Jarlath Cunnane & Paddy Barry

(s/v Northabout) – In a 15m, specially ice strengthened boat built by Jarlath, mostly alone, Paddy Barry and Jarlath Cunnane with their crew successfully sailed the Northwest Passage in 2001 from Westport, Ireland. They completed the first east to west polar circumnavigation in October 2005. The four-year voyage began in Westport, County Mayo in June 2001 and took them through the Northwest Passage to Alaska and Western Canada where they spent the next two years cruising. In 2004 they sailed to Russia, wintering the yacht at Khatanga, Siberia when stopped by the ice. In 2005 they completed the voyage to Ireland via the Norwegian coast and the Caledonian Canal.