One Island, One Blog

The wind had been rising all night. I lay in my bunk, listening to the familiar hum of One Ocean’s hull slicing through the waves, but I couldn’t sleep. It was still two hours before my watch, yet the pitch of the wind told me conditions were changing. We’d been short-handed the night before, a

One Ocean has been banging through choppy seas for more than 24 hours. The wind has calmed, but the water—stirred up by days of windstorms—remains restless, confused, and hard on the crew. Some have been seasick, all of us uncomfortable. Now, with the first light of morning, the sea is finally

I’ve been fascinated with wind since I was a child. I loved a good storm, and strong winds moved me so deeply I would write poetry about them. When my dad bought a sailboat, our family explored the Gulf Islands in British Columbia. Those adventures remain some of my best memories. I loved sitting on

Stormbound in Nain, Labrador There was a storm brewing off Labrador—one that quickly grew into back-to-back systems, nearly hurricane strength. We pushed One Ocean hard to reach shelter, aiming for the most northern settlement on Labrador Island: Nain, an Inuit community nestled in the wilderness

As we swing at anchor in Kangiqtugaapik—in Inuktitut—also known as Clyde River, Patricia Inlet on Baffin Island, the wind howls through the rigging at a steady 22 knots, gusting over 30. One Ocean creaks, and I hear the water lapping against her hull. I’m curled up in my bunk. The crew is still

We departed Fort Ross, on the east side of Bellot Strait, early Tuesday morning, September 2. We’ve just passed our first official icebergs. Not floes or sheets like the ones we navigated earlier, but true icebergs. Sea ice forms when ocean water freezes into flat sheets that drift with wind and

It’s my turn at the helm. I’ve been on watch with Grace and Mark since 10 p.m., and it’s now 12:30 a.m.—an hour and a half left before a crew change. It’s 32 degrees outside, no wind, but lots of fog. We’re lucky to be able to steer from inside. Despite the intensity of the situation, the cabin is

The sailing vessel One Ocean and her crew sit anchored off the Baillie Islands, NWT, watching a stubborn ice plug hold fast between Sachs Harbour, Baillie Island, and Cape Parry. We’ve got eyes on it from every angle: Canadian Ice Charts, daily satellite imagery from Harry Stern — a polar ice

Navigating the Northwest Passage: Science, Stories & Stewardship One Ocean is now deep in the Northwest Passage, traversing Inuit territory in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region—a place where land, ice, and culture are intimately tied. This region of the Arctic is starkly beautiful, shaped by wind

July 24, 2025 Position: Approaching 70°N Latitude, Arctic Ocean The time is 7:15 a.m. We have 10 knots of wind and are sailing at 6 knots—stretching out the quiet for as long as possible as the wind gently fades. The sky has finally opened up. A golden-orange sunrise spills across the horizon

It is our Project Director… Jennifer Dalton’s birthday today! Jennifer is essentially a second mom to me. I was so fortunate to grow up with so many incredible female role models. My blood family is full of strong women who have taught me to be the strong woman I am today, and so is my chosen family

Sometimes you find yourself wondering why you’re chasing certain dreams. What sparked them? Where did they begin? Recently, I was reminded of my own childhood curiosity, sparked in the pages of National Geographic Magazine. It was my annual Father’s Day gift to my dad, and the issues would line our