17/09/2026
I am the first Belgian to have completed the Northwest Passage aboard a wooden, gaff-rigged sailing vessel.
And, as far as the historical records show, probably only the sixth Belgian to have completed the Northwest Passage, regardless of vessel or route.
Even writing that still feels slightly unreal.
From Greenland, across the Canadian Arctic and along the north coast of Alaska, I sailed through a part of the world that has fascinated explorers and sailors for centuries.
And I did it aboard Alma af Frøya — a traditional wooden, gaff-rigged sailing vessel, following in the wake of Amundsen and his ship the Gjøa.
There have been other remarkable wooden and traditionally rigged passages before us. Such as the first yacht I ever worked on "Nordwind". But when I started looking into the Belgian history of the Northwest Passage, I realised just how small the group I had joined might be.
So this is a personal one. 💪🏽
After two months in the Arctic — ice, fog, storms, night watches, engine trouble, getting stuck in the mud in Tuktoyaktuk, incredible landscapes, fascinating communities and a lot of time to think — I can finally say it:
I sailed the Northwest Passage.
What a privilege. What an adventure.
Northwest Passage. Completed. 🇧🇪⚓️
