The Other Side of The Ice

"People board boats, slip the lines, and push away from shore for all sorts of reasons. With the exception of those who take to the sea to defend their beliefs or pursue commerce, the one common thread that binds the rest of them is discovery and, in many cases, self discovery. Sprague Theobald is one of those adventurous souls who looks at a boat and sees the possibilities that most people would not normally dream of. The Other Side of the Ice is a breath-taking adventure of a man who dares to transit the inhospitable and treacherous waters of the Northwest Passage, where men and ships have been thwarted or even lost over the centuries of marine exploration. This book is a classic journey of discovery, not only for the author but also for members of his family who join him to face whatever the ice and the unforgiving waters hold in store for them."

—John Wooldridge, Editor-In-Chief, PassageMaker Magazine

"When filmmaker Sprague Theobald set forth to transit the legendary Northwest Passage for a documentary on the changing Arctic, the stakes--and risks--were raised exponentially, for the crewmembers aboard his 57-foot yacht included his children, with whom he shared a difficult, if loving past. By turns wracked with self-doubt and stunned by the epic beauty of his surroundings, on multiple levels Theobald's journey was a venture into the unknown. What ultimately transpired lifts "The Other Side of the Ice" well beyond your standard adventure narrative, though it is certainly a gripping one. For the course Theobald charted led him not only to the ice, but straight to the human heart."

-Herb McCormick, senior editor, Cruising World magazine

"Here Theobald chronicles his 8,500-mile journey from Newport, Rhode Island through the Passage to Seattle on his 57-foot Nordhavn trawler, with a crew of five (including his son, stepson ans stepdaughter), as he pushes his fiances, his crew, his boat, and his emotions to, and beyond, the limits. At one point, trapped in the ice that threatens to crush the hull, Theobald asks himself, "Have I brought my family together only to lead them to their deaths?" Ultimately, Theobald and crew triumph over ice, the isolation, Arctic storms, polar bears, and stress-induced personality conflicts. When they finally step off the bat in Seattle, and this first-person page turned comes to an end, you want to raise a cheer for their survival-at sea, and as a family."

-Peter A. Janssen, former editorial director of Motor Boating and Yachting

Sprague Theobald of Hole In The Wall Productions lives and works out of New York . His production resumé is wide and varied. For several years, he worked for an NBC affiliate both in front of and behind the camera producing segments and news stories of regional interest, while working on his independent productions. Sprague’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed in that he’s received both national and international recognition for his writing, producing, cinematography and editing. Of his many awards and notices, he’s the most proud of his Emmy Award for “The 26th Defense; The End of An Era”. As a sailor Sprague has had a vast and varied career; he raced in The America's Cup arena for two years, competed in the "Two Man Transatlantic Race", the big boat series and has amassed over 40,000 off-shore miles. He one of the very few to have done a complete circumnavigation of North America.

In 2009 Sprague completed his transit of the Northwest Passage. His book on the trip "The Other Side of The Ice" is published by Skyhorse Books and is distributed by Norton books. It is currently available on Amazon and has place No. 2 on one of their Best Seller lists. The documentary of the trip, "The Other Side of The Ice" was released March 2013 and has enjoyed great reception in New York, San Francisco as well as other major cities. The 77 minute documentary was recently awarded an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Documentaries ~ Topical"

For the past year Sprague has been touring the country giving lectures and presentations on his passage through the Arctic. Sprague is also soon to start a new documentary and book about kayaking the Connecticut River from Canada to the Atlantic ocean.

For more information on Sprague please visit Spraguetheobald.com