Ever sailed to 85N?

[muriel_volestrangler]

Despite this being the second melting season that rebounds from the spectacular sea ice loss event of 2012, there have been some notable events that characterize this melting season. We may have already become used to these events, but may do well to remember that they were much rarer before 2007.
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In previous melting seasons we had already witnessed a pronounced retreat of sea ice in this region of the Arctic. The event was quickly dubbed 'Laptev Bite', because that's what the open water grabbing its way towards the Pole looked like. But this year it's more than a bite. It's much wider and further into the pack, further than I have ever seen it go.
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For the past couple of years, an interesting article has been posted several times on climate disinformation blogs (unfortunately) by a certain Tony Brown, that is filled to the brim with anecdotal evidence that purports to show that the recent Arctic warming and sea ice loss is not so special after all. Tony Brown posted his latest version on the WattsUpWithThat blog two weeks ago. I've skimmed through it a couple of times, but couldn't find anything that shows that people could sail past 85N in the last two centuries.

This was the best I could find:

In August, 1922, the Norwegian Department of Commerce sent an expedition to Spitsbergen and Bear Island under Dr. Adolf Hoel, lecturer on geology at the University of Christiania. The oceanographic observations (reported that) Ice conditions were exceptional. In fact, so little ice has never before been noted. The expedition all but established a record, sailing as far north as 81o29? in ice-free water. This is the farthest north ever reached with modern oceanographic apparatus…

http://neven1.typepad.com/blog/2014/09/ever-sailed-to-85n.html

For comparison, the route of Nansen in Fram - frozen in at about 79 degrees north, almost due south of the 'bite', on Sept 22nd 1893:



Notice that Nansen, and before him Nordenskiöld in the Vega, had sailed north of Cape Chelyuskin at the top of the Tamir Peninsula, and completely missed the existence of Severnaya Zemlya to their north, the last significant islands in the world to be discovered, since they were surrounded by solid ice even at the height of summer. This year, you can already sail right around them in open water.