Matt Rutherford will attempt the first-ever solo, nonstop, unassisted circumnavigation of the Arctic Ocean on June 25, 2026. Rutherford, a solo sailor, explorer, researcher, and founder of the nonprofit Ocean Research Project, is departing from Aasiaat, Greenland, to begin his more than 10,000-mile journey. Until recently, the passage wasn’t even possible, but it is now due to Arctic sea ice being 9-15% below the previous all-time low, according to Rutherford.
“The fact that I can attempt this voyage at all is because there is less ice,” Rutherford said. “And there is less ice because the planet is warmer. The Arctic is changing faster than anywhere else on Earth. By sailing around the Arctic in a single season, I will demonstrate the dramatic loss of ice in the Arctic Ocean.”
Rutherford isn’t sailing this passage just for the record. He also plans to examine ocean health in the face of man-made pollution and climate change through the Ocean Research Project (ORP). Through campaigns to the Arctic with ORP’s co-founder and oceanographer Nicole Trenholm, the nonprofit has mapped uncharted waters, addressed the controls and impacts of melting glaciers, measured nutrient availability for plankton blooms, and documented the degree of carbon burial — all at roughly five percent of the cost of a conventional research vessel.
“As the U.S. government slashes funding for polar research, the Arctic needs our attention now more than ever — and Matt is our climate crusader,” Trenholm said. “Circling the North Pole ice pack is one giant experiment. On the way to Greenland, Matt will collect water samples that we will use to test NASA ocean models monitoring Arctic waters. By taking action and communicating the story of his journey, he can help us reach our hard-earned $250,000 fundraising goal, directly advancing our science mission during the United Nations–designated Ocean Decade.”
Rutherford’s journey is divided into three phases. Phase one will begin after he leaves Greenland, heads south around its tip, then north of Iceland and Scandinavia to the Russian border. Phase two, which is the most dangerous, according to him, will include spending approximately one month sailing above Russia along the Northern Sea Route. In the past, Russia has required vessels on this route to carry a Russian pilot on board, but an exemption for pleasure craft was introduced last year, which Rutherford has obtained. The final phase leads Rutherford north of Alaska, through the Northwest Passage, and across Baffin Bay back to Aasiaat.
Rutherford is not allowed to anchor, cannot make landfall, and cannot receive outside assistance. He must take every storm at sea and has a target finish of early October 2026. He gives himself a 75% chance of completing the passage. Rutherford became the first person to solo sail the Northwest Passage in 2011.
Fundraising is through oceanresearchproject.org. Live tracking is powered by PredictWind and available on the Ocean Research Project website. The voyage can also be followed on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
