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Old 25-09-2019, 11:07   #16
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Re: Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

I have been to Mawson and Davis bases on an ice strengthened supply ship
Last trip of the season in late March
New ice already forming!
Captain not happy -let’s get the supplies unloaded and get the hell out of here.’
I also sail and looking back on that trip I don’t think it would have been possible for a yacht to get through that much pack ice all the way to the coast line.
It took us many days to get to each base and back out to open water which was riddled with bergs and bergy bits.
One night I was on the 8-12 watch and became stuck after several attempts to back up in a small stretch of open water and ram my way through.
Captain came up and said that’s it we stay here and in the morning the ice will be just softened enough to make progress again.
It was getting dark anyway
I don’t really think a yacht could survive such heavy ice.
Mixture of sea ice, some new but also multi year sea ice which is hard as hell.
Then sailing through this are bergs the size of city blocks or bigger!
Early in the summer it might have been possible in a small vessel and obviously has been done.
The trip through the pack ice to each base took at least three days in and three out from open water.
There are leads everywhere of course but after first few hours we were in 85-90 % ice and searching for leads to keep us moving.
Don’t let me put you off it is the most awesome place to visit but getting right to the mainland would take some work.
They still had Huskies at Mawson- last year of them, with the mountainous back drop it is a classic Antarctic base.
Crew of Icebird could walk off ships gangway to the shore only about 150 metres away.
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Old 25-09-2019, 11:40   #17
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Re: Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

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Originally Posted by fatherchronica View Post
I have3 a stupid aside story I am going to relate. My father traveled extensively after he retired at age 54. 13 years later he booked a trip to Antarctica to bag all the continents. He lived in Northridge, California and I lived 18 west of him in Simi Valley. He had sent my step mother to Northern Cal. to stay with her daughter and I was to pick him up at 6:00 a.m. and take him to LAX. I was lying in bed awake when the Northridge earthquake struck with the epicenter about 1/2 mile from his home. Our house got rocked pretty good with our refrigerator upside down across the kitchen and our 36" tv 10 feet from it's stand in our bed. After I carried our daughters out barefoot through broken glass we got in our AWD van and listened to the radio. On hearing where the epicenter was I went in and got us clothes and I got a handgun and we drove to my dad's house. The Simi freeway was on a raised berm and had compacted down about 10"s and at every underpass, which didn't compact was a 10" concrete curb. There were crashed cars at every one one. We slowly got over the hill and found my 71 year old father outside in pajamas. His house had risen 13 feet and fell back 11' 11"s and he said he had been slammed into the ceiling. His slab foundation was split right down the middle and many homes in his neighborhood were flat. LAX was closed and he was not going anyway but it took almost a year of fighting to get his trip insurance to pay up. He never got there. Sorry, I am now old and ramble for no good reason. I have his super cold weather outfit now and live where it snows, but it doesn't get cold enough for that suit.
On another completely unrelated note....I like ice with my Bourbon.
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Old 26-09-2019, 02:16   #18
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Re: Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

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Originally Posted by StuM View Post
Is there an amendment I have missed?

ANNEX IV TO THE PROTOCOL ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TO THE ANTARCTIC TREATY PREVENTION OF MARINE POLLUTION

ARTICLE 6 DISCHARGE OF SEWAGE
1. Except where it would unduly impair Antarctic operations:

(a) each Party shall eliminate all discharge into the sea of untreated sewage ("sewage" being defined in Annex IV of MARPOL 73/78) within 12 nautical miles of land or ice shelves;

(b) beyond such distance, sewage stored in a holding tank shall not be discharged instantaneously but at a moderate rate and, where practicable, while the ship is en route at a speed of no less than 4 knots.

This paragraph does not apply to ships certified to carry not more than 10 persons.
Oops, my bad. There are some rules that apply to nz ships and other shops leaving from nz ports, but overall I think you're right.
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Old 26-09-2019, 04:30   #19
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Re: Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

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I visited there on a smaller expedition tourist ship (~100 passengers) last January-February, which is their summer. It was still cold! As a boater, I had many thoughts about what it would be like, or take, to cruise down there. I did see a few private sailboats during the cruise, most anchored up in inlets where a few outposts and stations were located. From my perspective, the trick is to get across from southern Argentina, say Ushuaia, to the Peninsula. That stretch of water is notorious for rough seas, even in the best weather. Keep in mind your course has you cutting directly across the prevailing Antarctic Current. Once across, the stories of icebergs are very true. Even in the short summer season, bergs are everywhere, and clog up some passageways, even blocking them. Keep in mind there are no fuel stations, no stores for provisions. I didn’t check but I believe you can’t recreationally fish anywhere within Antarctica. So it’s pretty serious business if you go down there.
The Ross Sea is VERY VERY different to the Peninsular!
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Old 26-09-2019, 06:06   #20
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Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

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I readin another thread somewhere that it’s not advisable to just “arrive” as you ar supposed to get permission first- which is apparently a lengthy process.


Permission form who? No one owns it, though some countries do claim territory there is supposed to only be for research.

The UK, Argentina and Chile all seem to claim the are area give or take. West of Chiles claim it is unclaimed until NZ territory.

Where are the US bases. They don’t have any claim from what i could see on the maps.

The British territory looks the easiest to visit. I presume that is where most people go.
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Old 26-09-2019, 09:06   #21
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Re: Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

Two books.
"Ridgeway Around the World"; a southern route to shorten his trip during a race.

"Logbook for Grace"; an old wooden sailing voyage in 1912 to hunt whales and slaughter sea elephants. A scientist went along and sent his wife, Grace, his logs of the voyage whenever postage was available. He named Grace Glacier and a few other places in the South Georgia islands.

Neither voyage reached Antarctica but they are good reading for anyone headed that direction.
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Old 27-09-2019, 12:37   #22
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Re: Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

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Originally Posted by mikedefieslife View Post
Permission form who? No one owns it, though some countries do claim territory there is supposed to only be for research.

The UK, Argentina and Chile all seem to claim the are area give or take. West of Chiles claim it is unclaimed until NZ territory.

Where are the US bases. They don’t have any claim from what i could see on the maps.

The British territory looks the easiest to visit. I presume that is where most people go.
If the flag state of your boat is a signatory of the Antarctic treaty, you need permission.
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Old 28-09-2019, 08:55   #23
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Re: Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

Those interested in reading about sailing to Antarctica might enjoy the book Ice Bird: The Classic Story of the First Single-Handed Voyage to Antarctica

David Lewis only sailed to the Antarctic Peninsula, so it doesn't address the OP's query.

Used copies of the book can be had here.
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Old 29-09-2019, 17:10   #24
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Re: Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

Thanks for the posts everyone.

I have actually been to the peninsula already on a cruise ship. It was amazing and I saw plenty of small yachts anchored in safe harbors. I will definitely be going back there.

However...

I'm wanting to know info (and I can tell you it's VERY hard to come by) about the rest of Antarctica...

I live in Australia so the peninsula is a hell of long way away.
Much closer to head straight on down south but without knowledge of even a single anchorage i can't see it happening yet.

Surely there's a safe harbor somewhere south of Oz? even just 1...? Something?
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Old 29-09-2019, 19:55   #25
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Re: Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

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Originally Posted by reynolds.brad View Post
Thanks for the posts everyone.

I have actually been to the peninsula already on a cruise ship. It was amazing and I saw plenty of small yachts anchored in safe harbors. I will definitely be going back there.

However...

I'm wanting to know info (and I can tell you it's VERY hard to come by) about the rest of Antarctica...

I live in Australia so the peninsula is a hell of long way away.
Much closer to head straight on down south but without knowledge of even a single anchorage i can't see it happening yet.

Surely there's a safe harbor somewhere south of Oz? even just 1...? Something?
Looking at Google Maps it looks to me that the coast of Antarctica south of Australia consists of endless miles of tidewater glaciers.


Coast of Antarctica south of Australia -- an almost unbroken line of glaciers


Antarctic Peninsula -- lots of bays and coves
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Old 04-10-2019, 08:22   #26
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Re: Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

The euphemism for the Peninsula is the “banana belt”. Even there few landing spots are available on the mainland due to the 100-300 ft walls of ice.

It is much more climate friendly than the rest of the continent.

I crossed the Drake Passage from Ushuaia in March 2007 in a 200 ft Russian icebreaker.

Once by Cape Horn We encountered an force 9-10 storm with 20-30 grey beards breaking off the port bow for three days, reducing the progress to 4 knots at times. Several waves broke across the bridge which was 50 feet above the water. The breaking waves sounded like freight trains going off the rails and when the hit the boat they sounded like a car crash.

Max recorded wind was 73 knots.

Awesome doesn't describe it.

The Russian first mate said he did 36 crossings that season and 33 were “bad.” He rated ours in the top five of “bad”.

It was clear the whole time, but the barometer plunged into the 950s. The lows circulate around the continent and hit about every 4 days. Timing is everything.

On the return from Vernadsky station (google for the humorous logo on their diesel storage tank) it was flat calm for three days with a long period 4-6 ft swell.

It would be the ultimate test for any small boat sailor.
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Old 04-10-2019, 09:55   #27
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Re: Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

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What prevents ice from just building and building on the deck + rigging until you sink? Sunny breaks in the weather?
That won't happen.
The boat will capsize first.
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Old 04-10-2019, 10:51   #28
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Re: Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

I suggest a read of the biography of Captain Cook by Frank McLynn... Cook spent a good deal of time exploring both the Antarctic and Arctic and anyone sailing in either region could learn from his experiences. This author devotes an entire chapter to one of Cook's ventures into the seas below the Antarctic Circle. It is full of good information for anyone who explores that region.
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Old 04-10-2019, 12:30   #29
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Re: Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

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That won't happen.

The boat will capsize first.


Yes, and since ice floats, it will return to upright, to capsize again.
First real perpetual motion machine?

Just kidding of course, but the rush of capsize is real, and on bigger work boats, like fishing trawlers, the crew will get on deck and break ice with basically I believe dead blow sledge hammers. Once broken off it’s shoved overboard of course.

Absolutely insane, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to do this.
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Old 04-10-2019, 17:28   #30
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Re: Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

Quote:
Originally Posted by StuM View Post
Is there an amendment I have missed?

ANNEX IV TO THE PROTOCOL ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TO THE ANTARCTIC TREATY PREVENTION OF MARINE POLLUTION

ARTICLE 6 DISCHARGE OF SEWAGE
1. Except where it would unduly impair Antarctic operations:

(a) each Party shall eliminate all discharge into the sea of untreated sewage ("sewage" being defined in Annex IV of MARPOL 73/78) within 12 nautical miles of land or ice shelves;

(b) beyond such distance, sewage stored in a holding tank shall not be discharged instantaneously but at a moderate rate and, where practicable, while the ship is en route at a speed of no less than 4 knots.

This paragraph does not apply to ships certified to carry not more than 10 persons.
How did this thread go from having an adventure sailing to Antarctica in a small vessel to toilet talk...?
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