Annapolis, MD / Russian Arctic – Matt Rutherford, the 45-year-old veteran sailor attempting to become the first person in history to circumnavigate the Arctic Ocean solo, nonstop and unassisted, has been directed by Russia’s Northern Sea Route Administration (NSRA) to postpone his transit of the Northern Sea Route due to ice conditions.
Rutherford set out from Greenland on June 25, aiming to complete a roughly 10,000 nautical-mile solo circuit of the Arctic Ocean aboard Chimera, his 42-foot Valiant sailboat – a route no one has ever completed. The voyage, which serves as a fundraiser for his climate science nonprofit, the Ocean Research Project (ORP), had carried him across the North Atlantic and into Russian Arctic waters, where he was operating under an official permit and daily check-in requirements with Moscow.
The NSRA’s decision follows a broader pattern of vessels struggling against the ice this season, including Arc4 ice-class ships that have required icebreaker escorts. Authorities cited sub-zero temperatures forecast for the Chukchi and East Siberian Seas beginning August 17, along with a heavy, largely impassable ice field near Wrangel Island, as the deciding factors.
Rutherford is turning Chimera around and sailing approximately 4,500 nautical miles back to his home port of Annapolis, Maryland, and plans to return to the Arctic to complete the circumnavigation in 2027.
“I’m not going to pretend I’m not disappointed. I’ve been planning this for a long time, and turning around is the last thing I want to do. But this isn’t my call to make, it’s the Russian governments, and when they tell you the ice isn’t going to let you through, you listen. Chimera is in great shape, I’m in great shape, and I’m not the kind of person who quits. I’m going to sail 1000 miles to Norway, have a steak and a stiff drink, and then a further 3,500 miles home, spend the winter getting ready, and go finish what I started next year,” said Rutherford.
Even with the circumnavigation cut short of its full route this season, the water samples collected in the North Atlantic and into Baffin Bay by Rutherford, will go towards Ocean Research Project’s ongoing seasonal climate research in cross-examining NASA/JPL’s ECCO-Darwin ocean model.
Matt reached a fundraising benchmark of approximately $26,000 so far for a fundraising goal of $250,000 to support ocean research. Matt plans to return to the Arctic in 2027 to push that fundraising goal to the finish line.
“The success of the expedition doesn’t stop because the ice closed the route this year; the data collected at the start of the voyage is significant in advancing model prediction and interpretation of polar waters, ORP’s science activity will continue upon Matt’s return voyage, where permitted, and now our window for fundraising has greatly expanded to meet Matt’s fundraising goal to support the collaborative Arctic research we are presently coordinating for 2028,” said Nicole Trenholm, oceanographer, Science Director and co-founder of Ocean Research Project.
Follow the Voyage home and in 2027
Fundraising is through oceanresearchproject.org.
Live tracking is powered by PredictWind and available on the Ocean Research Project website.
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About Ocean Research Project
Ocean Research Project (ORP) is a nonprofit dedicated to Arctic climate research, marine science, and exploration. Founded in 2012 by Matt Rutherford, ORP has conducted more than a dozen scientific expeditions across more than 50,000 miles of ocean, collaborating with researchers including NASA’s Ocean Melting Greenland program and operating at roughly five percent of the cost of a conventional research vessel. With 88 percent of US polar science funding cut in 2025, its work has never mattered more. Learn more at oceanresearchproject.org.
About Matt Rutherford
Matt Rutherford grew up in Warren, Ohio, in a religious cult, spent his teenage years in and out of institutions, and found his way forward through sailing. In 2011 he became the first person in history to solo circumnavigate North and South America nonstop: 309 days, 27,077 miles on a 27-foot boat. The voyage was documented in the Emmy-nominated PBS film Red Dot on the Ocean. On returning, he founded the Ocean Research Project. He is a TED Talk speaker, host of a widely followed sailing podcast, and holds two Guinness World Records.
Source: Ocean Research Project
