One Island, One Blog

September 26, 2025 As I type this entry, we’re already hugging the western Newfoundland coast. Hard to believe—it’s been just three weeks since we left the ice and cold of the Passage, but they’ve easily been the longest three weeks of the entire trip. Nothing broke, nothing failed, and yet this

Stormbound in Nain, Labrador There was a storm brewing off Labrador—one that quickly grew into back-to-back systems, nearly hurricane strength. We pushed One Ocean hard to reach shelter, aiming for the most northern settlement on Labrador Island: Nain, an Inuit community nestled in the wilderness

I heard it up north— The ocean connects us all here on Earth, Present the moment this planet gave birth. And we heard her cry, on our journey up north. Some set forth on this passage in search of trade routes, or to simply gain lore, But, to us, this harrowing journey meant more. A place I have come

Featured Image by David Thoreson "Sailing vessels have destinations, not schedules," an oft repeated adage spoken by experienced sailors of a certain age. One Ocean has now been home to a team of enthusiastic sailing educators of varying ages for over 135 days, covering 7,000+ nautical miles, and

It all probably started 3-4 years ago when I started to watch Mike Beemer’s Tech Tips on the Skagit Valley College/ Marine Tech Program’s “Scallywags” YouTube Channel (highly recommended by the way). So, after owning sailboats (3), plus cruising and racing in and around the Salish Sea for 40+ years

As we swing at anchor in Kangiqtugaapik—in Inuktitut—also known as Clyde River, Patricia Inlet on Baffin Island, the wind howls through the rigging at a steady 22 knots, gusting over 30. One Ocean creaks, and I hear the water lapping against her hull. I’m curled up in my bunk. The crew is still

As I write this, we’re hunkered down in “False Strait,” waiting out a cocktail of wind and snow. Apparently, the Northwest Passage wasn’t about to let us through without one last frosty initiation—snow, cold, wind, and a little bit of “are we sure this was a good idea?” One Ocean continues to prove

We departed Fort Ross, on the east side of Bellot Strait, early Tuesday morning, September 2. We’ve just passed our first official icebergs. Not floes or sheets like the ones we navigated earlier, but true icebergs. Sea ice forms when ocean water freezes into flat sheets that drift with wind and

In 1675 King Charles II commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to build an observatory in Greenwich, England to “improve marine navigation and find the so-much desired longitude at sea for perfecting the art of navigation," this according to an excellent book by Dava Sobel, Longitude, which dives deep

So far, the Arctic region has consisted primarily of flat tundra—formed several thousands of years ago by glaciers. Dave, who crewed on the 2009/10 Around the Americas expedition and has joined us for the Northwest Passage portion of this journey, often describes traveling through the Northwest

Last evening we motored into one of the only available decent anchorages offering shelter from westerly winds before the 240+ nm run to Cambridge Bay. Weather apps were showing us a low pressure system to our north with predicted wind of 30+, gusts to 45+ for the next 24-36 hours. One Ocean is now

It’s my turn at the helm. I’ve been on watch with Grace and Mark since 10 p.m., and it’s now 12:30 a.m.—an hour and a half left before a crew change. It’s 32 degrees outside, no wind, but lots of fog. We’re lucky to be able to steer from inside. Despite the intensity of the situation, the cabin is