NanuQ

A Messenger for the Planet

Nanuq, a sustainable sailing boat

Nanuq (meaning polar bear in the Inuit language) is a 60-foot Grand Integral sailboat designed, built and skipped by Genevese architect Peter Gallinelli to sail in the polar region and withstand arctic winter in a self-sufficient mode, using only renewable energies (sun, wind, environmental heat), thanks to its innovative thermal insulation and heat recovery systems, coupled with an optimized energy management system.

Nanuq, The Passive Igloo Project

The passive igloo is a minimal habitat designed to serve as a scientific base camp and dwelling to accommodate, in complete self-sufficiency, a team of six during an arctic winter, taking in master students, doctoral students and researchers motivated by an interest and passion towards research in the Arctic regions. It is a demonstration project that illustrates that simple, robust, constructive and technical solutions may challenge low-cost energy scarcity in a credible way. Transposed to temperate climates, the experience feedback will be useful to outline the habitat of tomorrow, providing more independence and quality of life to its inhabitants.

Nanuq’s previous adventures

Summer 2015: Denmark – Feroe – Iceland – Greenland
Total distance : 4500 nautical miles (one way). Nanuq sailed from warm and densely populated Scandinavia via Iceland to snow and ice-covered Greenland, the green (and fairly warm) West-coast and up to the arctic north in the Qaanaaq region.

A winter in Greenland’s ice (2015-2016)
Nanuq spent the winter caught in the ice. Conditions were cold and dark. The sun set for a three months lasting night and exotic polar lights. Scientific investigations went on throughout the winter. People on board experienced living and working in the extreme.

Summer 2016: The North-West coast of Greenland
Total distance : 1600 nautical miles. Nanuq started in the high arctic region of N-W Greenland from where she sailed south via Melville Bay to the impressive W-coast, the alpine Upernavik and Ummanaq districts and Disco Bay renown for its huge icebergs. After a short stop in Aasiaat she headed further south following the sheltered inshore route to visit the alpine fjord region around Maniitsoq and reach Nuuk, the capital.

Summer 2017: Greenland to Iceland summer
Total distance : 1650 nautical miles. Nanuq started in Maniitsoq on the West coast of Greenland from where she sailed south via Prins Christian Sund to the East-coast, north and set over to Iceland.