Arctic Passages

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

On Sept. 3, 1988, the yacht Belvedere and her crew rested offshore the massive granite headlands of Holsteinsborg Harbor in western Greenland at Davis Strait; having reached the eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage, they were the first to complete the voyage, west to east. Arctic archaeologist and historian Brockstoce had fulfilled a dream that began in Nome, Alaska, in 1972. There, with six companions he set out in a 32-foot-long umiak (a walrus-hide boat used by Eskimos) fitted with an outboard motor. During successive summers the group pushed eastward; in some years they were thwarted by ice. By 1980 they had reached Limestone Island near Lancaster Sound; the next stages would be through open, deep water. The umiak was suitable for sailing along the coast, but a sturdier craft was needed for navigating Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. Backstoce ( Wales, Ice and Men ) found a 60-foot-long steel-bottomed motor sailer, the Belvedere, for the final legs of the Passage. His account of this voyage combines superb adventure with an illuminating portrait of the Arctic. Photos. (Apr.)

Library Journal

In the summer of 1969 the only way John Bockstoce was able to reach Little Diomede, an island in the Bering Strait, was by umiak , a 35-foot, wood-framed Eskimo boat covered in walrus hide. This marked the beginning of his fascination with these vessels and his 20-year effort to traverse the Northwest Passage of the Bering Sea. Each summer from 1972 to 1989, Bockstoce and his crew (which ranged from Eskimo families to Oxford dons) returned to the Arctic to extend the voyage during the short traveling season using a umiak , and later a steel-hulled yacht. His passionate interest in Arctic geography and people illuminates the often hair-raising adventures through pack ice and gales, the delights of caribou stew and dried salmon, and the lore and comments of Eskimo friends who helped make the umiak and taught him whale-hunting. The achievement of his goal in the company of respected and loved companions is uplifting reading. Bockstoce also exhibits a good sense of humor, no doubt a necessary piece of Arctic equipment.--Susan Wexler, `` Library Journal ''