A Korean container ship sails for the Northeast Passage
The 2,758 TEU Panstar Acro leaves Busan New Port today, due back around 5 October. It carries 737 TEU of real export cargo, which makes it a more useful data point than a proving run.
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Notes from the high latitudes
Notes on Arctic shipping, sea ice, regulation and passage planning — what the developments mean for a voyage, rather than what they mean for a headline.
Last updated 22 August 2026
Entries
Mid-August ice: what an extent figure does not tell you
Arctic sea ice extent stood at 5.33 million km² on 16 August, ninth lowest in the satellite record. That number is a poor guide to whether any particular route is passable.
Read →Scheduled sailings change what the Northern Sea Route is
Container traffic on the route has moved from occasional transits to advertised weekly departures. That is a different proposition for planners, and a more demanding one — with the caveat that the published numbers now come mostly from the operator.
Read →Extent, concentration, forecast, chart: four different questions
Most disagreements about whether a route is open come from comparing products that were never meant to answer the same question.
Read →The distance saving is the least useful number you have
Every Arctic route proposal opens with kilometres saved against Suez. Very few of them survive the questions that follow.
Read →Two new Emission Control Areas take effect in northern waters
The Canadian Arctic and Norwegian Sea ECAs entered into force on 1 March 2026. The sulphur limit follows a year later; NOx applies on different terms in each area.
Read →Polar Code voyage planning rules reach smaller vessels
From 1 January 2026, fishing vessels of 24 m and above, yachts of 300 GT and above, and cargo ships between 300 and 500 GT are covered by the Code's navigation and voyage planning requirements.
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