EUROPA

Please allow me to inform you about the voyages of the Europa.

 The Europa is a tree masted barque with the Dutch nationality. This winter she will sail from San Diego to the Easter Islands and will follow her way down to sail an original Cape Horn voyage of a least 3000 nautical miles.

 After the arrival in the Falkland Islands the Europa will not sail straight away to the land of windmills. She will first sail a few expeditions to for example South Georgia and Antarctica.

The end of February 2003 is the beginning of the final episode of her voyage around the world along Ascension and the Azores to st. Malo where she will give an acte de presence for the last congress of the “Amicale”, which is the same as the International Cape Horn Association. 

 

 
On July 21st left the Dutch 4 mast bark ‘Jeannette Françoise from Wallaroo, a small town in the Spencer Golf in South Australia, to Falmouth for orders.

The question is, if the crew realized that they where about to round the Cape Horn for the last time with a Dutch square rigger cargo ship.

In that same year the Stülcken wharf finished a ship what would spend a big part of her life guarding other ship on the Elbe with her fire en silhouette.

In the year 1912 was the Jeannette sold to Germany and will have sailed straight past this brand new light ship. Not knowing that this anchored chained ship would take in her place 90 years later.

Off course we are talking here about our bark Europa who is, with her 300 ton a lot smaller than her precursor. De Jeannette Françoise was with weight of 2300 ton the biggest Dutch sailing vessel ever.

The traditional Cape Horn trip has to be part of an Ocean Voyage of minimal 3000 nautical miles at a stretch including 50 degrees south in the Pacific and 50 degrees South in the Atlantic Ocean.
The voyage of the Europa will contain more than 7000 nautical miles and includes all the required demands.
 
There's a fascinating island 3700 nautical miles from San Diego in the middle of the Pacific Ocean barely touched by modern civilization, called Rapa Nui, the 'navel of the world' or better known as Easter Island. This is one of the world's most remote islands and a highly spiritual place.

The Europa will make a stop here and you will have the opportunity to solve the mystery of the Stone Giants, the Rongorongo, the hieroglyphic script or the thousands of petroglyphs (rock carvings).

After rounding the Cape the voyages continues till 50 degrees South and will visit the Falkand Islands, a group of islands which played an important role for so many Cape Horn sailors.

The Europa sails, in this memorable V.O.C. year, the Pacific Ocean and is at the moment in Japan. In the next period she will pass the Aleoeten, British Colombia en California.

The departure harbour is not without coincidence San Diego. Dana, the writer of the famous book “Two years before the mast”, started in 1836 also his home voyage in San Diego. He sailed with the bark ‘Alert’, a ship with almost the same size as our bark Europa.
For a long time the only connection between the American west coast and the more industrialized east coast was the dangerous and long route round Cape Horn.

Large amount of gold hunters, emigrants, furs, grain en other goods rounded Cape Horn for more than 100 years.

 Along that same sailing route will our Europa start her home voyage. The only land what will be visible will probably be the snowy mountains of Tierra Del Fuego with in front of the coastline the characteristic silhouette of Cape Horn.

Sailing it will not only be necessary to handle in the trade winds, but she also needs to control very little wind before she can profit the easy western winds towards the “Roaring Forties” and the “Screaming Fifties” and eventually Cape Horn.

Around 70 days with only the sky and the water is for most people a nightmare, but for some a boys dream. Enjoy the beautiful sky, sunsets, moonlighted seas and a horizon which sails with you day after day and still seems to change every time. Albatrosses, dolphins and whales at your side, but also stormy weather, mist, no wind en ice mountains will be a part of the voyage. 

It is very good shown on the Europa that the German have been building their light ships without being avaricious. In 1994 this elegant lady started a new life. Harry Smit rebuild her, with all the safety requirement. She became a beauty of a deep water sailor. Not only on deck you have the idea to go back in time for 100 years, but also in the deckhouse, the dining area, the library and the cabins you can find the atmosphere of times long ago. Behind al that beauty hides the modern equipments needed in these days.  

The Europa is no passengers ship. She is a sail training ship with worldwide certificates. Besides the crew of 14 persons, she has space for 50 trainees or “voyage crew”. They will be taught a way through the spaghetti of lines that will control the 30 sail of the Europa. This all on a very Dutch way, without shouting or uniforms. After a few days on board you will discover that this spiderweb of lines, evaluated through the centuries, an extremely efficient movement machine is.

It will be useless to search for winches or capstans. Everything goes on manpower. Helped by double yoles, handy billies and tackle blocks the machine of 1200 square metres will be set and trimmed.

Besides this the trainees will get in contact with the first beginnings of astro-navigation, estimated position, meteorology, oceanography, doing rope and canvas work but also baking bread and other daily work what determines the life on board of a sailing vessel.

The last couple of years the Europa obtained worldwide fame with her professional crew. Just as the last big windjammers from, the Europa proves that age, nationality or cultural background is not important on a Tall Ship. It is the will to bring “the love where you’re sailing with” together to another horizon that counts.

The embarkation trainees will consist of a variety of nationalities and ages. With the guidance of a Dutch captain en his fast team of crewmembers they will make an unforgettable voyage which will invoke a lot of memories of history.  

After the arrival in the Falkland Islands the Europa will not sail straight away to the land of windmills. She will first sail a few expeditions to for example South Georgia and Antarctica.
The end of February 2003 is the beginning of the final episode of her voyage around the world along Ascension and the Azores to St. Malo where she will give an acte de presence for the last congress of the “Amicale”, which is the same as the International Cape Horn Association.

During the voyage Azores – St. Malo, the Europa is going to sail with trainees from this worldwide famous institute. With this final historical joining of man of the disappeared sailing cargo carriers in St. Malo the presence of the Europa will emphasize the connection with the new generation of deep water sailors. They prove, against all expectations, that there is still a future of sailing Tall Ships just because there is a history.

 AN INTRODUCTION TO EUROPA

The history of Europa

Europa was built in 1911 under the name of “Senator Brockes” at the Stulcken shipyard in Hamburg, at the request of the city of Hamburg.  The ship was put into service as Elbe 3 lightship on the river Elbe, and later worked as a stand-by vessel.

In 1986, Harry Smit brought the ship to the Netherlands.  Over a period of 8 years, the ship was completely restored, fitted out with a Victorian-style interior and rigged as a bark.  The restoration was carried out under the supervision of the Dutch Shipping Inspection, Bureau Veritas and Register Holland.  She sails with world-wide certificates from each of these authorities and she complies with the highest requirements for special purpose training sailing ships.

Europa carries 27 sails and was the first square-rigger sailing under the Dutch flag in the late twentieth century.  After operating for 6 years, Europa has now broadened her sailing area to include overseas continents.  Europa is ideal for ocean crossings, being fitted out with various different places for relaxing: library, lounge, cosy corner and deckhouse.

Europa operates on a commercial basis under the private ownership of Barend Visser.

Life on board

Below decks your every need is catered for. On deck, you may, if you so wish, work with the crew sailing the ship, joining in the watch system; you may assist with manoeuvres, steering and navigation.  Above all, you will have the chance to learn more about the nature and wildlife of Antarctica and about the sea and sailing.

Europa is very comfortably equipped.  She may be steered from within the wheelhouse or on deck.  The various areas for relaxing allow you to do your own thing: perhaps to do some quiet background reading, or to take a more active role in the social life in the deckhouse.  The ship carries a video television, a cd- and cassette-player and radio.  There are also washing machines and tumble-dryers (although their use is restricted) and central heating throughout the ship.  All cabins have an en suite toilet and shower.  An experienced, professional cook and cook’s assistant look after your appetite, with very good, hearty meals, and a bar-keeper provides you with drinks.

At the beginning of your voyage you will be briefed about safety on board, special sailing terminology and sail handling, etc.  During the voyage the crew will be pleased to answer your questions.

 Safety

Europa, with her fantastic hull, is very solidly built.  She is fitted out for sailing world-wide and has all the safety certificates that Dutch law requires for these activities.  The ship was recently selected by the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute, the KNMI, to monitor the weather whilst at sea.  To enable us to do this, they supplied the ship with specialised equipment for taking observations 4 times per day.  In return, the KNMI will analyse our weather reports and provide routeing.

A minimum of 10 experienced, professional crew make sure that the ship operates safely.  They hold all the necessary professional papers and in addition to square-rig sailing experience, most of them are also specialists in another field.

We expect sailing round Cape Horn to be challenging, and we do not expect to find local repair or maintenance facilities.  We are equipped to be able to carry out such work ourselves on board.  In addition to a drinking water capacity of 18000 m_ in permanent tanks, we are able to convert sea water into drinking water using a water maker.  Food stores will be taken on board just before our departure from Ushuaia.  We will also take on board 22.8m_ of diesel to fuel the heating, electricity generators and the two main engines.  The ship has a power supply of 220V and 380V AC and 12V and 24V DC.

Our safety equipment comprises life jackets, life rafts, fire extinguishing equipment, fire-fighting outfits with breathing apparatus, diving equipment, a comprehensive stock of medicine, a sick bay, EPIRB, radar transponders, etc.

Europa’s navigational and communication equipment comprises a radar, a compass in the wheelhouse, on deck and in the rescue boat, satellite navigation system, an echo sounder, a sextant, two SSB transmitters, two Inmarsat fax terminals, two  VHF transmitters, six portable radios, emergency radio transmitter, etc.

The voyage fees do not include: travel and accident insurance, cancellation insurance, airport formalities and drinks from the bar on board.

Technical details bark Europa

Built            1911
Restored        1988 – 1994, Amsterdam
Home port        Amsterdam
Length overall        55.6m
Beam            7.6m
Draft            3.8m
Air draft        33m
Max sail area        1250m_
Engines        2 x 420hp
2-berth cabins        2
4-berth cabins        6
6-berth cabins        4
Toilets            each cabin has en suite facilities
Showers        each cabin has en suite facilities
Call sign        PDZS

Antarctica

Europa will visit the impressive but somewhat lower coastline of Antarctica where it is less cold. The sun often shines with pleasant temperatures which means that when there is no wind you may come on deck or go ashore wearing just a warm jumper and trousers. When it rains, however, a warm waterproof jacket really is necessary; a reminder that we are in Antarctica, even if it is summer.

Ice

As we approach Antarctica, we will probably come across large ice floes. Icebergs are normally visible on the radar, but on our passage to Antarctica we will be extra vigilant during the short night watches and in bad weather; a good lookout will be kept at all times. When we are really far south, amongst the islands, it will hardly get dark, if at all. One iceberg was once seen which were 335km long and 97km wide, roughly the same size as Belgium. It would take years for an iceberg of that size to melt. When ice bergs calve off the Antarctic ice cap, they drift north where they are caught up in the tidal streams which carry them east at a speed of 13km per day. A large iceberg drifting into warmer waters should break up into smaller bergs. Eventually they reach the Antarctic Convergence Zone, where they should melt. The limit of permanent and, for Europa, impenetrable pack-ice should lie to the south of the places we would like to visit, but fields of densely packed ice bergs might block our way to a planned destination.

Ashore

It will not always be easy to find good landing places, so it might not be possible to go ashore every day. Steep ice falls, cliffs and the swell of the sea might hinder safe landings, but as long as luck is on our side the Antarctic world will be open to us. The terrain is often hilly and there is a lot of snow. You might sink up to your ankles in snow. There is no customs authority, no police force; we will adhere to the Environmental Protocol. We will enforce our own regulations to ensure that we bring no harm to this beautiful but fragile environment. We will take extra care when provisioning to ensure that we create as little waste as possible. Our crew will sort our rubbish daily to separate paper, glass, plastic, cans, etc, which we will take back to South America. Food waste will only be disposed of overboard when we are far out to sea, in open water. We have drawn up several of our own rules that will apply to everyone who goes ashore at all times:
We will leave nothing behind us, particularly not cigarette ends. Everything will be taken back on board.
We must not disturb the wildlife. We must look carefully where we place our feet when walking. We must not tread on nests. We will not enter animal or bird colonies. If a bird leaves its nest once, that egg might be taken by a skua or it might get cold. We must be very aware of this when we are walking.
We must not disturb plantlife. We will try not to tread on mosses and lichens: it takes plants so long to recover here that a footprint might last for decades.
We will not remove any fossils, rocks or stones.
We will not disturb any buildings such as huts, stores and triangulation points.

VOYAGE DETAILS

GENERAL INFORMATION

ANTARCTICA

Which continent can arouse the imagination more?
When Captain Cook was the first, in 1773 to cross the Antarctic circle, and then complete his journey around the whole continent, there was a suspicion that it existed, but no one caught a glimpse of the continent during the journey. Not until 1819 were the South Shetland Islands discovered with its enormous fur-seal colonies. The dam gates were open. In the following three seasons the fur-seals were slaughtered, almost down to the last animal. And then the peace returned again to the islands
It took until 100 years ago, during the Belgian Antarctic expedition of 1897, under the leadership of Adrien de Gerlache, for an expedition to overwinter. The history of Antarctica in relation to people is very young, only a handful have set foot on land. Those that have been there have come under the spell of the still, untouchable continent; have lost their heart to it. They dream about going back some day, to again be astonished by the beauty and to bask in it’s purity.

The Antarctic Peninsula
The area which we visit with ‘Europa’ is the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, which are located to the north of it. This choice was made because of the favorable position with regards to South America; Cape Horn is just 500 miles away, and has a relatively mild climate.
In the winter the whole continent is closed in by a collar of fixed ice, but as spring gets under way the peninsula frees itself again from the ice-cold grip. Depending on the severity of the winter, the edge of the ice slowly shifts to the south and a relatively small ship such as ‘Europa’ has the opportunity to explore the area.

Climate
As we said, the southern winter it bitterly cold, but the period in which we sail – the middle of summer – the temperatures are mostly above zero. This, usually combined with calm weather makes it sometimes even too warm for coats. Continuous daylight is another feature of the summer. Although the sun just disappears below the horizon the mountaintops are bathed in a soft sunlight. In itself a source of energy. Those remaining at home often think that it must have been cold and desolate in the far south, but they will have been much colder in their northern winter.

Clothing
Special clothing is not necessary, a good woollen sweater or a fleece jacket is fine. Ordinary winter clothing with perhaps some extra warm underwear is sufficient. It is worth having good heavy weather gear for the crossing of the Drake Passage, but also for dinghy trips, where you could get wet from the spray. Rubber boots are indispensable. When landing on a beach you will often have to stand with one foot in the water and also, rubber boots are easily cleaned after a visit to a penguin colony.

Wildlife
A complete description would be too lengthy. The animal life is abundant, busy beaches with penguin colonies, still with eggs or already with chicks, seals, whales, all sorts of storm petrels and the list goes on. After the first day in the South Shetlands a guest who was visibly moved said that ‘even if we had to return immediately, it would have been worth coming’. Another two weeks of overwhelming impressions awaited us.

History
Although only covering a couple of centuries, history is evident everywhere; in the names of the islands surrounding us, channels, mountain tops and glaciers. In our well stocked library you will be able to find a potted history of every Antarctic place name, a nice way to retrace past voyages of exploration.  You will also find abundant information on whales and whaling, seals and seal hunters, descriptions of expeditions and novels.

 
SOUTH GEORGIA

South Georgia belongs to the so-called Sub-Antarctic Islands. This means that it is strongly influenced by the nearby continent of Antarctica but has a milder climate. An important facet in the location of the sub-Antarctic islands is that they lie within the Antarctic Convergence. This is a cold water zone around Antarctica with its own particular animal life. The island is about 180 km long with and has an average width of about 25 km. Deep bays are a feature of the north-east coast.

EUROPA/S.GEORGIA
EUROPA in South Georgia

Birds
The animal life is extremely rich. There is a great diversity in birds, almost all of them breeding. In the spring and summer tens of thousands of penguins come ashore to find a partner and to rear their young. The fact that the island is accessible from the sea all the year round ensures that the king penguin also breeds there. An other remarkable birds is of course the albatross. Not only the smaller types and the various petrels are encountered, but also the largest type, the Wandering Albatross, either breeding or with fledglings.

Mammals
Many mammals also choose South Georgia as a place to bring their young into the world. After being brought almost to extinction in the last century by American, Argentinian and Norwegian seal hunters the fur seal as well as the elephant seal have re-established themselves very well. The largest population of elephant seals in the world is found on the beaches of South Georgia.

Whaling
From the beginning of this century South Georgia was a centre for whaling in the southern ocean. Whaling stations were built in the various beautiful, protected bays on the northern coast of the island. The water was teeming with whales and in the early years the hunters didn’t even have to leave the bays in order to slaughter whales all season. Easy pickings, but this of course did not continue.

However ships improved, harpoons were fired instead of thrown, and the catching went on, until it was economically no longer viable: there were no whales left. The whaling stations were deserted but not dismantled, with the intention of returning when the whales had re-established themselves.

A visit to a deserted whaling station is a strange experience. Life has stood still. Supplies have simply been left behind. The little church still stands, but the climate does take its toll.

The landscape
There is just one word for it: overwhelming. The snow, the glaciers, the rocks,  and on the northeast coast the undulating hills and the tussock grass, it is all pure and untouched.    . Where the glaciers break up there are a lot of growlers and bergy bits in the water making it impossible at times for the ship to sail through.The typical Antarctic table icebergs run aground on the coast and are slowly eroded by the wind into beautiful ice formations.

The climate
Although South Georgia lies on the same latitude as Denmark (53°– 54°) the climate is completely different. This is due to the proximity of the Antarctic continent and the position of the island within the Antarctic Convergence. In the winter the pack-ice pushes itself  almost to the south coast and snowstorms wail over the icy peaks.

The summers, on the other hand are fairly mild. The temperature is usually well above freezing. On the lower hills the snow melts and the tussock grass grows. The north coast is the sunny side. The deep bays and sheltered areas ensure beautiful windless summer days on which you have no need to wear a jacket. But keep it within reach, things can change quickly.

The south west coast of the island has, due to it’s unsheltered position many more cold, raw days with lots of wind and rain or snow. The Roaring Forties are renowned as the windy zone in the southern ocean, but the Furious Fifties are not to be outdone.

Grytviken
South Georgia belongs the the Falkland Island Dependencies and thus officially belongs to Great Britain.The island is administered by the Commissioner of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.Grytviken, the administrative centre of the island, has a customs officer and a post office. Since the conflict between Argentinia and Great Britain in 1982, in which South Georgia was also involved there is also a (continually diminishing) military presence.

Life in the freezer
A few years ago the BBC made a television series, presented by David Attenborough, called ‘Life in the Freezer’.  The filming was done during the course of two summers, partly from the Damien II with Jérôme Poncet as skipper, one summer off the coast of the Antarctic Peninusula and one summer on South Georgia. The BBC is currently doing more filming with Jérôme Poncet, allotting two whole summers to this task, this time only concentrating on South Georgia. The island is definitely worth it.

 
 
FALKLAND ISLANDS

The Falkland Islands lie in the South Atlantic Ocean on a latitude between 51° and 53° south, a little further south than the Straits of Magellan, about 500 km to the east. The group of islands consist of two large islands, East and West Falklands and more than 200 smaller islands, spread over an area about the size of the Netherlands. The islands have deep bays and many natural harbors and anchorages. They are hilly, the highest point being about 700m and the vegetation consists mainly of heather like shrub, strongly reminiscent of the Shetland Islands.

The inhabitants
The population is originally mainly British but feel themselves to be Falkland Islanders. The population numbers about 2200, three quarters of whom live in Stanley and the rest spread over East and West Falklands and the smaller islands. Stanley lies on a large bay on the east coast and as the only town is also the capital.

The land is used for sheep farming and the wool produced is of a very high quality. The main source of income is the issuing of fishing licences.

Flora and fauna
The animal life on the Falkland Islands includes many kinds of penguins, seals and sea birds and is the basis of a small tourist industry. A handfull of English tourists come to the islands and cruise ships call in on their rounds of the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia.

Up until now the possibility of sailing around the islands to admire the rocks, cliffs and breeding colonies has been seldom taken advantage of. A great diversity of wild flowers adorn the islands. With a simple illustrated guide one can enjoy identifying them.

Climate
Although it is on the same latitude, the average temperature is lower than in the Netherlands.
Summer temperatures are rarely over 20°C . The almost ever present wind ensures that one must always have a jacket within reach. Rain is seldom heavy and the spring and summer months are even known for their periods of dry, sunny weather.

How to reach the Falkland Islands
The direct flight from the RAF base ‘Brize Norton’ near Oxford, England is a good connection with the Falkland Islands. A stopover is made on Ascension. Mount Pleasant Airport lies a short distance from Stanley and serves also as a military base which has expanded since the conflict with Argentina in 1982. This is actually the most expensive way to get there and the RAF tries to keep civilian passengers to a minimum.

The other possibility is via Punta Arenas, Chile. These flights have become a lot cheaper. In the near future there may also be flights from Montevideo, Uruguay, which will probably reduce prices.

OTHER INFORMATION

What to take

Your bunk has a duvet and sheets so you do not need to bring a sleeping bag. A small rucksack or shoulder bag is handy for walks ashore. Suitcases take up a lot of space in your cabin so we recommend you to use soft luggage bags. Please remember to bring your medical insurance certificates and, of course, a valid passport. Visas are not required.
In addition, you might consider bringing:-

warm waterproof and windproof clothing; thermal underwear, including long johns; waterproof sailing gear; warm hat and gloves. Several thin layers of clothing give better protection against the cold than one thick layer. Ashore, lightweight waterproofs are handy.
soft-soled shoes for wearing on deck.
waterproof boots. When you go ashore in the boat you might get wet feet. Strong rubber boots with warm socks are recommended. They are also practical when walking near penguin colonies where the ground may be boggy. It is important that your boots are waterproof.
warm, waterproof gloves
enough clothes for 3 weeks.
binoculars
sunglasses and sun cream; the sun is strong and the ozone layer is very thin in this region.
camera and/or video recorder with spare batteries. Remember that the batteries might go flat very quickly in the low temperatures.

Insurance

The ship's insurance covers all crew and guests on board.
We recommend you to take out additional travel, luggage, accident and cancellation insurance.

Seasickness

A sailing ship is much steadier in the water under sail in strong winds than a motor vessel. Once in Antarctic waters, we will be sheltered and the wind will be calm, so no one should suffer from seasickness. In Drake Passage, the winds are normally very strong and some people on board may suffer. Most will get used to the motion of the ship after one day. Healthy eating and sleep are the best ways to overcome seasickness. If you fear that you might be susceptible to seasickness, you can buy special plasters to stick behind your ears, or you can take anti-seasickness pills. Please buy these before you leave home.
Keeping in touch with home while you are away

In the event of an emergency, the ship can be contacted via the owners of Europa. They will try to contact the ship on a daily base via shipsí radio or Inmarsat. It is also possible to send a telegram to the ship anywhere in the world using the Inmarsat C terminal via KPN (Dutch telephone company). Emails may also be sent, but you must first register with Station 12.

Money

Cash for personal expenditure ashore and drinks in the bar on board should not amount to much.
US $ will be accepted in most places. Ushuaia also has automatic cash machines. Payment on board in cash. No credit cards are accepted.

Meals on board

Our experienced Shipís Cook and her Assistant will provide three varied and hearty meals per day. Tea and coffee are included in your voyage fee and are available all day. Other drinks on board will be charged at reasonable rates.
To book

Victory Adventure Travel is booking for your expedition. See below.
You are requested to fill in passport details, date of birth, etc, as this information must be included in the passenger list required by Customs in Argentina and Chile. We will, of course, treat this information as confidential. On receipt of your booking, we will send you a confirmation, with details of our conditions of payment.
We pledge to do our utmost to ensure that you have a smooth and enjoyable voyage.

Voyage details

EUROPA in South Georgia

Exclusion clause

In the event of exceptional circumstances, Smit Tall Ship BV reserves the right to cancel a voyage.
The voyage fees are guaranteed not to change.

Recommended reading

• Sir Ernest Shackleton, Journal of the South pole expedition.
• Antarctica. Lonely planet travel survival kit, Jeff Rubin. ISBN 0 86442 4159
• Antarctica, a guide to the wildlife, Tony Soper. ISBN 1 898323 47 X
• Birds of southern South America and Antarctica, Martin de la PeÒa and Mauriced Rumboll. ISBN 0-00-220077-5
• Whales, dolphins and porpoises, Mark Cawardine. In our opinion this is the best identification guide for whales worldwide. ISBN 0-7513-1030-1

The Antarctic Peninsula

ANTARCTICA


"The ship left the southernmost tip of Argentina to sail through Drakeís Passage, well-known and respected by seafarers the world over, past Cape Horn and across the Southern Ocean. We were accompanied on this passage by albatrosses, storm petrels, and terns, skuas and seagulls, which danced with us over the waves. After a few days, we called in on the South Shetland Islands, the most northerly islands of the Antarctic continent. In the Antarctic waters, we anchored off bays every day, sending groups ashore in the dinghies to see glaciers, mosses and lichens, seals, birds and penguin colonies. Here we also met many different types of the most loyal visitor to the Southern Ocean, the whale. Further south, we set foot on the solid rock of the Antarctic mainland. An amazing voyage is about to begin"

Antarctica is a huge, cold, white plain, which appeals to the imagination of many. Some people become interested in the North and South Pole after reading about the travels of Willem Barents and Shackleton. Others are more fascinated by the rich wildlife or the beauty of Antarcticaís unspoilt natural environment.

Antarctica is one of the oldest continents on our planet. It is known to have been created at the beginning of time, but man was unable to live there because of its extremely cold climate. It is also the last great wilderness on Earth. In the summer, approximately 7000 tourists visit the continent. About 3000 to 4000 researchers spend the southern summer living in several research stations, but during the southern winter, that number dwindles to less than 1000. When winter grips this great white desert, human activity is no longer possible.

Several countries claim territorial rights over different parts of the continent, but no country have ownership or sovereignty over any part of Antarctica. Following the International Geophysics Year 1957/58, the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 was drawn up, sharing responsibility for the continent between twelve countries. It was agreed that Antarctica would only be used for scientific research activities and that free access to the results of all research would be guaranteed. No type of military activity is allowed on any part of this territory and territorial claims of any sort are prohibited. In 1991, an Environmental Protocol was drawn up to introduce new regulations applicable specifically to tourism.

During our visit to Antarctica we will adhere strictly to these regulations. We consider it a great honour to be able to see this immense monument of Nature with our own eyes.

The climate

Antarctica is the driest and coldest continent on the Earth, and is surrounded by a wild ocean. The central plateau is a desert

 

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Europa

Antarctica is one of the last places on Earth to go for a unique holiday.
Until the middle of 1960 nearly all expeditions to Antarctica were for scientific purposes only, but tourism now is becoming of more importance Antarctica.

Regular short flights over Antarctica for tourists began in 1977 and developed using commercial jets flying from Australia, New Zealand and with jets and Twin Otters from Chile.

The main concerns about increase in tourism are environmental protection, safety, self-reliance (search and rescue facilities in Antarctica are very limited) and interference with Antarctic scientific activities.
The Antarctic tourism industry works to guidelines drafted by the industry itself and adopted by the Treaty nations.

Tourists are prohibited from doing such things as disturbing wildlife, dropping rubbish and "souveniring" artefacts.
These rules are usually the well respected by tourists who are generally environmentally conscious.
While tourist numbers are increasing, they only take short visits of 2-4 weeks.

Tourism accounts for less than 1% of the human population in Antarctica, with the other 99% being scientific expeditioners, who usually spend many months or years there.

Sincerely yours,

Capt. Ben Garrett