Quest through the Pole: Sailing from Barrow to Spitsbergen

[Neven]

I'm afraid you'll have to hold your breath for a while longer Neven:

Sébastian and Vincent have triggered their distress beacon.

More info on my blog.

Poor Roubinet. I translated the documentary he made of his first try, and when they decided to abort because their batteries were dying on them, he was absolutely devastated. Crying like a little boy, and not surprisingly, given the extreme conditions.

The idea is a good one - to 'skate' over large floes using a sail where there's no open water -, but maybe the Arctic has changed too much for an expedition of this kind. Of course, this year has been even more difficult weather-wise. But maybe they should've started much earlier, maybe even at the end of May.

I hope they can get out of there, and if they do, that they give it another try next year or the year after that.

[Laurent]

That doesn't bode well !!!

[Tor Bejnar]

from http://www.dptechnology.com/lang/cn/northpole2013/index.asp

1-Sep-2013

Saturday morning, Sebastien and Vincent have triggered their distress beacon. It means that the Quest through the Pole stops here, at 82° 14 ' of Latitude North and 171° 47' of Longitude West. But the adventure continues as they are now hoping for rescue.

Sebastien and Vincent pushed the decision as long as they could, discussing it with their forecasters, routers, and specialists, but all conclusions tie in: they are completely blocked by the ice that came back two weeks earlier than last and previous years. We knew that the last days had been very hard as they were battling against a strong northerly front forcing them to tack the whole time, sailing against the wind, against the current, and against the drifting ice blocks, permanently wet. Yesterday was the worse with just 1.8 nautical mile won in 17 hours of efforts to compare to the 10 nautical miles lost because of the southerly drift of the ice floe.

They are almost as far as we can be from any coast,and there have no way to come back by themselves.

Except for their mood, they are in good shape, boat and equipment are OK, and they could definitely continue if they were in "normal" conditions. The ice is clearly reforming with very low negative temperatures, unusual drift and still 460 miles to go for the pole. Sebastien had been expecting an improvement of the weather until the last day, but the latest maps, ice prevision, and wind forecast are and will stay opposed to their progression. It would take them much too long to just reach the pole while in three weeks, they will be in the dark the whole day.

They are in Russian waters under US competence, the center of assistance has been informed, and the Marine Rescue Operations are looking for a solution. The Russians have contacted Sebastien directly with no result because of language difficulties. The options are either an ice-breaker or maybe a plane as they are close to a very large flat ice plate. Nothing clear so far. We will keep you posted as soon as we get news.

[Jim Hunt]

A Google translation of http://www.france3.fr/emissions/thalassa/blog-actu/?p=1814

The Russian icebreaker "Admiral Makarov" was sent in the eastern Arctic, to rescue the French crew said Monday the head of the Russian Marine Rescue Centre, Dmitri Smirnov, the official news agency ITAR-TASS. "The French travelers have reserves of food and fuel for ten days. This is quite sufficient to await rescue" he assured. The icebreaker is expected to arrive in the area on Wednesday morning.

http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shipposition.phtml?call=UGSN

[Laurent]

September 3, 2013
There is 3 days now Sebastien and Vincent triggered their distress beacon. They tried everything they believed feasable until the last moment, but poor weather conditions present and especially future force them to give up!
Going by their own means is impossible, they were forced to trigger their beacon. They're fine, though vexed.
Here are the words they send us:
...
"This morning we tried to navigate around the water area spotted yesterday, but the crust of ice slowed us too. Around noon, we had advanced 0.8 miles which confirmed our concern in recent days. We then suddenly stopped, looked at, analyzed the ice charts and weather forecast for the week and we had to face the facts ... For two or three days, the ice on the path to the north pole is building up negative temperatures are announced for the next 8 days. The trap closes earlier than expected ...
A phenomenon we expected 15 days later and adds to unusual and adverse conditions we encounter since the beginning of the expedition (contrary winds and drifting).
After lengthy discussions, we felt it was becoming too dangerous to venture further north. It is vital to try to reach the nearest land.
There is 4/5 days, viewing our progress and the ice charts, we were very confident about the success of the expedition. The sudden change in conditions has surprised us, and the decision was therefore very difficult to take.
Currently we are only a hundred miles from the north pole of inaccessibility, the center of the Arctic Ocean, the furthest point from any land, then our adventure is not over ... "

Sebastian and Vince

[Jim Hunt]

Séb and Vincent (and Babouchka!) were picked up by the Admiral Makarov earlier today.

Much more on my blog at "Admiral Makarov Meets Babouchka in the Central Arctic".

[jbg]

The idea is a good one - to 'skate' over large floes using a sail where there's no open water -, but maybe the Arctic has changed too much for an expedition of this kind. Of course, this year has been even more difficult weather-wise. But maybe they should've started much earlier, maybe even at the end of May.

I hope they can get out of there, and if they do, that they give it another try next year or the year after that.

Not that Franklin did so well either. Or Hudson.

[davidsanger]

Les deux navigateurs français bloqués en Arctique sains et saufs à bord de l'Admiral Makarov

The two French sailors trapped in the Arctic are safe and sound aboard the Admiral Makarov

http://www.actunautique.com/article-les-deux-navigateurs-fran-ais-bloques-en-arctique-sains-et-saufs-a-bord-de-l-admiral-makarov-119866915.html

[Tor Bejnar]

The saga continues...

6-Sep-2013

The Admiral Makarov is now in sight of the harbor at Pevek.
 In the last few days of travel from the frozen wilds, Sébastien and Vincent have rested and perhaps even gained back a little of the weight they lost throughout their icy battle.

And though the threat of physical danger is now over, the beaurocratic adventure is just beginning. As Sébastien and Vincent are entering Russia without visas through a highly guarded harbor far from an immigration office with the authority to issue the proper documents, regular protocol dictates that sorting everything out could take two to three weeks.
 
Concerning the boat and its cargo — including the scientific equipment and samples — we have no clue how and when (hopefully not if) the Babouchka will make it out of Russia. What we do know is that it won’t be simple, but luck is never far away.

In a splendid coincidence, the French boat “Tara Expedition” is in Pevek and its captain offered to lend our heroes a hand. So far, the Russian administration, the French consulate, and the captains of both the Admiral Makarov and the Tara have given the okay and made the arrangements for the two boats to meet off shore to transfer Sébastien and Vincent to the Tara.

More to come ...

[Tor Bejnar]

Sébastien, Vincent and the Babouchka finally made it to the Russian port city of Pevek, but without the precious documents granting them the right to actually stand on Russian ground.

Transfer from the Admiral Makarov to the Tara was cleared for the men but not for the materials, which means that our friends left the Babouchka behind as they boarded the expedition sailboat Tara in the midst of her scientific mission in the Arctic.
...
Sébastien and Vincent will stay aboard the Tara until her next stop, in Tuktoyaktuk, Canada.
 

Read more, and see links to Russian news accounts and Tara's expedition website & mission: http://www.dptechnology.com/lang/cn/northpole2013/index.asp

[Tor Bejnar]

TARA (the french arctic expedition sailboat) arrived at Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Terr., Canada! Vincent and Sebastien are one step closer to their homes in Quebec and in France, respectively.

[Jim Hunt]

I discovered this morning via his comment on my blog that Vincent at least is now safe and sound and back at home:

http://econnexus.org/admiral-makarov-meets-babouchka-in-the-central-arctic/#comment-44205

[Jim Hunt]

More from Vincent Berthet on econnexus.org:

Regarding scientific data, CTD profiles and ice thickness measurements are still to be processed by our scientific coordinator. We also sampled heavy cryoconite and are looking forward to know what's inside!

Thank you again and congratulations to you and Neven for your blogs.

[Laurent]

http://www.sebroubinet.eu/english/home.html

For those with a lot of money, they are sailing a DVD...
Below on the right.

[Jim Hunt]

And now an English language trailer. Babouchka - The North Pole. A Return to Hell.

[Neven]

Coincidentally, I translated a lot of this footage to Dutch for a French TV programme. Again, very impressive footage, giving a much better sense for an Arctic junkie like me of what the Arctic is like on the ground.

I sincerely hope Sébastien gives it another shot next year, but that they go as early as possible. I wish I was tough enough to go with him.

[Tor Bejnar]

From http://www.sebroubinet.eu/accueil.html we have (will have) LA VOIE DU PÔLE - 2017 Traverse of the Arctic Ocean. 

Google translated:

Sebastian, Rodolphe and Benoît are preparing for a new attempt of the Arctic Ocean crossing under sail in 2017. Here we go again but this time, three! Sébastien and Rodolphe were joined by Benoît Lequin, a sailor and technician confirmed.

While Sebastian uses his wintering on Greenland's east coast to refine its preparation in extreme conditions (hunting, material testing ... ), Benoit is responsible for project communication and is preparing to begin construction of the new gear polar; it also works with Rodolphe, looking for partners.

Other information about this future expedition is available on their website (in French)

For example (also Google translated)

During the summers 2015 and 2016, they offer cruises for you to discover, in small groups, some of this wilderness, as the fjord of Scoresby Sund, one of the largest and most fabulous of the world, in total immersion ... in the middle of nature, wildlife, flora, ice and lights.

and

We offer three cruises, but remain, however, open to any other proposals, such as hosting scientific teams, sports ... It is also possible to join us on board for delivery between Greenland, Iceland and France ...

I hope to remember to start a thread next year when this materializes - or someone else might beat me to it. 

[Neven]

They need to go as early as possible. It's probably still too cold now, but imagine riding that Beaufort Gyre for three weeks! They'd make it for sure after that.

[Tor Bejnar]

Crossing the Arctic Ocean by Sail

It looks like they are skipping 2017 and will make a run for it in 2018.  Google Translate offers:

Sébastien, Benoît and Pierre-Yves are preparing for a new attempt to cross the Arctic Ocean by 2018. It's time to go, but this time, three! Benoît Lequin and Pierre-Yves, sailors and experienced technicians joined Sébastien. They have, among other things, crossed the Atlantic in both directions on a non-habitable catamaran of 6m.
 Sébastien, for his part, took advantage of his wintering on the east coast of Greenland to fine-tune the preparation in extreme conditions (hunting, testing equipment ...). Today, all three are involved in the construction of the new Polar gear as well as looking for partners

They've got a boatload of sponsors!  Their website includes a list of "Connections" (in French: "Liens") that includes (of many, this one in English) "The passive igloo project".

I imagine this thread will go back into hibernation...

[Tor Bejnar]

An English language page has

La Voie Du Pôle
2018 Traversée de L’Océan Artique à la Voile

something like:
Via the Pole
2018 Sailing Across the Arctic Ocean

Sebastien Roubinet and Vincent Berthet are crossing the Arctic Ocean, through water and ice, with only the wind and their own stamina to carry them. The departure is set from Alaska with arrival in Spitsbergen via the North Pole, after nearly 3000 km (1750 nautical miles). They will be aboard a very peculiar vessel, a catamaran / ice boat hybrid capable of sailing on both water and ice.  When the winds will be favorable, the sails will be able to carry them; otherwise they will need to tow the boat themselves for two, maybe three months… without any external assistance.
 What is their motivation? Several reasons: a technological bet, a sporting challenge requiring extraordinary physical and mental health, and love of the Polar Regions. Love, and therefore fear for those countries threatened by recent climate changes.

Back to hibernation...

[Jim Hunt]

Sebastien Roubinet and Vincent Berthet are crossing the Arctic Ocean

The English language page is out of date. Your quote refers to the 2013 expedition. From the French Language page:

Sébastien, Benoît et Pierre-Yves se préparent pour une nouvelle tentative de la traversée de l’Océan Arctique à la voile en 2018.

[Tor Bejnar]

I wondered why only two individuals are named, but the heading 'picture' does include the term "2018" which suggested it was not referring to 2013.  I didn't think to contrast the equivalent page in French that mentions 2018 in the text (and is the text I 'translated' in March).

[Neven]

Roubinet is going for third time lucky. Latest entry (Day 19, July 8th?):

Jour 19

Aujourd'hui, encore pas trop avancés mais c'est pas grave, on fait ce que l'on peut avec les conditions que l'on a et surtout on fait attention au matériel et à l'équipe afin d'être au top pour la suite.
Dans les bonnes nouvelles, le système électrique pour chauffer l'eau marche très bien depuis le départ ; on a donc utilisé moins d'une bouteille de gaz (450g).
Autres bonne nouvelle, les plaques de glace se relâchent et nous donnent un tout petit peu d'eau, ça devrait s'arranger un peu on l'espère.
Voilà l'ambiance est au beau fixe et on est heureux d'être là

I do hope they report on the storm a bit. And I hope even more that they make it this year. Does anyone know about any map to see their progress?

Oh wait, it's on the website, here.

[Neven]

Hmmm, they haven't come very far yet. Why don't they leave one month earlier? It's not too cold, right?

But given the preponderance of cyclones, it might be a good idea to stick to the north coast of the CAA. If they're lucky the ice might even detach from the coast, allowing them to sail for many miles. And they're closer if they need to be rescued.

[Tor Bejnar]

Some Google Translate from here and here:

Day 19
Today is Sunday. We took advantage of part of the afternoon to empty the boat and empty the port bladder from its air; It was Seb who played the contortionists to go put it back in the hull and avoid the creases. The weather is cool (some snowflakes) and overcast. Always blocks and blocks, small, large, floating or stacked, of all sizes. It's been like this for more than a week, we are experiencing these chaotic ice conditions accompanied by a strong west-east drift that pushes us full is, against our will, destroying our efforts to climb to the north.

But we are confident for the next, the boat slips well, very well, the crew is solid, the atmosphere is really good and the happy news is that, for a few hours, we have stopped drifting! We hope that the ice will quickly disperse and leave us free lanes.

Today, still not too advanced but it is not serious, we do what we can with the conditions that one has and especially we pay attention to the equipment and the team in order to be on top for the next.
 In the good news, the electrical system for heating the water works very well from the start; Less than one gas cylinder (450g) was used.
 Other good news, the ice sheets are loosening and give us a little bit of water, it should work out a little hopefully.
 This is the atmosphere is beautiful and we are happy to be there

The routine!

In the evening, after the efforts of the day and after anchoring the boat in front of the wind on a beautiful plate, slumped and stowed the sails, we install the tent canvas above the cockpit. Then we dry the combis and put on good hot and dry socks while the meal rehydrates, then we put it to heat and around 19-20h we go to the table. We haven't started to do the scientific surveys yet, but it's coming soon. Seb receives the e-mails (ice cards), looks at the weather forecast for the coming days... Sometimes we take advantage of it to go and recognise the terrain for the next day, but less and less because, with the drift and the currents of the night, it changes so much configuration!

Then we discuss, before arranging to get warm in our duvet one after the other because the cabin is size XS, we read a moment and Dodo!
 In the morning, Seb (who sleeps at the door) starts the water to be heated which he pours into our breakfast bowls. "Wake up the Groundhogs!" A new day begins...

Some bits of info I find interesting:  "snowflakes", "strong west-east drift", "the ice sheets are loosening and give us a little bit of water" and "We haven't started to do the scientific surveys yet, but it's coming soon."  I'm guessing "on lit un moment et dodo !" translated as "we read a moment and Dodo!" means "... we fall asleep quickly".  Anybody who actually knows French want to correct me?

Image from somewhere on their website

[Neven]

Dodo in this context means 'time to sleep'. It's a word used for children (faire dodo = go to sleep).

[Tor Bejnar]

Google Translation of some of the text from their website. 

Day 34
 72° N!!!!
 5pm Navigation not stop today, tired but so happy.
 We're not stopping them anymore!
...
Beluga (text by Eric)
 At night, on the boat, I hear some funny noises. Here, when there is no wind, the silence is deafening! You can hear sounds of footsteps from far away, or else two of us speak very distinctly even several hundred meters away.
 Is it ice that works? It looks more like organic noises. I take the head out of the tent, yes, no doubt, marine mammals are close, coming to the surface to breathe. We rush to the open water area where the noises come from, in a white-grey-black setting, in the midst of the mist you can see movement, white backs, probably belugas in a stroll. It's nice to have life, it feels less lonely!

Day 33
 71° N, it takes off
 We found the water!
 Today we travelled 15 miles on the water and 23.6 miles in all!
 We had to wait until the afternoon, after 8000 on the ice, to begin to see darker clouds, which means that underneath, there is water! We aim directly at the dark grey and we find... water!
 It is done in two stages: we sail on the water for a short time before returning to the ice. Then we find the water with the fog. At that time, we are far from imagining that we will sail until late in the evening. And that's what we do. We see almost no ice and we are looking for fresh water to drink (water from the melting lakes on the ice). Who would have thought?

Day 32
 Everything is fine today: big flat plates on which we get to go fast. We run next to the boat and then jump on it for the passage of the melting lakes and so on... at times, it goes very fast! Unfortunately, between the plates, there are always more technical and slower areas and this damned current that brings us all the time to the southeast.
 Small mathematical problem: in 24h, if we travel 16000 to the north and the drift takes us back to 12000 in the southeast, how much is our final progression to the north?
 The day still ended with a last mile on the water!!!!
...
Day 24
...
The ground is full of hidden traps and depending on where we put our feet, we can go straight down through this thin layer. The game begins!
 All three are wetted, one after the other; And we mock each other. Vincent: "I am at the front to share my observations on the next steps I have before me until GRAOUCHHHH!!!! Up to the hip! The water easily enters the inside of my trousers and spreads smoothly inside my boots. Seb arrives quickly to help me out. Fortunately, the edge was strong enough and I go back "on the other hand, it is not cold, 6 degree and for the next few days, the weather announces 15 °! It should melt. Yes!

Info on map:

position
date 24/07/2018
lat 72.3406
lon -143.5570

Map of the ice in the area part of Ice Shieldz' post.

[Andreas T]

If my french is sufficient to get this right, they have decided to turn south. They  say the wind is against them and the safety margins are getting narrow for getting to the pole and making it out without being picked up by some ship.
http://www.sebroubinet.eu/la-voie-du-pole_nouvelles.html

[Neven]

Yes, I read that too. It's a shame, but at least this time they do not have to get picked by a (very expensive) helicopter due to some technical failure. They were unlucky with that batch of ice off Barrow this year, but I still think they should leave earlier, as early as possible.

Maybe it's simply impossible to go across the pole from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Paradoxically, it would probably have been easier in the past, with much larger and possibly flatter ice floes, and more of a Beaufort Gyre.

Anyway, kudos to them for trying. I enjoyed reading their updates (containing little nuggets of gold about the sea ice).

[Tor Bejnar]

This summers expedition by Sébastien Roubinet wasn't aiming for the North Pole, but continues the use of a sailboat/sled concept, therefore I cross-post this here (and alter the "title" for this post. The attempt was to skirt just north of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago & Greenland.  They've just about (or have) completed the CAA part, but apparently will 'turn right into Nares.' (Thanks Jim for reporting this; his efforts are interesting.)

It has extremely belatedly come to my attention that Sébastien Roubinet set sail from Sachs Harbour on Banks Island at the end of June. Destination Svalbard via Cape Columbia and Kap Morris Jesup. Given the imminent refreeze plan B has been put into operation. Early exit via the Nares Strait. Moving pictures and more at:

https://GreatWhiteCon.info/2022/08/the-nagalaqa-expedition/

[Jim Hunt]

Some spectacular pictures from Cape Columbia or thereabouts:

[Jim Hunt]

Babouch-ty has entered the Nares Strait:

https://GreatWhiteCon.info/2022/08/the-nagalaqa-expedition/#comment-638709

However I think the pictures are from the Lincoln Sea:

[Jim Hunt]

Having been parked near the entrance to Petermann Fjord for several days due to high winds, Babouch-ty is on the move once again:

https://GreatWhiteCon.info/2022/08/the-nagalaqa-expedition/#comment-640897