Aboard Ocean A
AROUND BAFFIN ISLAND
Full circumnavigation in 2026
Baffin Island · 2026 Season
Full circumnavigation of Baffin Island
Ocean A completed a full, closed circumnavigation of Baffin Island in a single navigation season, without wintering between sections of the circuit. The achievement belongs to the yacht and the successive captains and crews who took part in the 2026–2027 polar expedition.
Distance of the complete loop
194
days
6 h 59 min
Exact calendar time
Rozpoczęcie pętli
10 kwietnia 2026
19:36 UTC
Pozycja · WGS84
Zamknięcie pętli
22 października 2026
02:35 UTC
Pozycja · WGS84
Same position. A full, closed circumnavigation of Baffin Island in a single navigation season.
Historical assessment of the achievement
According to the sources found and verified in the research completed on 21 October 2026, Ocean A made what is, to our knowledge, the first documented full, closed circumnavigation of Baffin Island by a small sailing yacht in a single navigation season.
Ocean A’s route around Baffin Island
Complete loop in a single season in 2026
How did we close the loop?
Three sailing legs, one complete circuit around the island.
From start to completion
The circumnavigation of Baffin Island began on 10 April 2026 at 19:36 UTC, at position 65°24′29.13″N, 052°52′01.62″W, off the west coast of Greenland. Ocean A returned to the same point on 22 October 2026, completing the full loop around the island.
The route consisted of three main sailing legs:
- Maniitsoq – Upernavik: 908 NM.
- Upernavik – Bellot Strait: 805.5 NM.
- Bellot Strait – Maniitsoq: 1,671 NM.
In total, the yacht covered 3,384.5 NM. From the start to the closure of the loop, 194 days, 6 hours and 59 minutes of calendar time elapsed. This period included both the sailing legs around Baffin Island and stops and voyages outside the defined loop, including the passage through the Northwest Passage to Tuktoyaktuk and back.
One yacht, successive crews
The circumnavigation was not a single, uninterrupted voyage. It took shape over successive stages of the two-year 2026–2027 polar expedition, partly overlapping with the NWP 2026 expedition. The individual stages were captained by Andrzej Górajek, Alicja Latoń and Artur Szklarz, with different crews taking part throughout the expedition. Nevertheless, the entire circuit was completed by the same yacht, in a single navigation season, without wintering between its sections.
Baffin Island — four sides of the Island
Open seas, strong currents and a short sailing season.
Baffin Island, located in Nunavut, Canada, is one of the largest islands in the world. Circumnavigating it involves sailing through waters of very different characteristics, from the open sea to narrow Arctic straits.
Open waters to the east and north
To the east lie the waters of Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. These are vast, open waters where conditions can be almost oceanic in character. A cold current flows southward along the coast, carrying water and ice.
To the north, a system of straits and bays connects the waters surrounding Baffin Island with the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Access to these passages depends on ice conditions, which change both during the season and from year to year.
Hudson Strait and Foxe Basin
To the south lies Hudson Strait, known for its strong currents and large tidal ranges. Changes in water level are particularly important here for navigation, choosing anchorages and planning approaches to shore.
To the west lies Foxe Basin — a vast, sometimes shallow body of water where strong currents occur and ice can persist for much of the season. Farther on, the route leads through Fury and Hecla Strait, where narrow passages, currents and moving ice demand particular attention.
Short season, different sailing windows
The greatest challenge of the entire circumnavigation, however, is time. The Arctic sailing season is short, and the different waterways do not become ice-free at the same time. Some passages only become accessible when conditions in other areas are already beginning to deteriorate.
Circumnavigating Baffin Island therefore requires not only plotting a route, but also timing its various sections appropriately.
Historical verification
What do we know about earlier circumnavigations of Baffin Island?
1948–2025 · Historia okrążeń
Wcześniejsze okrążenia
Kwerenda zakończona 21 października 2026 roku potwierdziła co najmniej osiem pełnych okrążeń Ziemi Baffina, wykonanych przez sześć dużych statków.
1948
USCGC Eastwind i USS Edisto
Amerykańskie lodołamacze.
Najstarsze odnalezione przypadki.
1956
HMCS Labrador
Kanadyjski lodołamacz.
1960
CSS Baffin
Kanadyjski statek hydrograficzny.
2006 · 2023 · 2025
CCGS Amundsen
Trzy udokumentowane okrążenia.
2020
CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent
Kanadyjski lodołamacz.
Zestawienie przedstawia przypadki potwierdzone w odnalezionych źródłach. Nie jest zamkniętym wykazem wszystkich historycznych okrążeń wyspy.
Research findings
2026
Historical precedence of a small sailing yacht
According to the sources found and verified in the research completed on 21 October 2026, Ocean A made what is, to our knowledge, the first documented full, closed circumnavigation of Baffin Island by a small sailing yacht in a single navigation season.
Kryteria oceny- Pełne, zamknięte okrążenie wyspy.
- Cały obwód wykonany przez ten sam jacht.
- Jeden sezon nawigacyjny, bez zimowania pomiędzy odcinkami.
Wśród analizowanych przypadków znalazł się także francuski jacht Vagabond, który w 2016 roku przepłynął przez Fury and Hecla Strait i Basen Foxe’a. Opublikowana chronologia tego rejsu nie potwierdza jednak zamknięcia pełnej pętli w jednym sezonie.
Ocena wynika ze stanu dostępnych źródeł i pozostaje otwarta na nowe dokumenty. Nie jest urzędowym certyfikatem rekordu.
Scope of the term “small yacht”
The term “small yacht” is used in comparison with the large ships listed in the historical record. Ocean A is 22.65 m long. It is not an official record category nor a claim that the yacht is the smallest vessel.
The expedition captured in music
Tracks inspired by stories from the journey of Ocean A.
Concept and lyrics: Piotr Górajek · part of the project “NWP 2026 — the expedition captured in music”
Full release in preparation
Full expedition report
A brief account of our circumnavigation of Baffin Island
The account of the circumnavigation of Baffin Island is in preparation.
We will be adding details of the successive stages, events on board and photographs documenting the expedition.
We will be adding details of the successive stages, events on board and photographs documenting the expedition.
For the Media
Press materials on the circumnavigation of Baffin Island
Materials to download
PDF
Press kit
Key information about the full circumnavigation of Baffin Island by Ocean A in the 2026 season.
PNG · HD
Route map
The complete, closed loop around Baffin Island and the remainder of Ocean A’s expedition route in the 2026 season.
PDF · ZIP
Photos and audio
Six press photographs, a catalogue of materials with captions in Polish and English, photo credits and terms of use.
Media contact
NATANGO
·
kontakt@natango.pl