The North East Passage is one of the most exciting and adventurous journeys in the world today. It is the sailing route across the roof of Russia connecting the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean. This film will follow the adventures of a colourful Irish crew as they attempt to sail their boat 'Northabout' from the notorious Bering Straits through the North East Passage to Galway on the west coast of Ireland. It is a 6000 mile journey through some of the most spectacular arctic landscapes on Earth and through a part of the world seldom or never seen by outsiders. The Russian arctic is the realm of polar bears, remote Cold War tracking stations, and Siberian natives untouched by the modern world. This film and journey will be an extraordinary window on that world.

Paddy Barry and Jarleth Cunnane are two of Ireland's most colourful sailors and this voyage will be the culmination of a sailing career that includes following in Shackleton's footsteps, sailing the North West Passage and being the first to bring a Galway Hooker across the Atlantic Ocean.

The film 'North East Passage' will have as its unifying thread this modern voyage but will use it to tell the history of one of the most remarkable and little known voyages in polar exploration - one that has fascinated sailors for centuries drawing many of them to their deaths.

The voyage took place in the Arctic summer of 2004 and 2005 when Paddy, Jarlath Cunnane and their team of Irish sailors brought the 'Northabout' up the coast of Alaska, into the Bering Straits and then into the North East Passage proper. In their first summer they sailed close to 1200 miles making it almost half way along the Northern coast of Siberia before thick ice and the onset of winter forced them to abandon ship. Mooring the boat in a small fishing village, the crew returned to Ireland to wait out the long Siberian winter. In August 2005 the Northabout crew returned to Siberia to complete their journey.

Filmed & directed by Gary Finegan
Produced by John Murray
For all enquiries please contact info@ctlfilms.com
Franklin Info - www.ric.edu/rpotter/SJFranklin.html
Northabout website - www.northabout.com