At least they could have included a map of the 'waters'.
I only flew domestic flights but 10-15 yrs ago, one was near the Bering Strait where I was only 90 miles from Russia. I really could "see Russia from there!"
North of Barrow that summer was all hard and white. I doubt a ship could have easily made the passage without an ice breaker.
Yes, perhaps even longer than that. The Other Side of the Ice is the documentary of the trip, but it’s more a story of reuniting his fractured family than about doing the NW Passage.