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August 26th, 2009 – At Sea 71 58N, 94 00W
by Herb McCormick and Mark Schrader
(August 26): Atop the very apex of North America, at the far end of a piece of remote Canadian real estate called Boothia Peninsula, in the middle of a fjord-like waterway by the name of Bellot Strait, sits a rather nondescript heap of rubble that slopes gently into the sea. On the appropriate nautical chart, this rock pile is labeled Zenith Point (see main photo above). In person, its one notable characteristic is the dilapidated day mark perched in its crevices, a rickety aid-to-navigation that could really use some attention.
An unremarkable landmark, at best, in ordinary circumstances a place like Zenith Point would not exactly be something that any traveler would remember. But because the rocky cape, just north of 72 N, is in fact the northernmost spot on the North American continent – the zenith, if you will – for certain wanderers the pebbly spit will always be remembered with joy and fondness.
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| Out of the pack ice, out into open water, out of the Northwest Passage. |
Wanderers like us.
For around mid-day today, the crew of Ocean Watch rolled down Bellot Strait and past Zenith Point on their ongoing voyage Around the Americas. And for one unforgettable moment, in the most significant waypoint of our journey thus far, we left the whole of the Americas – North, South and Central – hard to starboard.
Since sailing north of the Arctic Circle so many weeks ago, the most important, daunting, overused and frightening word in our vocabulary consisted of just three short letters: Ice. Today, we gladly replaced it with another diminutive word, one that also denotes multiple meanings. For as we slipped through the strait from ice-wracked Peel Sound to a clear blue channel called Prince Regent Inlet, we were out of the pack ice, out into open water, and for nearly all practical purposes, out of the Northwest Passage.
Out.
For heaven’s sake, as we neared the end of Bellot, making a good 14-knots through the water with the boost of a
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| Ocean Watch heads through Bellot Straight. |
ripping 8-knot current, our photographer David Thoreson – one of a handful of sailors to ever negotiate the Northwest Passage twice, and the only American to do it both ways, eastward and westward – yelled down to the crew from his perch on the pilothouse, “Hey guys, I can see the way out!”
Like, man, all I could think was: Far out.
It’s been a long day here on Ocean Watch, which started at 0200 local time. As I’ve been typing this report, skipper Mark Schrader has been pecking away at his Captain’s Log. He just passed it over to me. Are we thinking alike? You be the judge.
From Mark:
“We’re out!
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| Two polar bears (mom and a yearling cub) on a small floe. |
“After a pretty harrowing morning navigating through fog, heavy ice concentrations (not shown on our ice charts), two polar bears (mom and yearling cub) on a small floe and rocky shorelines we made it to the west entrance of Bellot Strait. We arrived about an hour later than the Arctic Sailing Directions recommended. As we approached the entrance to Bellot the ice concentration around us decreased, the entrance opened, the fog went away and the sun came out – all in the space of about 15 minutes. We decided those omens were good enough, so with Dave Logan steering, into the Strait we went.
Ocean Watch entered the strait motoring along at 7 knots, and exited the strait less than two hours later doing 14.5! The moving ice inside the channel made for some anxious moments for all but with good spotting help from the crew, DL steered us around the large floes, avoided the rocks, and found the right track through the whole mess.
“Making it out of Franklin Strait, through Bellot Strait and into Prince Regent Inlet is a huge benchmark for us. Zenith Point, in the middle of Bellot Strait and situated on the northern tip of Boothia Peninsula, is the most northern point of continental North America. Ocean Watch and crew – with much help from the Around the Americas team – have now left that important milestone to starboard and behind us. And, at least for a while, we’ve also left the worst of the ice behind us.
“Conditions continue to be very good so we’ll make for Creswell Bay on Somerset Island and find a safe anchorage for tonight. Harry Stern reports that in Creswell we’re likely to find Beluga Whales and Narwhals. That would be great, but for now I’m looking forward to finding some quiet place to take a nap.
“Very, very happy to report we’re through Bellot Strait, out of the ice and into a warm and welcoming Prince Regent Inlet. Next port: Pond Inlet.
“All are okay and happy aboard Ocean Watch.”
One postscript. We’ve done pretty well with provisioning for the voyage thus far, with one notable exception: Libations. The next time I come to the Arctic (yeah, right!) I’ll remember, there are no package stores in Inuit communities. Somehow, though, Dave Logan had squirreled away two Alaska Ambers deep in a locker, and once we’d put Bellot behind us, he poured us all a tot to celebrate the occasion. It was good while it lasted. But as far as beer is concerned aboard the good ship Ocean Watch? You guessed it.
We’re out.
- Herb McCormick and Mark Schrader with photographs by David Thoreson
This crew log submitted by Iridium OpenPort and Stratos
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