After unusual Arctic storms, sea ice coverage in region is plummeting

Right now, a few hundred miles northwest of the tiny community of Tuktoyaktuk in Canada's Northwest Territories, a sailboat called the Northabout is fighting harsh winds and rough waters in the open Beaufort Sea. 

The ship has sailed more than 5,000 miles since leaving Bristol, England, on June 19, but still has a long ways to go. 

SEE ALSO: Taking advantage of melting sea ice, luxury cruise ship sets sail for Northwest Passage

"This little Irish boat should be given the Freedom of Westport," wrote David Hempleman-Adams, the expedition's leader, in a ship's log on Wednesday. 

"It has travelled through the Irish Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Barents Sea, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, East Siberian Sea, Chukchi Sea and now the Beaufort sea. Each sea has had its quirks. Laptev the hardest with the ice, and then closed behind us," Hempleman-Adams wrote. Read more...

More about Polar Ocean Challenge, Global Warming, Northwest Passage, Sea Ice, and Arctic Ice

Source: www.Mashable.com