Antarctica (Not the Peninsula)

[reynolds.brad]

Has anyone sailed to Antarctica or know someone who has?

I'm not talking about the Peninsula...I mean way further south to somewhere like Casey Station? or even further south to McMurdo?

[Bruce K]

I've been in to the Ross Sea and to McMurdo, but on a Russian Icebreaker, Its a long cold, rolly trip from anywhere, certain I would not like to do it in a small boat. You can sort of island hop through the NZ subantartic islands and Macquarie, but it's still long cold and rolly; swell comes from the west 95% of the time.

[IslandHopper]

Try getting in touch with CF Member 'Snowpetrel' i believe he's been down that way......

Cruisers & Sailing Forums - View Profile: Snowpetrel

Ice formed in the strong Katabatics blowing of the ice shelf in commonweath bay, Antarctica. By the time this picture was taken it had melted a lot. The wind was too strong to go on deck with a camera for 4 days

[Tillsbury]

Take a big holding tank. No discharge whatsoever south of 60S

[h20man]

Mariusz Koper (owner of s/y Katharsis II, an OYSTER 72 ) has been there several times. I believe the first was in 2011, and they stopped in at some of the research stations in off the peninsula. (you can see photos and some videos on their blog... https://katharsis2.com . Their Blog is in Polish, so .... google translate (or google chrome) can help you understand their writing.


The second time was in 2015. and then in 2017 they did their trip around antarctica (staying below 60S between 23 December 2017 06:56:20 UTC and Ending their voyage 05 April 2018 05:55:25 UTC. Their website for that feat is in Polish and English https://antarcticcircle60s.pl/en/ ) (Documentary video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKuCxflDj8Y

)


Mr. Koper is a very modest chap...



They also did the northwest passage in 2012 from East to West.. great youtube videos.

[h20man]

Originally Posted by Tillsbury

Take a big holding tank. No discharge whatsoever south of 60S

I understand no oil or garbage from the MARPOL treaty... but... do not see sewage (or grey water).


Can you help me understand the source of this as it would apply to 'pleasure yachts'? I understand the concerns of the impact from the MEGA cruise ships... yet I have seen a seal discharge more then a typical sailing vessel.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Tillsbury

Take a big holding tank. No discharge whatsoever south of 60S

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.

[GWilly]

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.

[SwellGuy]

What prevents ice from just building and building on the deck + rigging until you sink? Sunny breaks in the weather?

[fatherchronica]

I remember an article in National Geographic at least 20 years ago that said that the USA was the only country with research stations in Antarctica that did not remove it's waste of any kind and had pictures of hundreds of barrels, some leaking whatever, with penguins rearing their young among them because some of the waste generated heat. I hope we have adopted some friendlier practices.

[meirriba]

Try to contact a guy named Skip Novak of S/Y Australis.
He knows the area - it is his backyard.

[fatherchronica]

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.

[Ken Pole]

Check out RAN Sailing on YouTube. Johan sailed to Antartica from Sweden in 2005-07 in a small boat: www.youtube.com/channel/UCLYd5EnTTwUKhouIkHoqzMw

[Frank 101]

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.

[AndyEss]

I am going to go for a swim as soon as I finish this text. The only ice I want to see on my cruises is in my mojitos.
I did spend 3 seasons working off of the pack ice north of Alaska as a much younger man. My masochistic tendencies must have been freeze dried out of me.