A few days ago we had this: Another “Ship of Fools” gets grounded in Arctic ice, needs rescue
Jay Ayer writes via WUWT Tips and Notes email:
An 11 meter sailboat was crushed and sunk by arctic ice in the Bellot strait on 8/29/2018. The vessel was attempting the Northwest Passage. The captain may have believed the propaganda about an ice free arctic in 2018.
Details:
‘No injuries to the passengers have been reported,’ says Coast Guard spokesperson
The Canadian Coast Guard rescued two passengers of a sinking sailboat who were trapped on an ice floe in Arctic waters early Wednesday morning. The incident took place in Bellot Strait. (CBC)
Drama in the northwest passage
Sailing yacht gets into drift ice in the middle of the night, gets crushed and sinks within minutes. The crew has to flee to the ice
Pascal Schürmann on 29.08.2018
https://www.yacht.de/aktuell/panorama/drama-in-der-nordwestpassage/a118316.html
Yet more victims of the climate obsession induced stupudity.
Here is where it happened, just east of Fort Ross
?w=1024
And the ice in Franklin Strait to the west is nor going away, incresing if anything.
Good maps. Thank you!
http://www.maudreturnshome.no/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ice-map.jpg
This is the twisting route the Maud’s tugboat had to take to get out and around the “ice-filled” narrow waters on her route back to Norway from this area in 2017-2018. That website includes many other photo’s of the nasty sea ice and treacherous shores in this entire region. I admire the courage of those who did it 200 years ago in true sailing ships.
As an information, according to nineteenth century arctic explorers and whalers (who should know) a vessel under sail is unable to penetrate waters with more than 20% floe ice, or more than about half an inch of new ice.
This means colorless, light blue and (perhaps) green areas on the map.
Too fracking funny!
August 2018, 11-m yacht, Anahita sunk by ice on trip from Greenland through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago…
http://arcticnorthwestpassage.blogspot.com/2018/08/canadian-coast-guard-takes-11-hours-to.html
July 1981, 35-ft yacht, Anahita successfully travel from Harve St. Pierre to Disko Bay Greenland…
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19810707&id=sQgvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vqQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=997,2516130
11 m = 36 ft… Same yacht??? If so, Arctic sea ice is worse than previously thought… LOL!
“Both men have since been taken in by other nearby yachts who responded to the “Mayday””
Oh its a pity they didn’t sink too, that would have been f*cking hilarious.
I think the word you were looking for is “tragic.”
Ryan,
Had they been eaten by bears before they were rescued, you could have tried to spin it as:
“bears resort to eating humans … lack of traditional sustenance was unavailable because of global warming”.
Since they only got stuck in the ice (that isn’t there because of global warming), you are stuck with sarcastic indignation. (you should just let this article go … move onto something else.)
So it’s all “too fracking funny”?
And the arcticnorthwestpassage blog continues with another account and this update to it:
Henry Larsen crossed the Northwest Passage in 1944 (7,295 miles in one season). Now smaller sailboat cannot cross the Northwest Passage so much for the ice-free Arctic sea
Larsen was both lucky and an extremely experienced arctic navigator. 1944 was a very good ice year. The McClure Strait is very rarely navigable.
1944 was a very good ice year.
Not according to Larsen.
“The three seasons of the short Arctic Summers from 1940-42 had been extremely bad for navigation, the worst consecutive three I had experienced as far as ice and weather conditions were concerned, and in my remaining years in the Arctic I never saw their like. Without hesitation I would say that most ships encountering the conditions we faced would have failed. I also believe that had we missed the single opportunity we had to get out of Pasley Bay, we most certainly would still be there, in small bits and pieces.” (my emphasis)
In 1944 the second trip (East to West) started at Halifax, N.S. on July 22 and ended at Vancouver, B.C. on Oct 16 1944.
They sailed a more Northerly route this time and they encountered a lot of broken but tightly-packed ice. From the beginning of August, they experienced heavy ice – and made slow progress, and even drifted in the ice-pack at one stage. At the end of August they encountered lots of heavy, tightly-packed floes and couldn’t land due to the ice conditions. The heaviest ice of the voyage was at the entrance to McClure Strait, where they anchored to the ice floes, and the conditions didn’t change until early September, Larsen said : “It was really the only fine day we had during the entire passage…”. Subsequently, the bad weather and tight packed ice-fields returned. Such that the strong winds almost capsized the boat before they were able to find shelter. In fact, according to Larsen the “…season was the worst in years.”
What he describes are good ice conditions for the McClure Strait. Most years it is utterly impassable:
http://iceweb1.cis.ec.gc.ca/30Atlas/page1.xhtml?region=WA&lang=en
I guess they just don’t make sail boats like they used to.
yes, more of my tax dollars rescuing idiots
Except of course the ‘Ship of Fools’ post was incorrect, the ship actually ran aground in open water! Here it is with the coastguard helicopter in the background.
![]()
https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1034786824202399744/0HcWR7A2?format=jpg&name=600×314
Which part was incorrect ?
The ship part, the of part, or the fools part ?
The highlighted part:
Another “Ship of Fools” gets grounded in Arctic ice,
Despite having the error pointed out by several posters it was reposted here as if it were true! Talk about propaganda.
The original “Ship of Fools” ship in WUWT lore was trapped in sea ice well off the coast of Antarctica. It managed to get free after a shift in the winds.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/12/26/so-much-ice-in-antarctica-that-a-research-vessel-gets-stuck-in-summer/
The photo you linked to doesn’t appear to show a grounded ship.
This BBC article from 26 December 2013 shows the Akademik Shokalskiy stuck in ice. It even shows a helicopter, presumably Chinese.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25519059
Well appearances can be deceptive, that photo was taken by the passengers leaving the ship. It’s possible that the ship may have been refloated by then but one thing’s certain there’s no ice! It’s also settled deeper in the water than earlier. Here’s the passengers leaving the ship:
Where, are they gonna go in those little overloaded boats ?
How far to habitation ?
To the sister ship which transported them to Kugaarok.
Here is a comment from your source which you graciously did not link to:
Katie Jane Saunders • 2 days ago
Thanks for this account of the grounding of the Ioffe. I was on the ship from August 3 to 14, and we too were beset by itinerary changes and we’re unable to fly out of Resolute as scheduled. You’ve confirmed my thoughts as to why the ship ran aground. Because the well worn pathways and known destinations were choked with ice, the company chose to venture into poorly charted waters in order to fulfil commitments to its paying guests. Those of us who choose to travel in the Arctic need to be prepared to have trips cancelled, and tour companies need to be willing to cancel trips when the conditions require it. Perhaps the bottom line dictates that Arctic cruising is neither profitable nor prudent.
https://e360.yale.edu/features/in-the-melting-arctic-harrowing-account-from-a-stranded-ship
Ah, that explains things. I was wondering whatever they were doing down Prince Regent Inlet. Bellot Strait was inpassable, so they tried to improvise. Always risky in the Arctic.
They were heading towards Bellott Strait but they left from Kugaarok instead of Resolute because the passage from Resolute was ice bound. They were in open water but managed to run aground.
The Northwest Passage, the final link of which was discovered by John Rae circa 1854, was navigated several times in the 1940’s, when it was clearly WARMER THAN TODAY.
Here is the story:
Regards, Allan
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2018/02/26/warm-spike-in-arctic-drives-alarmists-into-alarm-mode-but-theres-no-reason-for-alarm/#comment-2292832
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2018/02/26/warm-spike-in-arctic-drives-alarmists-into-alarm-mode-but-theres-no-reason-for-alarm/comment-page-1/#comment-2752855 (old server)
A small wooden ship, the St. Roch, sailed through the Northwest Passage and across the high Canadian Arctic twice, in 1942 and 1944. Try doing that in a small wooden ship today.
These voyages followed soon after the global warming period that ended circa 1940. What was the ice extent and thickness then? Probably less than, or no greater than today.
https://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com/permanent-exhibit/st-roch-national-historic-site
THE ST. ROCH – A TRUE CANADIAN ADVENTURE.
Built in British Columbia, named after a parish in Quebec, captained by a Norwegian immigrant, crewed by farm boys from across the country, and helped by the Inuit, the St. Roch was the first vessel to sail the Northwest Passage from west to east (1940-1942), the first to complete the passage in one season (1944), and the first to circumnavigate North America.
One of the only ships in service in the Arctic in the early part of the 20th century, the St. Roch is made of an unusual design of thick Douglas Fir planks reinforced with heavy beams to withstand the ice pressure and an outer shell made of some of the hardest wood in the world, Australian Eucalyptus ‘iron bark’.
Between 1928 and 1954, St. Roch logged tens of thousands of miles crossing and re-crossing the Arctic, acting as a floating detachment of the RCMP in the North. At various times a supply ship, a patrol vessel and a transport, the St. Roch was the only link between the various scattered northern communities. Yet it had not yet accomplished the feat for which it would become famous. For many years, it had been the dream of Captain Henry Larsen to cross the Northwest Passage, just as Amundsen had done for the first time in the Goja in 1903. But time and time again, the dream had to remain a dream.
Finally, with the outbreak of the Second World War and the Nazi invasion of Denmark (Greenland), the opportunity presented itself. Launched on its famous voyage on a secret mission to cross the Arctic during the war, this amazing vessel traveled through treacherous and uncharted waters to cross the Northwest Passage and the High Arctic, with only a small crew of steadfast men who had just their skill, talent and no small amount of luck to rely on. Incredibly, they managed to make the crossing not just once, but twice, and in only 86 days the second time!
Don’t forget the Aklavik which went from Cambridge Bay to Fort Ross – and back – in 1937:
https://arctic.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/arctic/index.php/arctic/article/view/1708/1687
This is the definition of insanity.
The waters west of the Beloit Strait have been choked with thick ice all summer. If they had gotten through the Strait, they would have been blocked by ice tough even for an icebreaker. And the ice is reforming behind them to the east – what were these people thinking? Luck to be alive.
When will the brain-dead warmestes come clean and cop to the scam or will it take horrible deaths to convince them to stop the lies?
Ever heard of Pavlov’s dog?
Ever heard of Pavlov’s dog?
Yes, Ralph must’ve rung your bell.
Which one? I understand that he had six. An earlier comment by you also referred to his dogs in singular.
Pavlov’s dogs were named Boy, Druzhok, Zolotisty, Sultan, Tygan, and Zhuchka. Pavlov was a Russian physiologist best-known for his work in classical conditioning.
Here’s the one that was musically inclined. Just about to start a reunion tour.
You are certainly exhibiting a pavlovian response every time you post in this thread RyanS. Since you are asking about Pavlov’s Dog(s), I’m guessing that means you recognize this about yourself. That’s good. The first step to fixing a problem is recognizing the problem 🙂
When reading about these ship-o-fools, I keep getting that sinking feeling…..
RyanS has taken issue with some of the comments on this story but I would say the snark is well deserved. When you read some of the personal stories provided by those sailing the Northwest Passage, their point of view is openly espoused. CAGW is changing the climate and changing the world and they claim that warming of the earth is what enables them to sail a boat through Arctic waters even if it is only a faux sort of sailing, behind an icebreaker that clears a path.
http://arcticnorthwestpassage.blogspot.com/
More threads on prior passage attempts can be found by using wuwt’s search box for “northwest passage”, or by clicking https://wattsupwiththat.com/page/2/?s=northwest+passage
Or search for “ice-free arctic”
Saw you first ship sink and drown
From rockin’ of the boat
And all that could not sink or swim
Was just left there to float
I won’t leave you drifting down
But, whoa, it makes me wild
With thirty years upon my head
To have you call me childShip of fools
On a cruel sea
Ship of fools
Sail away from meIt was later than I thought
When I first believed you
Now I cannot share your laughter
Ship of fools
A fool and his yacht are soon parted.
So true! No ice required…
“‘No injuries to the passengers have been reported”
As they say, the reason why idiots exist and breed so much is that stupidity isn’t always painful.
The sensible thing to do for hopeful NW Passage voyagers is to wait in Pond Inlet or some other safe harbor for another week or so. If there is an easterly gale during that time the Franklin Strait may open up.
After that it is probably too late even if it opens up. There is unusually much ice in the Beaufort Sea as well, and there will probably not be enough time to reach Bering Strait before the freeze-up.
You know, the thick ice is not going away, here is today’s chart. They need green spaces to get through.
Based on the colorkey, white or blue spaces. Green is 1/10-3/10, which would be pretty “d’icy”
Thank you Gaia, sweet goddess of reality.
I hope they weren’t set adrift without sunscreen to protect them from the relentless Arctic sun.
The container ship Venta Maersk is planning a sailing of the Northeast passage.
https://goo.gl/images/VmuV3f
She is still off north Japan as of today (Sept 1).
Arctic sea ice loss is levelling off, may already be near to minimum.
FWIW I predict she won’t make it.
She will. The Northeast Passage is always practicable (with icebreaker assistance) this time of year. It has been used every year since 1933.
The Bremen has done it in the other direction without encountering significant ice (no ice breaker), currently off Wrangell island.
Currently beyond range.
I wonder if insurance will pay out…
I’m sure this has been said in comments, but it can’t be stressed too much. Alarmists and activist big MSM are putting people at risk who believe all the propaganda and think its balmy and clear sailing. I think we need to have a bond paid before venturing into these dangerous waters and putting rescuers at risk and high costs.
Almost the Beetles’ “Here Comes The Sin King”
Couldn’t resist… 😉
~ I’m fixing a hole where the ice gets in, and keeps my yacht from wandering where it will go.
Here’s a list of vessels that didn’t get crunched and made it through.
http://www.nauticapedia.ca/Articles/NWP_Fulltransits.php
I noted that in 1976 (during the ice-age scare) the 13 meter yacht sloop Williwaw was the first sailing yacht to circumnavigate NA. Should have been a cinch for these guys after all that spiral melting…