|
Feb 25 — March
20, 2009
The newly built Pelagic Australis
which has evolved from 15 years experience in the Antarctic and Southern
Ocean.
Pelagic Australis can take up to 8 passengers and 4 crew in
comparatively greater comfort and speed. The vessel is equipped with the
latest Inmarsat Fleet 77 satellite communications unit which facilitates
running online and store and forward filming projects. The vessel is
certified by DNV (Det Norske Veritas), has an MCA (Marine and Coastguard
Agency from the UK) certificate for carrying passengers and is CE
marked.
Pelagic Australis was built at Southern African Shipyards (Pty) Ltd.
|
LOA
|
22.5ms
|
|
|
LWL
|
19.2ms
|
|
|
|
|
|
raft min
|
1.2ms
|
|
|
Draft max
|
3.9ms
|
|
|
Sail Area
Upwind
|
264sqms
|
|
|
Sail Area
Downwind
|
414sqms
|
|
|
Disp
|
48,410kgs
|
|
|
Fuel:
|
6500 liters
|
|
|
Water:
|
2500 liters
|
|
PELAGIC AUSTRALIS
"I spent much of my younger years at sea captaining
vessels from 40' to 120' in length.
I found the
Pelagic Australis to be one of the finest, cleanest, most well organized
and
thought out
vessels that could have been constructed for arctic and Antarctic
expeditions.
It comes
with a highly professional crew that have thought out everything for
your safety,
enjoyment,
and adventure. It was the greatest voyage of my life. I must return one
day to the
high latitudes and my first choice will be upon the Pelagic Australis."
Captain Jack Frost
www.shilohplace.org
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.
Cost Details:
- Deposit: Minimum of $9,000
is required to secure your space on board the Antarctica Trip
- All rates are quoted per person in US$, based on twin occupancy.
US$ rates apply for all sales outside the area of the European Union
With your deposit, we will send you a comprehensive and detailed Trip Preparation
Bulletin about the experience and the destination.
Trip cost is are subject to change without prior notice and also after your reservation
was confirmed, due to the fluctuation of the dollar and higher cost of
fuel.
With your deposit, we will send you a comprehensive
and detailed Trip Preparation Bulletin about the experience and
the destination. All flights and trip costs are subject to change
without prior notice until confirmed reservation.
Tour price includes:
- Voyage aboard the Pelagic Australis
- All meals throughout the voyage aboard the
ship including snacks, coffee and tea
- All shore excursions and activities throughout
the voyage by Zodiac
- All diving services, tanks and weights
- Photography Presentation and Instruction
- Leadership by experienced expedition staff
- All miscellaneous service taxes and port
charges throughout the program.
- Comprehensive pre-departure material
Not included in Tour Price.
- Any airfare, whether on scheduled or charter
flights
- Pre and post land arrangements; transfers
to/from the vessel
- Passport and visa expenses
- Government arrival and departure taxes
- baggage, cancellation and personal insurance
( which is strongly recommended)
- Excess baggage charges on all flights
- All items of a personal nature such as laundry,
meals ashore, bar, beverage charges and telecommunication charges;
and the customary gratuity at the end of the voyages for stewards
and other service personnel aboard (guidelines will be provided)
- Additional costs incurred due to independent
travel arrangements
- Gratuities to the local guides
- Rebreather divers – supply of O2 and scrubber will be
available (extra cost)
Payment Policy & Deposit:
When we receive your deposit, we will
send you a comprehensive and detailed Trip Preparation Bulletin
about the experience and the destination. All flights and trip costs
are subject to change without prior notice until confirmed reservation.
- A non-refundable deposit of $9,000
is required to secure a space on board the Expedition
- Full payment is due no later than 90 days before departure.
- We reserve the right to sell any space that is not paid in full by 60 days before departure.
- Refund is made if replacement was found less unrecoverable costs of sales, administration special promotion.
- Cancellation must be made in writing, 90 days before departure.
- No refund is made for unused part of the itinerary.
What to Pack for the Land Excursions:
- Waterproof Back-pack for excursions
- Warm (thermal) underwear
- Warm trousers, such as ski pants
- Warm jacket, with good wind insulation ,
made of materials such as Gore-Tex
- Waterproof clothes (for our zodiac cruises)
- Warm sweaters
- Mittens, gloves, and a warm cap, warm socks
- Very important: warm, waterproof rubber boots.
No hiking shoes, because they will always leak on a wet underground,
when leaving the zodiacs ashore and when crossing a stream. We
do not supply any extra rubber boots onboard. You must bring your
own!
- Sun lotion (especially for the Antarctic)
and sunglasses.
Electric current
220 V / 50 Hz. US passengers will need
a 220 V / 110 V converter.
Diving
Plan on 1 to 2 dives per day "weather
and ice permitting".
We are also Rebreather friendly.
Diving Equipment:
All divers must have at logged at least
20 dry suit dives. You will need the following equipment:
- Dry suit with hood
- Thick and warm underwater garment (2 sets),
dry gloves or extra under gloves
- Freeze protected regulator
- 2 separate regulators, because we dive with
special bottles with two separate outlets
- Stabilizing jacket or some kind of BC
- Depth and pressure gauges, watch or computer
- Knife
- Mask, fins and snorkel
- Weight belt (weights available onboard)
- Rebreather divers – supply of O2 and scrubber will be
available (extra cost)
Equipment Onboard:
Onboard we have our own compressor (200 liters) and approx. 30 steel
bottles of 12 liters (DIN and Yoke connection) with two separate
outlets and weights. We do not have any rentals on board. Please
make sure you pack all your dive gear before leaving.
Travel Documents:
US citizens are required to have a valid passport and round-trip
air ticket.
A General Note:
Please note that the itinerary in the Antarctic is always "weather
and ice permitting.” It is always possible that because of
the pack and drift ice, a change in our sailing schedule will result.
It's also possible that certain bays or fjords are closed because
of ice. In such cases, we will re-route our voyage. Possible alterations
that relate to weather and ice conditions can never be a reason
for claims, reimbursements or whatsoever. When changing the itinerary,
we can assure you that we will do our utmost to provide the best
alternate plan.
Information current as of June, 2008. Dates and
prices may be subject to change without prior notice.
For Booking and/or further
questions, contact Amos:
Phone: (415) 923-9865
Toll free: 866-423-3483
Email: 2Antarctica@biganimals.com
We look forward to you joining
us on this adventure of a lifetime!
To join us, please complete the Registration
Form
|
Max. No. of Guests:
8
guests only
Availability:
3
spaces left
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Day 1
Feb. 25 - depart from the USA to Buenos Aires
Argentina. Flight leaving from the USA arrives there on the next
day.
Day 2
Feb. 26 - upon arriving to Buenos Aires change
plane for your flight onward to Ushuaia. Check in at a local hotel
and have a chance to make last shopping you may need before boarding
the sailboat on the next day. This early arrival will ensure that
you will have enough time to catch your domestic flight, with your
luggage and get acclimated.
We will meet
today for lunch and dinner together with skipper and the crew and
will share with you the last details about the voyage ahead.
Day 3
Feb. 27 - we board the Pelagic Australis about 12 noon and ready to depart sailing
through the beagle channel...
Day 4, 5 and possibly 6
Feb. 28, March 1 & 2 - at sea at last - we sail south into the Drake passage sailing high on the wave in silence and class that only sailboat can deliver. We will be followed by high seas, wind and several species of albatrosses, storm petrels, shearwaters and diving petrels.
Day 7 - Day 19
March 03 - 15 - With weather and sea condition on our side we arrive to the peninsula and may start with landings in the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula may include Paulet Island, featuring the remains of polar expeditions from the beginning of the 20th century, and a colony of hundreds of thousands of Adelie Penguins. Here at the tip of the Weddell Sea we see the magnificent table icebergs. At Brown Bluff we may set foot on the Antarctic Continent in a beautiful volcanic area. At Mikkelsen Harbor at the south end of Trinity Island we can observe a Gentoo Penguin colony and Weddell and Fur Seals hauled out on the beach. In the beautiful Charlotte Bay we may again set foot on the Antarctic Continent at Portal Point, where Crabeater Seals have often been seen. Here in the Gerlache Strait we often see Humpback Whales and Minke Whales. We try to land at Baily Head (Deception Island), where 100.000 Chinstrap Penguins like in an amphitheatre surround us. From here good walkers can walk to Whalers Bay. In Whalers Bay, we can observe the remains of the Hektor whaling station from the beginning of the 20th century. We intend to visit Hannah
Point, one of the best wildlife spots in the South Shetlands, with Giant Petrels, Cape Pigeons, Blue-eyed Shag, Gentoo Penguins, Chinstrap Penguins, a few Macaroni Penguins and Elephant Seals.
We will attempt one to two exploratory dives each day. We will dive on wall, which are cleared out of ice and explore to see the flora and fauna that made a life in this freezing water. We will search for stranding and anchored iceberg so to share with you the thrill diving on wall of ice!
Surely we are not going to miss the opportunity to be diving among Gento or Chinstrap penguins as they go out or return from sea. That is also the prime time to be aware off the ambushing Leopard seals.
There are two zodiacs on board some of us will go on land while the other go for diving and two hours later we change activity.
Pelagic Australis will push and sail south as far as weather and ice permit, we have no other limitation. Since we are such an intimate team and on board such a small vessel we do not need permit and coordinate our place of anchor and visiting. Rest assured that the crew will looking to be away from all other larger cruise vessel and looking for the most interesting bays and cove to visit as long as it is safe and the ice is not going to be of a hindering the vessel movement.
Day 20 – 23
March 16 - 19 - we start turning back north and sail through the peninsula for day or so before we face again the mighty Drake passage. On our way north we are again followed by a great selection of seabirds while crossing this unique body of water. We plan to arrive sometimes on March 19.
Day 24
March 20 - We depart early morning in time to catch the connecting flight from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires. This domestic flight to Buenos Aires is scheduled to arrive in ample time to connect with the international flights to the USA or to Europe.
Most diving activity on this expedition is exploratory
and offers a fascinating first time itinerary. A minimum experience
of 20 dives in a dry-suit is required. Must be an advanced diver
to participate. |
