Cape Horn, Patagonia voyages, Tierra Del Fuego glaciers, Arctic & Antarctica expeditions, South Georgia and Cold Southern Ocean Regions explorations. 1400 graphics and three hundred pages of Information on culture, history, fauna, flora, anthropology, geography, arqueology, Chile and Antarctic facts, kayaking, whale watching, trekking and introducing:
"Ultimate Adventures You Will Never forget"



Antarctic Peninsula

Pelagic Australis is on the Peninsula for her second ‘Ice with Everything’ voyage and Pelagic has just returned to Ushuaia to conclude her Antarctic season. Our Tierra del Fuego cruises are just around the corner and are fully subscribed. But there are two places left, due to a cancellation, for our popular RYA Delivery from Chile to Cape Town starting May 12th. Contact sailing@victory-cruises.com to make a booking.

 

Ski randonee on the Antarctic Peninsula in January. The British High and Wild team enjoyed five days near and below the Antarctic Circle in superb weather, skiing from base camp Pelagic Australis.

Next season is filling up fast, but the emphasis now is to attract the boldest of our clients for two 28 day expedition cruises to South Georgia. Dates are:

October 13th to November 10th 2007
November 10th to December 15th 2007

The first early season trip will take into account all of the wildlife and historical sites of interest, but is also the optimum time for skiers as the snowline is often down to the beach in this period. Ski randonee (ski mountaineering) can be a theme, but guests must be strong off piste skiers with mountaineering experience. Guides can also be organized. The Shackleton Traverse is an option, reserved for a stand alone group of experienced climber/skiers.

The second expedition beginning November 17th is when the wildlife is in full swing, temperatures are a tad warmer, and the landscape somewhat greener. So we are actively marketing this voyage for individuals wishing to experience the island at its most prolific.

Where in the world can you ski down through the penguins and seals? South Georgia in October – let’s do it!

This voyage is for a minimum of 21 days on Pelagic Australis or 28 days on Pelagic. We can accommodate up to ten guests on Pelagic Australis or six guests on Pelagic depending upon the circumstances and the goals of the party. We are interested in finding clients who have mountaineering, filming, diving or wildlife projects, but we can also take groups for general tourism.

PELAGIC AUSTRALIS IN SOUTH GEORGIA - OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER 2007

For our cruise to the Island of South Georgia the aim is to visit several places of interest, but spending enough time at each one to fully appreciate what the sites have to offer in a relaxed manner. Because of the vagaries of the weather in this rugged environment, the schedule outlined below is what may be possible, but will almost certainly not be adhered to! This is an expedition in the true sense of the word whereby we take things as they come and adapt to the circumstances. We are planning two expeditions from October to December. The first has an emphasis on ski randonee (ski mountaineering)and an attempt on the Shackleton traverse and the second will concentrate on the whaling heritage and wildlife of the island. See below for our 28 day itinerary covering the wildlife trip (also fully applicable to the earlier ski trip) which gives an idea of what can be done. To find out more about the destination generally send us an email.

Note: Because this is a true mountain wilderness, we are only accepting expert skiers and climbers for ski mountaineering and/or the Shackleton Traverse who are fully capable of safe operations (with respect to crevasse and avalanche risk) including the ability to self rescue. In the event of a group of competent amateurs applying as a team, we would be happy to organize a guiding service, the cost of which would be borne by the client group. Also be aware that for any camping ashore, the South Georgia Government requires the group to apply for an Expedition Permit, the cost of which is currently 1000 GBP. This cost must also be borne by the expedition group.

DATES

28 days on board.

Trip 1 Ski Randonee/Shackleton Traverse option - 13 Oct - 10 Nov 2007

Trip 2 Wildlife/Historical - 17 Nov - 15 Dec 2007

LOGISTICS

This cruise will begin and end in Stanley in the Falklands Islands. The Falkland Islands (direct your travel agent to Mount Pleasant Airport) is reached via Santiago and Punta Arenas on a once per week basis every Saturday with Lan Chile. Therefore these cruises can only be in multiples of seven days.

There is also a flight more or less once weekly from Brize Norton in the UK on the RAF flight now operated by a sub contracting airlines. This is an expensive, but time saving alternative. However, the flights can be cancelled or delayed without notice due to military priority.

Guests would board the vessel immediately on arrival and (weather permitting) the next day we would sail for South Georgia. Considering the traverse time there and back, 18 days are envisaged on the island for shore landings. It is the intention to be back in Stanley no later than the night before the Saturday flight out on Day 28 of the schedule.

COST

12000 EUROS per person which is all inclusive of food and drink once on board. A maximum of eight guests is envisaged.

This cost includes the use of Musto HPX sailing four weather gear, all personal safety equipment for sailing (lifejacket, harness) and the use of the Inmarsat communications equipment and the 100 GBP passenger landing fee. Full details, obligations on both sides and payment terms are included in the Charter Agreement.

NOTE: Due to the fragile nature of the fauna and flora on the island and the fact that tourist impact for some areas is under study and analysis, we cannot guarantee that all wildlife sites can be visited, as government reserves the right to close off any area deemed to be under threat at short notice.

PROPOSED ITINERARY

DAY 1

The charter guests arrive at Mount Pleasant Airport and take a 40 minute bus ride to Stanley to meet Pelagic Australis. They move on board immediately. The afternoon is spent stowing personal gear, familiarizing the team with the vessel and having ‘live a board’ and safety briefings.

DAY 2 - 4

Weather permitting, the vessel would leave Stanley bound for the northwest corner of the island 750 miles away. In most cases this would be a fast downwind passage in the prevailing westerly winds. Passage time would be roughly three to three and a half days.

 

Landfall South Georgia

DAY 5 -7

Landfall will be on the Willis Islands and we would continue with a passage through Bird Sound between Bird Island and mainland and anchor at Elsehul Bay. Here we would have a thorough briefing of the guidelines to follow with respect to the wildlife and take our first walk ashore. Weather permitting we would devote 2 days of possible waiting time at Elsehul in order to back track around the northwest corner of the island and enter King Haakon Bay where Shackleton and his men ran ashore. If conditions were calm, a night would be spent near Peggoty Bluff where his trek across the island began.

DAY 8 - 9

Leaving King Haakon we would sail back to the northeast coast through Bird Sound and make for Rosita Harbour in the Bay of Isles. Weather permitting, we would land on Prion Island in the Bay of Isles to concentrate a half day (this is the maximum allowance per visit according to the government’s management plan for this sensitive area) with Great Wandering Albatross.

This island has one of the highest concentrations of nesting Great Wanderers in the world. We would then sail overnight to King Edward Point which is the administrative base for the island.

DAY 10 - 11

Two days would be spent in King Edward Point which is a short walk from Grytviken, the premier shore based whaling facility on South Georgia which was abandoned in the 60’s. Visiting the whaling station which has now been incorporated into the South Georgia Museum is a full day. Long walks behind the station including a possible overland trek to Maiviken Bay are possibilities.

DAY 12 - 13

Sailing to the snout of the Nordenskjold Glacier in Cumberland Bay East is a must. Continually discharging ice into the bay, this is the largest of the glaciers on South Georgia. Later, an afternoon run down the coast brings us to Cobblers Cove, a natural harbour with a dramatic entrance. Gentoo Penguins are nesting on the slopes above the cove, while Macaroni Penguins can be found up over a pass back to the north (an hour walk). We would spend the night at Cobblers Cove. This is a good storm anchorage, so it would be used as a fall back in case of heavy weather while further down the coast.

DAY 14

Weather and surf conditions permitting, we would attempt the beach landing at Prince Andrew Bay a few hours steaming from Cobblers Cove. Behind the beach is the largest colony of King Penguins on the Island. In order reach the main part of the colony we would have to trek to the snout of a glacier in order to cross the river flowing from it down to the sea. It is a spectacular wildlife venue on a fine day.

DAY 15

Further south along the coast lies Gold Harbour which is one of the most scenic anchorages on the island. Again the landing is on an open shoreline and weather dependent and if successful we would spend the day on the beaches.

DAYS 16 – 17
Near the southern tip of the island Cooper Bay affords a rich variety of wildlife, including Fur Seals (in less concentrations and thereby the colonies more easily accessed) and many harems of Elephant Seals with the competing bulls (October cruise only). Two days in the area are required to fully explore the bay. If need be, the nights would be spent nearby in a safer anchorage at Larsen Harbour, a dramatic fjord with a glacier at its head.

DAYS 18 – 19 - 20

Most likely lost due to adverse weather, so we would in effect be spending more time in either Cobblers Cove, Larsen Harbour, Rosita Harbour or King Edward Point, all with access to the shore in bad weather.

DAYS 21 - 22

About this time we would need to be on standby for the return to Stanley. By Day 22, if there was a favorable weather window (considering the return is against the prevailing wind) we would be obliged to take the opportunity, in order to make sure that we arrive on time for the guests to make the plane on the Saturday, with at least a day to spare.

DAYS 23 – 28

Passage back to Stanley, arriving no later than the night of DAY 28.

DAY 29

Flight from Mount Pleasant Airport back to Punta Arenas with a direct connection to Santiago.

PHOTO OF SEALS

EQUIPMENT LIST (and some more photos of our ski mountaineering)

This list is for expedition cruises to Antarctica, South Georgia, Spitzbergen, Greenland, Iceland and Labrador.

The Antartica Voyage

Crew members meet the vessel in Puerto Williams Chile. From there we sail from the eastern end of the Beagle Channel directly south across the Drake Passage which usually takes between three and four days. For a minimum 21 day schedule (Pelagic Australis) we envisage 12 days on the Antarctic Peninsula in the Gerlache Straits area. Return time can take four to five days depending on the weather.

PELAGIC AUSTRALIS

Pelagic Australis was conceived as a successor to the present Pelagic which for the past 14 years has been based in Southern South America providing logistic support for adventure charters. It is also intended that Pelagic II be fast enough under sail and power to each year traverse the length of the Atlantic in order to work the northern summer in the Arctic. This means she should be able to achieve a 10 knot average in normal conditions.

Pelagic Australis' principal features are an aluminium hull and deck structure specified to be able to withstand navigation in brash ice without deforming hull plates between frames. A fully ballasted lifting swing keel and swing rudder will allow her to navigate in unsurveyed shallows, gain protection from drift ice by being able to enter shallow waters and also be able to dry out with the tide in an upright position.

Design of the pilothouse came first and then the boat underneath it. This focal point of the boat will have a steering station, the nav gear, chart table, foul weather gear storage and boot locker (heated by rising air from the heater below) and a pilot berth/settee, with enough space to have four or five people comfortably mooching around. Outside of the watertight door, a halfway house for three or four people gives overhead shelter but is in direct communication with the outside steering position, the sail control systems and a small cockpit. Here, people will be sheltered and have room for camera equipment at the ready, safety equipment etc.

Pelagic Australis will be able to accommodate up to twelve team members including a professional skipper and one or possibly two crew depending on the ability of the party. 

Equipment for use by the client:

2 x 4 meter inflatable boats with 25 HP outboards

Dive compressor  - Bauer Utilus 10 225 Bar

Bottle bank – 8 x 12 liter bottles with A frame and DIN fittings

Musto HPX foul weather gear

Communication Equipment 

Inmarsat  Nera Fleet 77 satellite terminal – voice and data at 64 K

Inmarsat C satellite telex terminal  - for email/fax store and forward only

SSB HF radio for ship to ship comms including amateur frequencies

Irridium antenna for use with clients handset

VHF Marine radio

4 x Icom handheld VHF radios

For longer expeditions with more ambitious goals, we can be autonomous with regards provisions, fuel and living space for up to three months. For a six week voyage we can reach as far south as Marguerite Bay. Whale watching (humpbacks) is always a feature of any Antarctic program. While on the western side of the Peninsula we navigate mainly in sheltered waters in amongst the numerous islands and base our activities ashore from good anchorages. 
Pelagic Australis was built at Southern  African Shipyards (Pty) Ltd. 10  Rotterdam Road, Bayhead, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Tel: +27 31 204  3400. Fax: +27 31 205 2181

LOA
22.5ms

LWL
19.2ms

Beam
5.9ms

Draft min
1.2ms

Draft max
3.9ms

Sail Area
Upwind
264sqms

Sail Area
Downwind
414sqms

Disp
48,410kgs

Fuel: 
6500 liters

Water: 
2500 liters

Launch in September 2003

Pelagic I in Antarctica