Antarctic 2011

[nemoofsweden]

We are aiming for a private cruise in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic region late 2010 and early 2011.

Would be nice to hear from other boats with plans for this season far south.

We are: Andreas & Martin, age 35 and from Sweden, sailing an small steel boat named Nemo of Sweden.

[nemoofsweden]

Thanks!

We change the plan as we goes along. Now we took South Georgia out of the route since we changed our final destination from South Africa to New Zeeland

So the route now is Brazil-Uruguay-Argentina-Antarctic-Chile and then west out again. Our goal is to be far south before the end of this year.

We would love to hear from other boats or other people that have meet people/boats going south and west from there for all kind of tips&trix.

Thanks!

[nemoofsweden]

Bounce this thread. Met some boats now here in Brazil that have the same plan. Hope to meet ever more crews and get nice info. Anyone else going or know someone with the plan? please post!

[craigsmith]

The internet in a lot of these places is pretty terrible and most of the serious guys hanging out in that region don't spend all day on internet forums. You'll find the social scene in Ushuaia and Puerto Williams good though when you get there.

Make sure you get Mariolina & Giorgi's guide to Patagonia, it is the one to have. There really isn't one for Antarctica, a fact not to be lamented! You will collect notes and anchorage charts from others before going. This stuff isn't really published and you won't find it online.

Kiwi Roa has spent the last few years in Patagonia including a trip to Antarctica, photos here: www.petersmith.net.nz/photos
The Antarctica journal will give you a feel for some of the common stopovers.

No offense but you may like to consider your plans for Antarctica without a metal boat. It may not be difficult to find another more appropriate boat wanting crew, for example. When we did the Antarctica trip we took just such a couple off a Dutch boat who to their credit recognized the limits of their boat and themselves. Don't be the statistic that makes that mistake.

[sinbad7]

We just heard of the tragedy of a Norwegian 40 year old 48' steel/ferro sailing yacht ,the s.y. Berserk disappeared during a severe storm near the Scott base in the Antarctica. With sea spray in the storm turning the sails and rigging to ice in the prevailing -40C temperature it probably lost it's stability.

The captain and an 18 year old crew member had earlier been put ashore in order to attempt reaching the South Pole by a couple of small belt driven motor vehicles and the remaining 3 crew members were cruising around in arctic waters awaiting their return. They were all lost at sea and only the damaged life raft was found by m.y. Sea Shepherd which happened to be in the area and assisted wiith the search.

These waters have hardly any shelters and are full of drifting ice and is not a place for small sailing vessels.

[nemoofsweden]

Originally Posted by craigsmith

You will collect notes and anchorage charts from others before going. This stuff isn't really published and you won't find it online.

Not totally agree about this, there is a lot of interesting things to read on the subject and some is even "published" without any cost, like the very nice work of Poncet: (Southern Ocean Cruising as a PDF http://www.era.gs/resources/soc/SOC_web_v1.pdf

Originally Posted by craigsmith

No offense but you may like to consider your plans for Antarctica without a metal boat.

I'm aware of the go/not-go discussion but still try to think of it more in terms like "If I want to go, what do I need and what can I do to reduce the risk and not risk others" The idea is not to see the Antarctic (in that case a cruise with a few hundred others and RIB ashore after a 4 course dinner most be a lot more pleasant. The main idea is to cruise the southern ocean for an extended period of time and that would be difficult without our boat/home.

Originally Posted by craigsmith

Don't be the statistic that makes that mistake.

No intention for this. And I really hope we do not have to be ashamed if we get unlucky enough to encounter any severe problems. One can prepare, one can analyse the risk and try ones best to reduce them. But it's my opinion that is hard to gain a lifelong experience without trying. With a slow pace (now the plan is season 2011-2012 because we do not want to stress with the preparations here in South America). And to have time to gather all kinds of information, prepare as good as possible and listen to the people that know more than guess.

This is going to be fun, hard work and hopefully a very nice experience.

[craigsmith]

Nemo, I was talking about Antarctica, that's what your title and OP led me to believe. I would stay out of the Antarctic Convergence (including South Georgia) without a metal boat. But you will be fine in Patagonia etc. Enjoy your trip.

[craigsmith]

P.S. Poncet's guide is nice but very concise. You can get, and will want, much more detail.

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by nemoofsweden

The main idea is to cruise the southern ocean for an extended period of time and that would be difficult without our boat/home.

This is going to be fun, hard work and hopefully a very nice experience.

Just FYI, there have been a number of glass boats that have cruised the antarctic, and (to my knowledge) none have gotten into serious trouble. We know two first hand - Willy Ker in Contessa 32 Assent and John Neil in Halberg-Rassy 46 Mahina Tiare III.

And in the Arctic, we know John Gore-Grimes who has been frozen into the pack ice in a Najad 44. And several wooden and glass boats have recently been thru the ice in the NWP.

So, well built glass has proven to actually be quite tough.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by craigsmith

Nemo, I was talking about Antarctica, that's what your title and OP led me to believe. I would stay out of the Antarctic Convergence (including South Georgia) without a metal boat. But you will be fine in Patagonia etc. Enjoy your trip.

We are: Andreas & Martin, age 35 and from Sweden, sailing an small steel boat named Nemo of Sweden.

[nemoofsweden]

Sure we got steel just as Boatman61 points out (I guess?) but I guess that's just as saying: "Look at me, I got an LandRover, I can drive straight into a tree" I'll sure report back as we continue south. Right now we finishing up the Carneval in Salvador and now its another week at sea to Rio. Still a bit warm in the water for us...

[nemoofsweden]

Originally Posted by nemoofsweden

The idea is not to see the Antarctic (in that case a cruise with a few hundred others and RIB ashore after a 4 course dinner most be a lot more pleasant. The main idea is to cruise the southern ocean for an extended period of time and that would .

Sorry for my bad English. There is an "just" missing there I see now, our idea is not JUST to SEE the Antarctic. We want to go there on our own, take care of our self, take care of the planning, rules and so on. And then continue to NZ eastbound. So yes, we getting south of 60 deg for sure. Hopefully

I could not edit the original topic header but to be clear, we going there the season 2011/2012, in about 9-10 months that is

[craigsmith]

Your Dufour 38 is steel? Well okay. Sorry I thought it was glass. Go nuts!

[nemoofsweden]

It's a one-off just drawn by a Robert Dufort, we are not sure if the same family even if it was in the end launched in La Rochelle. I think I change that to the right here on each posts <-----

The boat has proven itself before, South Georgia in the early 90s with bad weather. But it is the crew that are the beginners, and thats us but we try to learn as we go along. Still is a lot to get a hang of!

[AJS]

I wish you well with your venture Nemo, and certainly understand your quest. I did it the other way about in 1992, sailing from NZ to the South Shetlands and peninsular. It was a great trip across the SO and fascinating time in the Antarctic, and worth the effort many times over.
Treat the charts as a guide only, there are many uncharted rocks.
Currents can and do run way faster than reported, we had 5 knots between Greewich Is & Robert Is.
We found many very useable anchorages, although very few were all weather. The holding is mixed, often shale and not too good, but with an 80 lb plough backed up at times with a 60 lb plough we held ok on all but a couple of occasions. Look out for those katabatic winds around the higher land/islands, they can be fierce indeed.