 East 3
163 Rus (7·6 m trimaran) Russia24 Oleg Volynkin West 5
164 St Brendan (8·2 m yacht) United States22 Matt Rutherford West 3
Single-handed voyage7, circumnavigated the Americas
165 Santa Maria Australis (20·1 ketch) Germany4 Wolf Kloss West 4
2011-12
166 Roxane (10·7 m sloop) France11 Luc Dupont West 4
167 Teleport (8∙9 junk rigged yacht) Australia3 Christopher Bray West 5
Both wintered in Cambridge Bay
2012
168 Belzebub II (9∙4 m yacht) Sweden5 Edvin Buregren West 1
Also visited Grise Fjord
169 Beothuk (31∙1 m motor vessel) Cayman Islands6 Liam Devlin West 6
170 Best Explorer (15∙6 m yacht) Italy Giovanni Acquarone West 4
171 Billy Budd (34∙3 m) Britain10 Clive Shute West Cp
Made a return transit of Bellot Strait, visited Winter Harbour.
172 Coriolis 14 (25 m yacht) France12 Richard Mergeaux West 2
173 Dodo’s Delight1 (10∙1 m yacht) Britain11 Robert Shepton West 5
174 Fortrus (50 m motor yacht) Britain12 Scott Newson West 6
175 Gotland Carolina (183 m tanker) Bahamas19 J. Justin West 2
Carried a commercial hydrocarbon cargo
176 Hanseatic10 (ice-strengthened ship) Bahamas20 Thilo Natke5 East 5
Carried passengers40, circumnavigated Cornwallis Island
177 Jonathan III (14∙9 m yacht) Netherlands2 Mark van de Weg West 4
Made a return transit of Bellot Strait, traversed Pond Inlet
178 Katharsis II (21∙9 m yacht) Britain13 Mariusz Koper West 3
Made a return transit of Bellot Strait
179 Marguerite (15∙8 m. sloop) France13 Janusz Kurbiel West 4
180 Nordwind (26∙8 m yacht) Britain14 Hans Albrecht West 3
Made a return transit of Bellot Strait
181 Octopus2 (128 m motor yacht) Cayman Islands7 Glenn Dalby2 West 2
182 Philos1 (15∙2 m yacht) Australia4 Roger Wallis1 West 4
183 Polar Bound4 (14·6 m. motorboat) Britain15 David Scott Cowper5 West 1
184 Sol (12∙8 m yacht) Denmark Kim Bork Mathiesen East 5
185 The World (196∙3 m condominium vessel) Bahamas21 Dag Harald Saevik East 5
Carried resident passengers41; traversed Pond Inlet
186 Tokimata (13∙1 m yacht) New Zealand5 Peter Garden East 5
Traversed Pond Inlet
187 Upchuk (15∙8 m motor yacht) Britain16 Frank Rothwell East 4
2012-13
188 Balthazar (10∙5 m yacht) Canada44 Guy Lavoie West 6
Wintered at Inuvik
189 Tranquillo (17∙6 m yacht) Netherlands3 Bart Veldink East 5
Wintered off Pim Island
2013
190 Anna (10·5 m ketch) Sweden6 Pelle Ivarsson East 6
191 Arktika (15 m sloop) Finland2 Gilles Elkaim West 5
192 Bremen8 (ice-strengthened ship) Bahamas22 Roman Obrist East 3
Carried passengers42; assisted by CGCS Henry Larsen
193 d’Acalèphe (13∙9 yacht) Canada45 Jean-Gilles Lemieux West 5
194 Dodo’s Delight2 (10∙1 m yacht) Britain17 Robert Shepton2 East 5
195 Hanse Explorer2 (48 m motor yacht) Antigua and
Barbuda2 Jens Köthen West 5
Carried passengers43
196 Hanseatic11 (ice-strengthened ship) Bahamas23 Mark Behrend4 West 5
Carried passengers44, traversed Pond Inlet
197 Isatis (14∙2 m yacht) Nouvelle
Calédonie Jean-Pierre Levie West 5
198 La Belle Epoque (12∙8 m yacht) Austria2 Jürgen Kirchberger West 5
199 Lady M II (50 m motor yacht) Marshall Islands2 Jim Bulman West 5
Carried passengers45; assisted by CGCS Henry Larsen, traversed Pond Inlet
200 Le Soléal (cruise vessel) France14 Etienne Garcia1 West 6
Carried passengers46
201 Libellule (14∙3 m catamaran) Switzerland2 Philip Cottier West 5
202 Michaela Rose (49∙4 m motor yacht) Britain18 Tom Noorman East 5
Assisted by CGCS Henry Larsen
203 Nordic Orion (225 m ice-strengthened Panama Sergey Danilov East 3
bulk cargo vessel) Conveyed 73 000 tonnes of coal from Vancouver to Finland; previously transited the Norteast Passage
circumnavigated the Arctic7; largest ship to transit; escorted by CCGS Louis S. St Laurent in Peel Sound
204 Octopus3 (128 m motor yacht) Cayman Islands8 Jannek Olsson East 5
205 Perd pas le Nord (15·2 m yacht) Belgium3 Nicolas Mouchart West 6
Traversed Pond Inlet
206 Polar Bound5 (14·6 m. motor boat) Britain19 David Scott Cowper6 East 5
Traversed Pond Inlet
207 Traversay III (13∙7 m yacht) Canada46 Larry Roberts West 5
Assisted by CGCS Henry Larsen
2013-14
208 Empiricus (15∙2 m ketch) United States23 Jesse Osborn East 6
209 Gitana (13∙4 m schooner) United States24 Michael Johnson West 6
Both wintered in Cambridge Bay
210 Le Manguier (21∙1 m motor vessel) France15 Philippe Hercher East 6
Wintered in Paulatuk
2014
211 Altan Girl (13∙4 m motor vessel) Canada47 Erkan Gursoy East 6
Single handed voyage8, rescued by USCG Healy off Point Barrow, assisted by Tandberg Polar through Bellot Strait
212 Arctic Tern (13∙1 m sloop) Britain20 Leslie Parsons West 6
213 Le Boréal (cruise vessel) France16 Etienne Garcia2 West 3
Carried passengers47
214 Drina (16∙8 m ketch) Australia5 Michael Thurston West 6
215 Lady Dana (14∙3∙m sloop) Poland4 Ryszard Wojnowski East 6
216 Latitude (44∙5 m motor yacht) Cayman Islands9 Sean Meagher West 6
217 Novara (18∙3 m schooner) Britain21 Stephen Brown West 6
218 Nunavik (189 m ice-strengthened Marshall Islands3 Randy Rose West 2
bulk cargo vessel) Carried 23 000 tonnes of nickel concentrate to China
219 Silver Explorer (cruise vessel) Bahamas24 Alexander Golubev West 5
Carried passengers48, assisted by CCGC Pierre Radison
220 Triton (50 m motor vessel) Marshall Islands4 Paul Jones East 6
Vessels underway but wintering in 2014-15
2013-15?
Rowing Ice (7 m rowing boat) France Charles Hedrich East ?
Wintered at Tuktoyaktuk and Taloyoak
2014-15?
Gjøa (13∙1 m yacht) Canada Glen Bainbridge West 6
Philos2 (15∙2 m schooner) Australia Roger Wallis2 East ?
Both wintered at. Cambridge Bay
Notes: Several vessels, including recent small craft have traversed the Canadian Arctic archipelago, Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea. Those which did not transit Bering Strait nor enter the Pacific Ocean are not included in this list, although most circumnavigated the Arctic Ocean. Many other voyages have been made through the archipelago of the Canadian Arctic, notably that of the experimental oil tanker Manhattan and escort vessels which reached the Arctic coast of Alaska in 1969 from the Atlantic Ocean, but did not continue to the Pacific Ocean. Such voyages, and one where the vessel carried partly as deck cargo aboard a Canadian icebreaker, are also not regarded as complete transits of the Northwest Passage. Incomplete transits are too numerous to list.
Data: the list is subject to revision when improved information is received. Advice of corrections and additions is always appreciated; <rkh10@cam.ac.uk>, victor1@ca.inter.net . A copy of the latest iteration is available from the same source.
EMPIRICUS EMBARKS 