“To Seek a Northwest Passage” – Clipper Adventurer Hits Uncharted Rock

Posted on by August 30, 2010

Clipper Adventurer

Stan Roger‘s classic song begins, “Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage; to find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea.”   Stan died in 1983, but his son, Nathan Rogers, also a singer, recently set out on the Canadian cruise ship Clipper Adventurer bound for the Arctic via the Northwest Passage only to discover the challenges that remain in these icy waters.   On Friday, the Clipper Adventurer struck an uncharted rock  in about three metres of water, about 55 nautical miles east of Kugluktuk, Nunavut, which is also known as Coppermine, near the border with the Northwest Territories.  After attempts to free the ship failed over the weekend the Canadian icebreaker, Amundsen, evacuated the passengers and crew.  They were ferried to Kugluktuk and are expected to fly to Edmonton some time today.

‘To seek a Northwest Passage’: Son of iconic folk singer Stan Rogers aboard grounded Arctic ship

For Rogers fans here is  Stan singing Northwest Passage, often referred to as the unofficial Canadian national anthem:

Stan Rogers – Northwest Passage

Comments

“To Seek a Northwest Passage” – Clipper Adventurer Hits Uncharted Rock — 3 Comments

  1. Ah yes those ‘uncharted rocks’ will certainly get you if you do not watch out. NAUTICAL LOG is surprised that the MS Clipper Adventurer was not fitted with and operating a multibeamed sonar. This would give them a hydrographic running underwater view all round. By comparing this with their charted data any of those ‘uncharted rocks’ would likely show up. Considering the voyages this vessel makes in its cruise schedule NAUTICAL LOG this should be a standard piece of navigational equipment. Glad to know everybody is safe and sound.
    Good Watch

  2. It wasn’t so long ago that the way that rocks became “charted” was often after a ship had found them with their keels or bottom planking.

    Advanced sonar would certainly be a good thing to have in those waters.

  3. As my brother-in-law Don Street commented in his Caribbean Guides he charted many rocks that way!! It might be necessary to make multi-beam Sonar compulsory in passenger ships going to these ‘off-the-regular-routes’ cruise areas.
    Good Watch.