Sailboat Manevaï at the ends of the earth
Loyal and self-sufficient, she can sail any waters
2016: Manevaï re-attempts the Northwest Passage
“We had to then move quickly to cover some 2,750 nautical miles (5,100 km) to the Bering Strait, which should be crossed before mid-September if you don’t want to face capricious weather. But the route is demanding and presents many difficulties, including ice which can vary greatly. Fortunately Manevaï is a sailboat designed to face the most extreme weather conditions, robust and protective, she eventually led us without problem to the Bering Strait.
In 2014, during her first attempt, Manevaï was forced in late August to turn around, blocked by ice, at the northernmost point of the route near Resolute. The entire central part of the passage was much more glaciated than normal. 2015 was a year more in line with the statistical norms. So in 2016 we decided to give it another go. Even though the ice melted ten days early, the “door” closed behind us in Barrow (northwestern tip of Alaska) from September 9th, at more than a month in advance… and just 5 days after our trip!
So we are extremely proud to have this time managed to transit the Northwest Passage.
Significantly, the weather has been particularly unstable. This is an area where depressions are born, and it’s impossible to see them coming. Charts of the area are obviously approximate and will remain so for a long time yet. Considerable resources would be needed to properly survey the thousands of miles of coastline, which are not justifiable in view of the volume of marine traffic the area sees.
Add to this the proximity of the magnetic north pole which makes the compass unusable throughout the central part of the route. Just one more navigational difficulty.
So to serenely pass this famous passage (and for all major cruising elsewhere) the key word is SELF-SUFFICIENCY!
Food and fuel of course, but also the materials to deal with unavoidable equipment problems as well as possible medical issues. What cannot be repaired or treated on board will not be! That’s why Garcia Yachts have designed a large number of storage spaces with large stowage capacities as well as supplementary equipment guaranteeing reliability and independence.
Following this great crossing, Manevaï over-wintered in Sitka (Alaska) in a very protected anchorage and under the watchful eye of two buddy boats met during the first attempt.”
2017: After the Northwest Passage, the successful Manevaï is ready for any challenge
After wintering in Sitka we continued on in early May, bound for Lituya Bay and Yakutat. We ended up making a complete tour of Alaska through Prince William Sound and the Kenaï Peninsula during June and July, and then Shelikof and Kodiak in early August.
In mid-August we began our descent toward the United States, taking the time to visit the coast of British Columbia and its magnificent Inside Passage.
Designed to face the Northwest Passage as well as to navigate the waters of the Pacific, Manevaï then took us on our discovery of the US West Coast: Los Angeles, San Francisco, the Sea of Cortez with a direct trip from the tip of California before the planned winter stop from December until the end of February 2018.
2018: Exploring the world continues
After six fantastic months sailing from Alaska to Mexico aboard our sailboat Manevaï we headed for the Western Pacific.
True to herself, she will be taking us this year to Panama, the Galapagos, the Marquesas, Tuamotus, Society Islands and will rest this winter in Fiji.
Follow the adventures of the robust Manevaï on our blog: http://www.manevai.fr/ ”
Admiral Eric ABADIE
