The Northwest passage being the route between the Atlantic and Pacific over the northern coast of Canada and Alaska, the northern sea route being the same but over the top of Russia.
Reading about the 19th century Polar explorations to try and find the Northwest Passage and the horrendous results. Got me wondering that if they found it, would it be worth it - does any modern shipping regularly take short-cuts via these famously treacherous routes? Do we have the technology, or is it still far easier to just use Suez/Panama or go round the Capes?
The Soviets, and now the Russians, spend a lot of money and manpower on icebreaking in that northern area.
So there’s at least that much shipping, they have to keep it open all year long.
I don’t think it is used for shipping (yet), but I was amazed to discover that someone I know has just taken a cruise from north of Edmonton across Hudson’s Bay to Greenland.
Only the local experts, Nunavut Sealift and Supply Incorporated , did local deliveries , so far. Local deliveries don’t count as “shipping” or “short cut”.
No. Too much ice. Even at the end of summer there is enough ice drifting around that those ships using the route have to be escorted by an icebreaker. The thinking is that with global warming the route will get easier and easier but it’s too hard at the moment to be a regular thing.
I beg to differ. A friend of mine, a GP, recently served as the ships doctor (for which he got free passage) on a tourist ship across the Northern Passage (around the top of Russia). It was a summer voyage and clear of ice. The ship called at various points so passengers could land and explore the environment.
As best I can recall he said there were ice-breakers cruising the route and quite a busy transit of merchant shipping.
My answer was aimed heavily at the question of whether these routes are used regularly and I probably took that as meaning routinely.
If you read the relevant wikipedia sections on the Northwest Passage and the Northern Sea Route you will find that these routes have been irregularly used but they are a long way from being used for day-to-day shipping.
I expect that these will become more common in the next few years. Not only do the Northern routes cut certain shipping times in half. They also avoid some of the worst piracy areas in the world right now. Avoiding the Straight of Malaaca and the Horn of Africa could save millions in piracy loses. And given the increasing instability in and around the Suez Canal, sailing along the coasts of Canada or Russia seems positively inviting in comparison.
