Minnesota adventurer sails thousands of miles from Grand Marais to Greenland

Minnesotan Lonnie Dupre has succeeded so far on his latest adventure: sailing thousands of miles from Grand Marais to Greenland.

Dupre, adventure partner Pascale Marceau and two other crew members arrived Wednesday in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, after conditions diverted them from their initial target of the town of Paamiut. They set off April 10 from Minnesota’s North Shore.

A 36-foot sloop with a special steel hull insulated against icy waters has carried his team through several Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario), the St. Lawrence River, the Atlantic Ocean and the Labrador Sea, off Newfoundland, en route to Greenland.

The trip delivered nautical challenges and natural beauty, Dupre told the Minnesota Star Tribune.

While the special hull has provided maneuverability, speed and durability, it sprung a pesky leak at a fitting near the drive shaft that operates the propeller. The situation produced 300 miles of stress and problem management on the Gulf of St. Lawrence before the boat could get repaired.

“Sinking the boat was very real,” said Dupre.

A tiny bilge pump was a savior, ejecting 2 gallons of water every eight minutes.

Dupre, who took up sailing just two years ago, said the experience was intense even for a veteran adventurer used to extreme conditions.

“There is always something to be done or upgraded [on the sailboat] to make your life easier or safer,” he said. “You are always under a little bit of stress to keep moving forward and make sure everyone is safe.”

And then there is the damp wind and cold.

“I’d rather have 20 below and dry with no humidity,” he said, with a laugh. “It’s been a trip.”

The rotating crew that joined Dupre and Marceau witnessed awe-inspiring sights including a pod of dolphin-like pilot whales that played in the wake of the Nord Hus (North House) while it sailed from Labrador to Greenland.

The team will take a week’s break in Nuuk before traveling another 1,500 miles north over the next few months.

The Nord Hus will sail along the western coast of Greenland to the Ellesmere Island area in Canada. Before getting there, the crew will visit Kullorsuaq and Savissivik — two of the most traditional Inuit villages in the Arctic, Dupre said. He and his team plan to place a depot for a ski-and-pulk expedition in 2026.

Dupre is no stranger to challenges, nor to Greenland. He has traveled the perimeter of the rugged country by kayak and dog sled. He solo-climbed Mt. McKinley, also known as Denali, in 2015. He was the first person to summit the highest mountain in North America in January.

Now, resting up and resupplying in Nuuk, Dupre remained upbeat as he continues a sort-of crash course in sailing.

“When the weather is good, we go. When it’s bad, we sit,” he said of the trip that is expected to cover 6,000 miles overall. “But when it’s go, it’s 24 hours, day and night.”