Polar Bear plans to prove global warming
A Zodiac H1100 Hurricane RIB equipped with the Shockwave Integrated Control Environment (ICE).
Adventurer and TV personality Bear Grylls is planning his next epic RIB adventure, which will take place in August when he traverses Canada’s infamous North West Passage from east to west aboard an 11m Zodiac MACH II Hurricane RIB.
Back in 2003, when he was not quite as famous as he is today, Bear, his team and an earlier RIB were the focus of attention on the Seawork pontoon shortly before embarking on a daring and successful effort to become the first crew to complete a crossing of the North Atlantic via the Arctic Circle in an open RIB.
The new boat is at the top of the Zodiac range and will incorporate the latest technology in RIB design. This includes the unique Zodiac Military Air Channelled Hull (MACH) that directs air to the keel to reduce drag and increase its speed. The boat will also be the first to feature a new Shockwave ICE (Integrated Control Environment) with seats to accommodate Bear and his four companions. This will be an important feature of the RIB as it provides shock mitigation seating within an integral console area. It has been designed to enable the crew and their instrumentation to withstand the continuous pounding that the RIB will experience while travelling at speed across ice-free water.
The aim of the expedition is to confound the doubters and demonstrate the reality of global warming by making a passage through waters previously impassable due to ice. They will also be raising money for the UK childrens’ charity Global Angels.
The Zodiac MACH II RIB will have an aluminium hull and be powered by three 300 horsepower outboards. It will be a standard production model, although the demands of the 5,700 nautical mile, 14 day trip will require the fitting of long range fuel tanks and canvas spray dodgers plus additional navigation equipment within the Shockwave ICE.
Although the Zodiac MACH II has a top speed of 65 knots the crew is expected to travel at more cautious speeds closer to 18 knots and will only accelerate when the sea is ice free. Although the Zodiac will have no formal sleeping accommodation, the crew is hoping to stretch out on special waterproof bean bags beneath the canvas spray cover and snatch some sleep whenever the opportunity arises. At night they expect to camp on the ice or stay at some of the isolated communities that exist on the north coast of Canada.
The team will be led by Bear Grylls and will consist of Tim Levy, whose company Future Capital Partners is a major sponsor of the expedition. Dave Pearce will be a helmsman and medical officer, Ben Jones is the RIB’s engineer and David Segel is lead navigator.
The crew has already completed an extreme sea survival training course with the RNLI at its headquarters in Poole. This was followed by a crossing of the English Channel aboard a smaller RIB so the team could gain experience of working together.
The deep ‘V’ aluminium hull of the MACH II Hurricane is sufficiently buoyant to support the crew and its equipment by itself and the inflatable collar only contributes to the RIB’s buoyancy in extreme sea conditions or when the boat heels in a turn. The RIB is manufactured by Zodiac Military and Professional (MILPRO) based in Paris.
The expedition team is inviting everyone to follow its progress on www.fcpnorthwestpassage.com where visitors can also make donations to Global Angels. Bear's own website is at www.beargrylls.com
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