Northwest Passage challenge under way

The Nordhavn 57 Bagan is being prepared for an attempt on the Northwest Passage.

When you read Sprague Theobald's candid blog, you sense the challenge of transiting the treacherous Northwest Passage is well under way--even though he hasn't left the dock yet.

Worries are many, sponsorships are few, expenses are mounting, there are lists for the lists of things to do before departure on June 15 from Newport, Rhode Island. Relentlessly, Spraque and his crew are pushing forward, preparing his Nordhavn 57 Bagan for the Northwest Passage and circumnavigation of North America.

Here's where to follow the great adventure as it unfolds. A Q&A interview with Sprague appears at Trawlers & Trawlering.

If you're anywhere near Newport, the official Nordhavn send-off party will take place at Goat Island on June 12, 7-11 p.m.

The upcoming edition of Circumnavigator will be going to press soon after Bagan departs for the Arctic, so our feature coverage of the voyage will appear in the following issue.

Bagan is going to have company in the Northwest Passage as there are six yachts in all aiming to transit the top of North America this summer. Only two, Bagan and Polar Bound, are motor vessels.

David Scott Cowper
Polar Bound
Custom 48-foot trawler yacht (power)
http://www.cruising.org.uk/about/honorary/DavidCowper.shtml

Tommy Cook
Capt’n Lem
Corsair F-31 UC (sail)
http://www.arcticsolosail.com/index.php

Cameron Dueck
Silent Sound
Amor 40 (sail)
http://www.openpassageexpedition.com/index.html

Eric Forsyth
Fiona (sail)
http://www.yachtfiona.com/fnn.htm

Mark Schrader
Ocean Watch
Custom 64-foot cutter (sail)
http://www.pacsci.org/aroundtheamericas/

Blake August, a Circumnavigator contributing editor, is tracking all participants in Northwest Passage 2009 in a thread at TrawlerCrawler.net.