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Since leaving Nuuk in mid-July, Sadik and the crew of Hafiz, his Garcia Explocat 52, have been making their way north and west towards the Northwest Passage. After sailing along Greenland’s west coast and crossing Baffin Bay, they have now reached Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic.
For the Explocat 52 Hafiz, the Northwest Passage began well before the first miles were sailed.
In Nuuk, the days leading up to departure were dedicated to preparation. Equipment was checked and adapted, provisions loaded, work completed on board, and fuel and water reserves brought up to the level required for the route ahead. Vanuily, Anne and Hugues’ Allures 45, was also in Nuuk at the time. The two crews would cross paths regularly as they made their way north.
On July 15, Hafiz took on 1,450 litres of diesel and filled her water tanks. Yann and Jörg had already joined Sadik, while Richard was due to complete the crew a few days later in Ilulissat.
Sailing north along Greenland
Hafiz left Nuuk on July 16.
The first stages quickly established the rhythm of the voyage: adapting the programme to the wind, choosing anchorages according to the conditions, and navigating carefully in areas where charted information sometimes required additional caution.
The route led north through the fjords of Greenland's west coast, past Kangaamiut and towards Disko Bay. At several points, Hafiz and Vanuily found themselves following similar routes or sharing the same anchorages.
On July 17, information provided by Vanuily helped Hafiz prepare her approach to an anchorage in an imperfectly charted area. The following day, the two yachts sailed together for part of their passage through Ammaqqoq Fjord before continuing at their own pace.
As the miles passed, the crew alternated between sailing and motoring according to the weather while gradually settling into their routines on board.
During the night of July 20 to 21, Hafiz crossed the Arctic Circle for the first time.
Ahead lay Disko Bay and a very different sailing environment.
Approaching Ilulissat, the crew encountered increasing concentrations of ice originating from the nearby Icefjord. Hafiz initially continued under sail before the density of the ice required the sails to be lowered and the yacht to proceed under engine.
The following hours were spent finding the safest route through areas of varying ice concentration, with the continuous daylight of the Arctic summer allowing the crew to maintain a constant visual watch.
After a full night of navigation, Hafiz anchored off Ilulissat on the morning of July 21. Richard then joined the yacht, completing the four-person crew.
From Disko Bay to Upernavik
From Ilulissat, Hafiz continued north.
In these waters, following a predetermined route is rarely enough. An attempt to approach the Eqi Glacier, for example, was abandoned after information from another yacht indicated that ice was blocking the way. The crew adjusted the plan and changed course.
The following days alternated between remote anchorages, calm conditions and occasional opportunities to sail. The Arctic environment increasingly became part of everyday life on board: icebergs, isolated settlements and wildlife along the Greenland coast.
Vanuily remained on a similar route. On July 26, the two crews met again at the same anchorage. Two days later, Anne et Hugues welcomed the crew of Hafiz aboard their Allures 45 for dinner.
On July 29, Hafiz reached Upernavik, where Vanuily was already anchored.
This was the final planned stop in Greenland before crossing towards Arctic Canada. Once again, fuel, provisions and information gathering formed part of the preparation.
By then, Hafiz had covered 880 nautical miles in 15 days between Nuuk and Upernavik.
Persistent high-pressure conditions and light winds had required extensive use of the engines, with around 150 nautical miles completed under sail.
The next leg would take Hafiz away from the Greenland coast and across Baffin Bay.
Crossing Baffin Bay
Hafiz left Upernavik on July 31 with a favourable weather window.
Once offshore, southerly winds allowed the crew to set the full mainsail and gennaker. Boat speed regularly ranged between 6 and 10 knots as they headed west, with icebergs remaining a constant consideration during each watch.
With four people on board, the crew organised three-hour solo watches for the crossing.
Conditions changed over the course of the following night. Thick fog severely reduced visibility. Radar and constant vigilance became essential for tracking the presence of icebergs and the pieces of ice surrounding them.
Despite this, Hafiz continues to make good progress, with speeds at times reaching about nine knots under sail. During this crossing, Vanuily is following the same route, a few dozen miles behind Hafiz.
As we approached Canada, the wind finally died down, and we motored the last leg of the journey to Pond Inlet.
On August 2, Hafiz arrived in the Canadian Arctic.
Further west, the ice conditions remain a major concern. While the eastern part of the Northwest Passage is beginning to open up relatively early this season, some areas further west remain blocked.
Sadik makes this clear in his logbook: whether the crossing will be successful remains uncertain at this stage. What happens next will depend on how conditions develop.
In the Northwest Passage
In Pond Inlet, the routes converge once again. Vanuily arrives during the night of August 2–3 and moors alongside Hafiz. Anne, Hugues, and the crew of Hafiz spend part of their stopover together before continuing westward.
After spending two days in Pond Inlet, Hafiz resumed his journey on August 4.
The next day marks another important geographical milestone.
After sailing through Navy Board Inlet, Hafiz reached Lancaster Sound. As expected, an easterly breeze set in, allowing the crew to sail under a mainsail , and gennaker toward Cuming Inlet on Devon Island. Vanuily also made headway through Navy Board Inlet that day.
At the end of the day, the Hafiz anchors at the far end of the inlet, surrounded by cliffs rising straight out of the sea.
The crew then spent a few days on Devon Island. A polar bear was spotted near the anchorage at Cuming Inlet before the Hafiz sailed about 50 miles west to reach Burnett Inlet on August 8. Musk oxen were also observed on the coast and around the anchorage.
By the time Hafiz arrives, Vanuily is already at Burnett Inlet. Their paths thus continue to cross as they make their way westward.
That is where the latest update published by Sadik ends, as of today.
As of August 8, Hafiz’s crew plans to leave Devon Island and head directly to Fort Ross and the Bellot Strait, while closely monitoring ice conditions in the western Canadian Arctic.
The attempt to traverse the Northwest Passage is now in full swing.
But in these parts, progress is measured less by a schedule than by the next weather window, the next ice report, and the next decision.
We will continue to follow Hafiz and his crew as they make their way westward.
To learn more, check out Sadik's blog
Photo credit: Sadik—Hafiz's owner.
