Located north of the American continent, above the Arctic Circle, this wide maritime space is a kind of corridor that crosses the Canadian Arctic Archipelago along the North American coast, offering several possible routes between the various islands. Its straits and bays become ice-free in summer, allowing ships to pass through. But passage is never guaranteed: even more than icebergs, it's the "pack ice", floating blocks of ice that can block passage and sometimes even dangerously encircle sailing ships.
Every year, between 10 and 20 yachts attempt this passage. In 2023, a mild year, 21 yachts made it through, whereas in 2003, of the 7 that attempted the passage, only 2 passed. It's worth noting that while the majority of candidates set off from the West, others take the opposite route from Alaska. There are a few Inuit villages along the way, but no infrastructure or services, so sailboats embarking on this adventure must be totally self-sufficient!
Although global warming is causing the ice to melt irretrievably, this does not make passage any easier. The ice is thinner than it used to be in the Canadian Arctic, but this very thin ice breaks more easily: it is transported by winds and currents in proportions that are difficult to predict. By 2022, ice had completely blocked the Northwest Passage.
At the beginning of August 2024, the 3 Garcia Exploration 45 are sailing up the west coast of Greenland, waiting for the right moment to enter Lancaster Sound. For the time being, this gateway to the passage is rather free of ice, but it is still very present further east. So be patient, and enjoy the superb fjords and glaciers of Greenland.
This Garcia fleet is very international: HAURU, N°35 is driven by its Polish owner, NIGHT OWL, N°27, by an English owner. And VOYAGER, N°38, welcomes aboard her Swiss owners, accompanied by a couple of Canadian friends... themselves owners of N°44, CHINOOK, left for the occasion on the other side of the Atlantic in Cherbourg.
