British Yachtsman who Counted on Global Warming to Cross Arctic Now Trapped by Ice

NewsBusters ^ | September 4, 2007 | P.J. Gladnick

[PJ-Comix]

In one of the most hilarious cases of being tripped up by dubious scientific hype, British yachtsman Adrian Flanagan attempted to be the first to sail across the arctic north of Russia. He based his hope on the fact that he believed in the Global Warming propaganda that the arctic is rapidly losing its ice thus making his trip possible. One little problem. Cold cruel reality has crushed the Global Warming hype and now Flanagan's boat is trapped by ice in the arctic. To add to the irony, Flanagan who seems to be destined to go down in history as Wrong Way Flanagan, is now pleading with Russian authorities to provide him with the services of a nuclear powered icebreaker to get him out of his embarrassing situation.

As recently as August 18, Wrong Way Flanagan's hopes were still high that he could sail across the arctic north of Russia. Moscow News announced his trip in an article ironically titled, Global Warming is Here.

A British yachtsman, Adrian Flanagan, is due shortly to head off from Chukotka to attempt the first solo sail through the Northern Sea Route.

While one Chukotka port official described this as "kamikaze," Flanagan too is optimistic. Contacted by AFP he said that the ice looked set to recede at least as far as in 2005, which was a record year. But while some see opportunities, others are already counting the costs of climate change.

Flash forward to today and we can see the sticky situation that Wrong Way Flanagan put himself into by placing his faith in Global Warming to clear his path in the arctic as chronicled by Australia's Herald Sun in  an article with the sobering title of Ice blocks British solo sailor:

A BRITISH yachtsman attempting the first solo Arctic sea passage across northern Russia was examining his options after heavier than expected ice blocked his route, his manager said.

Adrian Flanagan is discussing with Russian authorities the possibility of using a nuclear-powered icebreaker to lift his boat out of the water and carry it round the most icebound stretch of Russia's Northern Sea Route.

...He had hoped that his 11m reinforced yacht would be able to get all the way to Europe due to lighter ice conditions observed in recent years, thought to be a result of global warming.

But after making his way through the Chukchi, East Siberian and Laptev Seas, Flanagan has been forced to a halt by heavy ice at the most difficult point in the route, the Vilkitsky Strait.

...Flanagan is now anchored by an island just east of the Vilkitsky Strait, still hoping for the ice to clear but working on the backup plan, his manager said.

She described the yachtsman's mood as “pretty fed-up”.

Besides the arctic ice, Wrong Way Flanagan now appears to have another problem. Remember those polar bears that Global Warming activists were warning us were endangered? Well, it now seems that the tables have been turned and those endangered polar bears are now endangering Flanagan:

Ostrov Peschanyy is a bleak, featureless island that is little more than a sand spit rising a few metres above sea level. It's a resting place for walrus and Western Arctic Marine Operations HQ have advised Adrian to keep a careful watch for polar bears hunting walrus there.

So as Wrong Way Flanagan, who has turned himself into a Global Laughingstock on the altar of Global Warming, remains trapped in the arctic perhaps someone would be kind enough send him a copy of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth for him to pass the time while waiting for the ice to melt and for the endangered polar bears to go away.

[PJ-Comix]

This yachtsman will definitely be known as Wrong Way Flanagan from now on.

[rellimpank]

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—http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1890816/posts

[theDentist]

BWAHAHAHAAA! Sux to be you Flanagan!

[U S Army EOD]

All he has to do is look for swimming polar bears, because there will be no ice there.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Polar Bear: "Ummm. Ummm. Good. This global warming allows ocean delivery into Sector R."

[GiovannaNicoletta]

This is priceless.

[MinuteGal]

I hope he realizes his yatch has been gored.

Leni

[CholeraJoe]

POGW ping.

[Socratic]

He should have used a Segway.

[JustDoItAlways]

The artic ice has been frozen solid all the way to the Siberian coast at the Severnaya Islands on the north end of the Kara Sea all summer. There is no way through for a sail boat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Kara_Sea_map.png

The rest of the arctic north of Russia has had less ice this year but only an idiot would believe this global warming hype without checking it out for themselves.

You might have heard the NorthWest Passage is now open as well. It was open for about a week but all three routes through are now closed off by the sea ice and I’m sure we will hear a few “sailboat stuck” stories from others trying to make it through the NorthWest Passage.

[TLI]

He based his hope on the fact that he believed in the Global Warming propaganda that the arctic is rapidly losing its ice thus making his trip possible.

It's true. You just can not make this stuff up!

[JustDoItAlways]

Here is a sat picture of the area (lower centre) with sea ice in Red from a few days ago. I don't know why a guy in sail boat would think he can get through.

[ClearCase_guy]

Jackson Pollock?

[OpusatFR]

Great book on ice trapped Arctic mariners in the 19th C becoming polar bear snacks:

The Terror.

Great sea yarn. Mixes fact with conjecture.

Wish I had some way to send it to him. It would give him something to read while he passes the time. ( -;

[Yo-Yo]

Reminds me of the Global Warming 101 expedition that had to evacuate team members because of frostbite.

[Manic_Episode]

What a dumbass. He probably still believes in global warming and is now blaming it for his predicament.

[xcamel]

FReepmail me to get on or off
Click on POGW graphic for full GW rundown
Dr. John Ray's
GREENIE WATCH

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good for a laugh.

[Lawgvr1955]

Sector R

Firesign fan?

[The Great RJ]

Ha-Ha

[fatnotlazy]

Funny and sad all at the same time.