ICE DIVING

Aboard the 53 ft S/Y "SARAH W. VORWERK"

ABOUT US

SARAH IN SOUTH GEORGIA

35 DAY SOUTH GEORGIA ITINERARY

1. DAY MOUNT PLEASANT - PORT STANLEY 
By bus or taxi from the airport to downtown Stanley. The military area - a one hour drive through the Falklands, across one of the three tarred roads of the Island - first impression with 'stone runs', farms and lakes at the horizon - we meet on the 'Sarah' at the public jetty in Stanley - you choose your bunk and get familiar with the boat - visit to the local pub to get to know some Falkland people. 

2.-6. DAY PORT STANLEY - SOUTH GEORGIA 
Southern ocean - 600 sea miles - wonderful seas with tough but beautiful sailing - everyone participates in the 2-4 hour watches - Albatross (e.g. Wandering Albatross), Cape Pigeons and Petrels follow us - closer to South Georgia we might see whales - we start looking for ice bergs - 4th or 5th day we make the landfall but follow the coast until King Edward Point, where we have to do the clearance. 

7. - 8. DAY GRYTVIKEN 
Clearance formalities - station visit - ruins, church and other historical places (Shakleton´s grave) of Grytviken - museum - sea elephants - wrecks and whaling station. 
TREKKING: 2,5 hours to Mount Hodges - first magnificent view across the island and Cumberland Bay - glaciers near by and the highest mountain of South Georgia, Mount Paget (2.934m) in the far distance. 

9. DAY GRYTVIKEN - MAIVIKEN 
TREKKING: We follow the east coast of Cumberland Bay until Maiviken, a small settlement - the "Sarah" picks us up and we set sails to look for a good anchorage in one of the nearby creeks. 

10. DAY MAIVIKEN - LARSSEN FJORD 
We approach our first glacier as close as possible. 
TREKKING: possibility to get some ice experience - we might find some safe ice caves, that would be tremendous: blue-white glossy and shining ice walls, silence. 

11. DAY LARSSEN FJORD - OCEAN HARBOUR 
Well preserved ship wreck from the 19th century - sea elephant and fur seal colonies - walking inland we might view some reindeers and waterfalls - like the reindeer also rats had been introduced by man, rats now infest most of the northern shores of the island and are a severe danger for the indigenous plants and animals. 

12. - 13. DAY OCENA HARBOUR - ST. ANDREWS BAY 
TREKKING: we can hike along the coast towards St. Andrews Bay. 
Breeding colony of approximately 100.000 king penguin close to the Heaney Glacier - king penguins are 1 meter tall and the most elegant of all penguins - the emperor penguin is taller but less elegant and breeds during winter, therefore he is very difficult to reach - the king penguin breeds on some subantarctic islands that get hardly reached by passenger ships, they do not breed on Antarctica itself - therefore this is a truly unique opportunity. 
TREKKING: reaching the Nordenskjöld top (2.355m) would take 2-3 days severe mountaineering, including the crossing of some glacier fields. 

14. DAY ST. ANDREWS BAY - GOLD HARBOUR 
Again we get a splendid opportunity to watch the king penguins - slowly we will continue towards Gold Harbour. 

15. DAY GOLD HARBOUR - COOPER BAY 
We have reached the most southern point of South Georgia (54°50 South, 35°45 West) - the coast is exposed to heavy storms and therefore consists of high cliffs and deep fjords. 

16. DAY COOPER BAY - LARSSON HARBOUR 
Larsson Harbour is a small fjord near the entrance to the enormous Drygalski Glacier - huge stone walls rise sky-high out of the southern ocean and produce a surrealistic atmosphere. 

17. DAY DRYGALSKI FJORD 
The most active and spectacular of all glaciers of South Georgia - the sea is covered by ice and ice bergs - the iceberg calving produces tremendous noise and reminds us of the immense natural force involved with this spectacle - blue-eyed cormorant colony. 

18. DAY DRYGALSKI FJORD - ROYAL BAY 
TREKKING: we observe the king penguin colony at Royal Bay and continue in westerly direction towards St. Andrews Bay - the path is rocky - we reach a plateau and have a magnificent view of the huge colonies of Royal Bay and St. Andrews Bay. 

19. DAY ROYAL BAY - GODTHULL 
Remaining ruins from a whaling station - rusty factory units and whale bones remind us of the industrial past of this island. 

20. DAY GODTHULL - COBBLER'S COVE 
We anchor in a tiny but totally calm bay, though the entrance is difficult. 
TREKKING: relatively easy we can reach a good height from where we can overlook the whole Cumberland Bay. 

21. DAY COBBLER'S COVE - LEITH HARBOUR - STROMNESS BAY - HUSVIK 
We will see 3 whaling stations today - huge, industrial installations give us an indication about the enormous scale of these whaling factories. 

22. DAY STROMNESS BAY - FORTUNA BAY - HERCULES BAY 
Biggest colony of macaroni penguins with approximately 80.000 animals. 

23. DAY HERCULES BAY - PRINCE OLAV HARBOUR - BAY OF ISLES - ALBATROSS ISLAND 
At Prince Olav Harbour we visit for the last time a whaling station - at Bay of Isles we can watch huge numbers of fur seals and breeding Albatross - due to the high concentration of fur seals at Rosita Harbour it is impossible to make a landfall here - at Albatross Island we get perfect opportunities to watch breeding Albatross: Wandering, Sooty, Giant Petrel and Grey Headed Mollymauk. 

24. DAY ALBATROSS ISLAND - ELSEHUL 
TREKKING: last opportunity for a long track to the most south-western part of the island - we can reach as far as Undine Harbour and Cape Paryadin - we watch the tumultuous Sea Strait between Bird Island and South Georgia, totally exposed to all seas and weathers - several breeding Albatross - this is a fulfilling moment and the right spot for our last day at South Georgia. 

25. - 32. DAY SOUTH GEORGIA - FALKLANDS 

33. DAY PORT STANLEY - GOOSE GREEN 
After 30 days of near isolation we will enjoy the advantages of civilisation again - sail along the southern part of East Falkland Island - Goose Green was one of the important battle grounds - Argentinean war cemetery - Goose Green is one of the biggest farms of the Falklands. 

34. DAY GOOSE GREEN - PORT STANLEY 
Sail back to Port Stanley and preparations for the departure. 

35. DAY PORT STANLEY - MOUNT PLEASANT 
Transport back to Mount Pleasant Airport. 

Maps of South Georgia and information

Location of SARAH