Nord Hus
Nord Hus is a Brent Swain designed, 36-foot, Bluewater sloop, customized for high-latitude sailing. Nord Hus’ robust steel hull, insulated with foam, can navigate icy waters while keeping crew warm in cold weather.
Nord Hus was fitted with a custom mast and is cutter rigged for harsh northern sailing. This design has worked well on several round-the-world ventures.
THE WHY
The stories of adventure from ‘The Age of Polar Exploration,’ when Peary, Amundsen, Nansen, and Shackleton made discoveries of the North and South Poles, the Northwest Passage, and Greenland, opened my imagination to the far corners of our world.
Loving all things winter and knowing there were still discoveries left to be made, I launched my Arctic career 35 years ago. One thing all these explorers had in common was that they used ships built for cold and ice to transport teams and supplies closer to their goals.
I’ve always had this sentimental desire to go North in my ship, supporting and supplying my expeditions as they did 100-plus years ago. What does it feel like to start from your hometown? To feel the distance, the voyage, the connection to the sea and the cultures...
2025
THE VOYAGE
In April 2025, Nord Hus began its 3,450-nautical-mile voyage from the little town of Grand Marais, Minnesota, on the shores of Lake Superior. After sailing through the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway and the North Shore of Quebec, Nord Hus crossed the Labrador Sea to make landfall in Greenland's capital, Nuuk. The journey continued north, past the Arctic Circle, to pause in Aasaat for the winter.
Nord Hus will resume in summer 2026, heading north to Northwestern Greenland and Canada’s High Arctic and ultimately to return south and back to Quebec, Canada
2026
SCIENCE & STORYTELLING
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Qitdlarssuaq: Investigating dwelling sites of the 1850 Inuit migration from Canada to Greenland.
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Old friends: Dupre will return to visit Polar Inuit friends of Savissivik and Kullorsuaq in Northwest Greenland to share images of families he captured 25 years ago.
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Science: sea mammal observations and e-DNA sampling in collaboration with Adventure Scientists. Ocean mammal records and Little Auk colony counts with Sea Watch Foundation.
THE CREW
Our expedition begins with a three-person team: filmmaker Ryan Rumpca of Fram Studio Co. will join us for the first 10 days to document the start of the journey. Afterward, Lonnie and Pascale will sail as a duo toward Upernavik.
In Upernavik, we are thrilled to welcome back Ashe Berton. After our wonderful five-week journey together in 2025, Ashe returns for the duration. The team will be complete in Qaanaaq when Hyland Garvey joins us for the final legs and our homecoming to Canada.
P O L A R E X P L O R E R First circumnavigation of Greenland by kayak and dog team Explorers Club Fellow / Rolex Laureate
AR C T I C A D V E N T U R E R / M O U N TA I N E E R First All-Female Ascent of Mt. Lucania Royal Canadian Geographical Society Fellow
Ashe is a spirited sailor with a deep connection to the ocean and Great Lakes. It's the freedom of the open water and the best midnight stars that keep her hooked. Her sailing journey began with her Grandpa as a young girl, and grew while living aboard a friend's sailboat in Europe. Over the years, she’s gained offshore experience, including a Trans-Atlantic crossing and a Northbound Pacific crossing from New Zealand to Japan. Ashe recently participated in her first international race.
Hyland began sailing in high school in the Duluth racing scene. Since then, he has been striving to build a life filled with adventures—from sea to mountains. As a professional sailor, he has sailed over the world, crossed two oceans, and accumulated thousands of miles in between. He is the owner of the Superior Sail Loft, a sail loft in the Apostle Islands. In the winter, he spends most of his time exploring mountains in Alaska, armed with ice axes and a snowboard.
Ryan is an adventure filmmaker, photographer, and storyteller from Duluth, Minnesota. His work spans the globe from Svalbard to Alaska, with a special fondness for the world's cold, rugged reaches. As an Explorers Club member, Ryan aims to inspire and protect remote places and his own backyard. On Lake Superior, Ryan sails with a racing team. He finds joy combining his love for sailing and filmmaking in the Arctic.
2025 Updates from the water!!!
IN THE NEWS...
