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Thursday, August 20, 2009
Journey to prove...not much
Predictably, three boats travelling the North West passage to raise awareness about global warming are currently hemmed in by ice.
On this rare occasion, our heroes are not quite so naive as some that have preceded them. These guys have a fighting chance of making the journey for the simple reason that it has been done before, many times.
That online journal of record, wikipedia records that the journey has been completed successfully in 1906, 1940, 1944, 1957, 1969, 1977, 1984, 1986 (twice). There have been a plethora of journeys in recent years, largely thanks to the marvels of satellite navigation aids.
It has been navigated by cruisers, ice-breakers, catamarans, sailing ships and lifeboats. However, like those that came before them, our current heroes are discovering that while you can navigate the North West Passage, it is just not very practical - even with the advantages of satellite imagery.
There are two blogs on the subject, and The ShadowLands will keep tabs on them in our sidebar.
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4 comments:
To aid the cause I thought it nice
To sail right through that North-West vice.
I set my course; my press releases
Promised media Golden Fleeces.
Things went to plan ‘til, in a trice
My vessel did encounter ice.
Though not a Shaker, nor a Quaker,
I thanked the Lord for that Icebreaker.
Wow - not bad at all, Mr Strop.
1. HMCS Labrador transited the Arctic Islands in 1954 while doing hydrographic surveys of the passages. She then steamed from Esquimault to Halifax, via the Panama Canal, to complete the first NA circumnavigation.
2. The 1969 passage was accomplished by the SS Manhattan, but she had to be broken from the ice on several occasions by the CCGS Sir John A McDonald.
3. The local shipping firm has made at least one resupply voyage through the Passage last year.
Cheers
I'm always astonished when i read things like this.
Why do they think it is called a 'passage' if it isn't frequently passable.
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