American Sailors’ Arctic Ocean Circumnavigation Halted by Ice Conditions

Matt Rutherford, the 45-year-old American sailor attempting to circumnavigate the Arctic Ocean solo, non-stop and unassisted, has been directed by Russian authorities to postpone sailing the Northern Sea Route due to ice conditions.

The Northern Sea Route is an Arctic shortcut between Europe and Asia, and is only navigable for a few months in the summer and early autumn.

“I’m not going to pretend I’m not disappointed. I’ve been planning this for a long time, and turning around is the last thing I want to do,” said the American.

“Chimera [his sailboat] is in great shape, I’m in great shape, and I’m not the kind of person who quits.”

Rutherford set out from southwest Greenland on June 25, aiming to complete a roughly 16,000km solo circuit of the Arctic Ocean aboard Chimera, his 42-foot sailboat.

His route circles the frozen Arctic Ocean and passes through three major ocean environments: the North Atlantic, the Russian Arctic coast via the Northern Sea Route, and the Northwest Passage through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

The American had sailed across the North Atlantic and into Russian Arctic waters, where he was operating under an official permit and daily check-in requirements with Moscow.

The Russian authorities decision follows a broader pattern of vessels struggling against the ice this season, including ice-class ships that have required icebreaker escorts.

Authorities cited sub-zero temperatures forecast for the Chukchi and East Siberian Seas beginning August 17, along with a heavy, largely impassable ice field near Wrangel Island, as the deciding factors.

Rutherford is turning his boat around and sailing over 7,000km back to his home in Maryland, USA, and plans to return to the Arctic to complete the route next year. It’s not clear if he will start from Greenland again, or from his final position in the Barents Sea.

“I'm going to sail 1000 miles to Norway, have a steak and a stiff drink, and then a further 3,500 miles home, spend the winter getting ready, and go finish what I started next year," said Rutherford.

Rutherford states that no one has completed this journey solo, non-stop and without outside help.

At the Edge of the Map currently has 49 paid subscribers. This has allowed us to commission our first writer outside the editorial team. Our aim is to reach a minimum of 80 paid subscribers to be able to commission one guest feature each month. Until the end of September annual subscriptions are 50% off - £25 ($34) for the year.