I’m opening the 2025 Northwest Passage thread earlier than usual, because of some news you can read if you scroll down. However, let’s first of all get our bearings with the help of this map of the area:

and another map detailing the routes through Canadian Arctic Archipelago that have previously been successfully traversed:

The news I was referring to is that at lunchtime today Ella Hibbert is setting off in her yacht Yeva from Haslar Marina near Portsmouth in southern England for a rather unusual voyage through the Northwest Passage this summer. Here is Ella’s current route plan:

You will note some unusual features. Apparently Ella is intent on taking Route 1 into the Beaufort Sea via McClure Strait. After that she is not heading for the Bering Strait, but is instead taking the route less travelled back to Haslar via the Northern Sea Route. Perhaps even more surprising in this day and age is that Ella has received permission to sail through Russian waters without an ice pilot. She is aiming to complete an entire circumnavigation of the Arctic in a single summer single handed! As Ella puts it, this is “A voyage that should not be possible”:

Ella is hoping to overcome terrifying challenges including icebergs, freezing water and polar bears.

Her journey – which has only recently become possible due to melting polar ice caps – aims to showcase the devastating environmental impact of sea ice decline, both in the Arctic and across the world.

Ella’s voyage also aims to support two charities working tirelessly to protect the Arctic: Polar Bears International and the Ocean Conservancy.

At the end of her voyage, Ella will auction her ship Yeva with proceeds to go to these two charities.

Here is Ella’s interview with BBC Environment Correspondent Jonah Fisher on BBC Breakfast yesterday morning

P.S. Here’s Yeva’s tracking map at 12:30 UTC:

But what are Ella’s chances of successfully completing her arduous voyage? To get a feel for what might happen in the icy waters of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago during the coming melting season let’s take a look at the Canadian Ice Service‘s “stage of development” charts. Here’s the most recent one, from May 19th:

All of the assorted routes along the Northwest Passage are currently clear of multi-year ice except for Route 1 through McClure Strait, where there is currently a patch of open water.

Next let’s also try and check the thickness of the ice along those routes. Here is the latest available “reanalysed” merged CryoSat-2/SMOS thickness map for the Canadian Arctic Archipelago :

There is no thick ice along any of the accepted routes, although Le Commandant Charcot may come across some if he explores Byam Martin Channel again this summer.

In addition the snow has been melting along the valley of the Mackenzie River. The resulting increased flow at the mouth of the delta has just begun to flood the fast ice, which has started to break up:

The signs are that the Northwest Passage will open earlier than “normal” this year, but as always everything depends on the forthcoming summer weather.

[Update – June 14th]

Here’s a glimpse through the clouds over the eastern Canadian Arctic Archipelago yesterday. It shows that the sea ice in Lancaster Sound and Prince Regent Inlet is breaking up, Bellot Strait is mostly open water, and surface melt has begun across Larsen Sound:

It looks as though there will be an early start to the Northwest Passage sailing season this year!

[Update – June 19th]

Ella Hibbert’s long circumnavigation of has begun in earnest, since Yeva is now located north of Iceland and hence north of the Arctic Circle. There is now a dedicated thread devoted to their voyage.

The Canadian Ice Service is publishing daily ice charts for the Davis Strait:

Here are the latest suite of CIS weekly ice charts for the Western Arctic:

and the Eastern Arctic:

Here too is the CIS’s weekly coverage of Hudson Bay, and hence the eastern section of NWP route 7:

[Update – June 22nd]

A largely cloud free satellite image of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago shows that the melt ponds along the southern route have drained, and that melt ponds have formed on the northern route through McClure Strait:

[Update – July 11th]

The CIS has started daily coverage of the Baffin and Resolute areas. The information is currently duplicated, but the route across Baffin Bay from Disko Bay to Lancaster Sound is remarkably free of sea ice compared to this time last year.

There’s even an “image analysis” of part of the Queen Maud region:

[Update – July 26th]

The CIS has started daily coverage of the Amundsen Gulf and areas to the west, including the coast of Alaska:

The route past Cape Bathurst is currently blocked by 7-8/10 concentration sea ice. However, that hasn’t prevented David Scott Cowper from heading west from Tuktoyaktuk after Polar Bound was forced to spent the winter there having suffered from contaminated fuel last summer:

[Update – July 28th]

The CIS has yet to start daily coverage of the Queen Maud region, but it could be argued that the majority of route 6 is now “open”:

However, the latest CIS chart shows that the western Amundsen Gulf is still blocked:

[Update – August 1st]

The CIS has started daily coverage of the Queen Maud region:

Which may well be because “Passage” is the first “small vessel” (or any size of vessel for that matter!) to negotiate Bellot Strait this summer:

Coronation Gulf is now navigable, but there is still an area 0f 7/10 concentration ice blocking the exit from the Amundsen Gulf:

[Update – August 5th]

After a brief stop in Gjoa Haven, Passage is now heading west through Simpson Strait:

Amongst the “small vessels” heading in the opposite direction, One Ocean and Iron Will are waiting in Tuktoyaktuk:

According to the CIS, their way eastwards is currently still occupied by 7/10 concentration sea ice:

Much further west, Polar Bound has reached the Bering Strait, and has thus completed the westbound voyage through the Northwest Passage started last year:

Also heading for the Bering Strait on the first commercial voyage of the 2025 season is Atlanticborg, currently in Baffin Bay en route to Onsan in Korea:

[Update – August 7th]

The “small vessel” Sarah Sarah and the “large vessel” Atlanticborg have both successfully negotiated Bellot Strait:

[Update – August 8th]

CCGS Pierre Radisson is leading Atlanticborg through the remaining ice in Victoria Strait:

[Update – August 10th]

At long last an area of 5/10 concentration sea ice has opened up at the western entrance to the Amundsen Gulf. Atlanticborg is heading in that direction, as is CCGS Jean Goodwill:

In the second east to west commercial voyage this year, CCGS Pierre Radisson is leading Qamutik through the remaining ice in Victoria Strait:

Among the small vessels attempting west to east voyages through the Northwest Passage this summer, One World and Iron Will have now left Tuktoyaktuk and are heading for Cape Bathurst:

[Update – August 15th]

The skies cleared over the Amundsen Gulf to reveal the last “choke point” on the southern route through the Northwest Passage this year:

There is now a 2/10 concentration route through Victoria Strait:

Sardinha 2, Novara and Yeva have now all successfully negotiated Bellot Strait heading west:

[Update – August 25th]

The Amundsen Gulf is still not free of sea ice:

That’s the challenge now facing two single handed sailors, Tamara Klink in Sardinha 2 and Ella Hibbert in Yeva:

[Update – August 26th]

It looks as though Tamara couldn’t find a way through the ice west of Cape Parry, and has returned to shelter at Summer’s Harbour on Booth Island where she has now been joined by Ella:

[Update – August 27th]

Yesterday evening’s view of the remaining ice in Franklin Bay shows that the coastal route is now clear:

The strong headwinds have departed, so today’s the day for Ella and Tamara?

[Update – August 28th]

Here’s a picture of One Ocean and Wildlife moored in Cambridge Bay, courtesy of the webcam on the cruise ship Hanseatic Inspiration:

Yeva and Sardinha 2 have both now successfully rounded Cape Bathurst:

Further east, Sarah Sarah has reached the Bering Strait, and hence become the first “small vessel” to complete an east to west voyage through the Northwest Passage this summer:

Heading the opposite direction, David Scott Cowper in Polar Bound made it through Bellot Strait overnight:

[Update – August 31st]

Heading west Passage has reached Point Barrow, and Yeva and Sardinha 2 have reached Tuktoyaktuk:

Heading east Roald Amundsen has passed Sisimiut, and thus hence become the first cruise ship to complete a west to east voyage through the Northwest Passage this summer:

[Update – September 4th]

Polar Bound has crossed the Arctic Circle heading south, and David Scott Cowper has become the first captain of a “small vessel” to complete a west to east voyage through the Northwest Passage this summer:

Hanseatic Spirit encountered some ice in the middle of Lancaster Sound yesterday evening:

In the first “commercial” west to east voyage through the Northwest Passage this year, CCGS Jean Goodwill is leading the bulk carrier Thamesborg through the remaining sea ice in the Amundsen Gulf:

Meanwhile here is a picture of the sunrise near Cape Parry, courtesy of the webcam on the cruise ship Fridtjof Nansen:

[Update – September 9th]

Persévérance has sailed south through the Bering Strait, and thus become the first vessel with sails to complete an east to west voyage through the Northwest Passage this summer:

However Persévérance is 42 meters long, and classified as a “general cargo ship” rather than a “yacht”. The current leader of the latter race is Tamara Klink, sailing solo in the 10 meter Sardinha 2:

Watch this space!