Man Attempts Northwest Passage Navigation by Solar-Powered Kayak

A Swiss man aims to become the first person to navigate the entire 1,800-mile length of the Northwest Passage in a solar-powered kayak.

43-year-old eco-adventurer Raphaël Domjan will embark this month on an epic attempt to travel across Canada’s northern coast from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic, following a route discovered by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen in 1895. His goal is to cover 100 kilometers, or about 63 miles, each day in a specialized kayak powered by a small Torqeedo electric motor. The motor’s batteries will be recharged constantly by solar panels positioned on the kayak’s surface.

While sunlight in the Arctic is less intense than at lower latitudes, the fact the sun is up for more than 20 hours a day in the summer should offset any loss in charging capability. Even still, to complete the passage before freeze-up Domjan will need to run the kayak for at least 14 hours per day.

Domjan gained international attention in 2012, when he circumnavigated the earth in a solar-propelled catamaran named Planet Solar. If he succeeds, he will become the first person to traverse the Northwest Passage in an electric-powered kayak when he reaches the settlement at Pond Inlet sometime in September.