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Itinerary
Antarctica by Sailing Yacht
22 days - Feb-Mar - From US $ 16,548
It must be understood that the itinerary outlined below can only be a rough guide to what you will see and do while on the Antarctic Peninsula. Every cruise will vary due to weather and ice conditions, making it desirable to keep the itinerary flexible.
Day 1: Board Pelagic Australis in Puerto Williams, Chile. The afternoon is spent stowing personal gear, familiarizing the team with the vessel and having a safety briefing. The first evening will be spent tied up alongside the ‘Micalvi,’ - a ruined Chilean naval vessel, which now serves as the officers club for the local Chilean naval contingent and yacht club for the resident and visiting sailors.
Day 2: Leave Puerto Williams and head east through the Beagle Channel and turn south through the Cape Horn archipelago. Weather permitting; you will sail directly across the Drake Passage for the Peninsula. On the other hand, if the forecast is for strong headwinds, or risk of storm, you will shelter in one of three anchorages in the area. If you are storm bound for a day or two while the system moves through, there are opportunities for long walks ashore on the rugged terrain of Tierra del Fuego.
Days 2-5: Crossing the Drake Passage to first shelter on Deception Island should take no more than 60 hours. It is emphasized again that if storm winds are forecast, a day or two waiting in the Cape Horn archipelago will be necessary until a safe and comfortable crossing can be made.
Days 4-5: Arrive on Deception Island in the South Shetland archipelago. This is a semi active volcanic island and you enter the lagoon that is the caldera of the volcano, now flooded with sea water.
The landscape here is unique in the Antarctic region as the island is made up of volcanic ash and layers of ice. One night and day will be spent here rigging the boat for inshore sailing, briefing the team on the Antarctic guidelines with respect to the wildlife and taking any number of walks ashore which can include a visit to Whalers Bay, the site of the first commercial whaling operation in the region.
On the day of departure, sea conditions permitting, you will try to land on the southeast corner of Deception Island, where there is one of the largest Chinstrap Penguin colonies in the Antarctic.
Day 5: Sail south for the Gerlache Straits. This can be done overnight (in relative daylight) as the majority of the passage is offshore through the southern portion of the Bransfield Straits. From the northern section of the Gerlache Straits, you will navigate between Anvers Island and Weincke Island – the Neumayer Channel - and then continue south towards the Penola Straits.
From this point south, Humpback Whales will be in abundance, so you may change course at any time to get a closer look, which involves turning off the engine and drifting, hoping they come to us. Leopard Seals can also be approached as they ride the ice floes feeding off the penguin population.
Day 6: Early morning sail through the Lemaire Channel, a narrow, ice filled passage between the high mountains of Booth Island and the mainland. This is considered to be the most scenic stretch of water on the Peninsula and hence its nickname, “Kodak Valley!”
You will likely spend the day in the Penola Straits, with a possible temporary anchorage off Hovgaard Island. This and the nearby Pleneau Island are good places for walks ashore, where a small colony of Elephant Seals reside. The night will be spent anchored off Booth Island with stern lines to the shore on either side of an isthmus depending on which way the wind is blowing.
Day 7: In the middle of Penola Straits lies Yalour Island, which has one of the most attractive Adelie Penguin colonies on the Peninsula. On a sunny day, the views across to Mt. Shackleton and the peninsula plateau beyond are spectacular. In good weather you can anchor here for the morning and go ashore.
The afternoon and evening may be spent only a few miles away at the Ukrainian scientific station Vernadsky. This was formerly the British Antarctic Survey base Faraday, where the ozone hole was discovered with the Dobson spectrometer that is still in use today. You normally get a good welcome and a tour from the base commander.
The anchorage is very protected and you moor to the shore in a narrow backwater of the small archipelago of the Argentine Islands. This is also a very secure storm anchorage, and probably the best example of the old Peninsula bases still functioning.
Days 8-11: Three days will likely be spent probing south into the Grandidier Channel and possibly into Crystal Sound. Since condition of the sea ice is very unpredictable, it is never sure how far you can get on the inside passage, so you may have to backtrack and go on the outside via the Pitt Islands, where you have good shelter. On the outside of the island chain the big icebergs are usually stacked up touching the bottom and breaking up. If there is a swell running it is dramatic to see them heaving up and down and not uncommon to see quite a few capsize.
The culmination of the voyage and the goal for this part of the voyage will be to reach the level of the Antarctic Circle and land on the mainland. If you can make it through the inside passage, you will shelter near Prospect Point at the Fish Islands. Prospect Point is the site of an old British Antarctic Survey base that was abandoned in the 50’s and is soon to be removed. An interesting place if it is still standing!
This will be a highly variable (and therefore the most interesting part of the voyage for some people!) part of the voyage, as the landscape here is open and stunning, but on the other hand very challenging as good shelters for the vessel are few and far between. This is where you ‘suck it and see’ for want of a better turn of phrase.
Days 12,13,14: These days will be used to make up lost time due to weather and sea conditions. You will likely be held up by stormy weather somewhere!
Day 15: Working your way back up north through the Penola and Lemaire Channels you will anchor and put lines ashore to Weincke Island near Port Lockroy. This has become the de facto visitor center for the cruise ship trade, but it is always worth a visit. Formerly a British Antarctic Survey base and recently renovated as an information center, staff here provide the service of a British Post Office selling stamps, post cards, information sheets, maps, etc. The base, manned in summer only, has been declared a Site of Historic Interest within the framework of the Antarctic Treaty System. The base was originally built on a Gentoo Penguin colony and today the humans are still very much the guests.
Day 16: Going south around Weincke Island back into the Gerlache, you will motor for a few hours into Paradise Harbor, again spotting Humpback Whales along the way. The night could be spent at Cuverville Island (bird and seal populations) to the north or within the Melchior Archipelago between Anvers and Brabant Islands.
Day 17: The Melchoir Islands are the best place to jump off from for the return passage across the Drake. By Day 16, you will likely be watching the weather closely for an opportunity to cross. In case of an early departure, any spare days you have left can be spent near Cape Horn with a visit to Horn Island possible. The risk of a late departure is missing a favorable pattern and still being there on Day 20! When needed, you use the services of a weather router in America so as to predict the situation for about five days in advance.
Days 18-20: Re-crossing the Drake Passage and/or spare days at Cape Horn
Day 21: Puerto Williams, last night on board.
Day 22: You will fly back to Punta Arenas and connect to Santiago.
Day 1: Board Pelagic Australis in Puerto Williams, Chile. The afternoon is spent stowing personal gear, familiarizing the team with the vessel and having a safety briefing. The first evening will be spent tied up alongside the ‘Micalvi,’ - a ruined Chilean naval vessel, which now serves as the officers club for the local Chilean naval contingent and yacht club for the resident and visiting sailors.
Day 2: Leave Puerto Williams and head east through the Beagle Channel and turn south through the Cape Horn archipelago. Weather permitting; you will sail directly across the Drake Passage for the Peninsula. On the other hand, if the forecast is for strong headwinds, or risk of storm, you will shelter in one of three anchorages in the area. If you are storm bound for a day or two while the system moves through, there are opportunities for long walks ashore on the rugged terrain of Tierra del Fuego.
Days 2-5: Crossing the Drake Passage to first shelter on Deception Island should take no more than 60 hours. It is emphasized again that if storm winds are forecast, a day or two waiting in the Cape Horn archipelago will be necessary until a safe and comfortable crossing can be made.
Days 4-5: Arrive on Deception Island in the South Shetland archipelago. This is a semi active volcanic island and you enter the lagoon that is the caldera of the volcano, now flooded with sea water.
The landscape here is unique in the Antarctic region as the island is made up of volcanic ash and layers of ice. One night and day will be spent here rigging the boat for inshore sailing, briefing the team on the Antarctic guidelines with respect to the wildlife and taking any number of walks ashore which can include a visit to Whalers Bay, the site of the first commercial whaling operation in the region.
On the day of departure, sea conditions permitting, you will try to land on the southeast corner of Deception Island, where there is one of the largest Chinstrap Penguin colonies in the Antarctic.
Day 5: Sail south for the Gerlache Straits. This can be done overnight (in relative daylight) as the majority of the passage is offshore through the southern portion of the Bransfield Straits. From the northern section of the Gerlache Straits, you will navigate between Anvers Island and Weincke Island – the Neumayer Channel - and then continue south towards the Penola Straits.
From this point south, Humpback Whales will be in abundance, so you may change course at any time to get a closer look, which involves turning off the engine and drifting, hoping they come to us. Leopard Seals can also be approached as they ride the ice floes feeding off the penguin population.
Day 6: Early morning sail through the Lemaire Channel, a narrow, ice filled passage between the high mountains of Booth Island and the mainland. This is considered to be the most scenic stretch of water on the Peninsula and hence its nickname, “Kodak Valley!”
You will likely spend the day in the Penola Straits, with a possible temporary anchorage off Hovgaard Island. This and the nearby Pleneau Island are good places for walks ashore, where a small colony of Elephant Seals reside. The night will be spent anchored off Booth Island with stern lines to the shore on either side of an isthmus depending on which way the wind is blowing.
Day 7: In the middle of Penola Straits lies Yalour Island, which has one of the most attractive Adelie Penguin colonies on the Peninsula. On a sunny day, the views across to Mt. Shackleton and the peninsula plateau beyond are spectacular. In good weather you can anchor here for the morning and go ashore.
The afternoon and evening may be spent only a few miles away at the Ukrainian scientific station Vernadsky. This was formerly the British Antarctic Survey base Faraday, where the ozone hole was discovered with the Dobson spectrometer that is still in use today. You normally get a good welcome and a tour from the base commander.
The anchorage is very protected and you moor to the shore in a narrow backwater of the small archipelago of the Argentine Islands. This is also a very secure storm anchorage, and probably the best example of the old Peninsula bases still functioning.
Days 8-11: Three days will likely be spent probing south into the Grandidier Channel and possibly into Crystal Sound. Since condition of the sea ice is very unpredictable, it is never sure how far you can get on the inside passage, so you may have to backtrack and go on the outside via the Pitt Islands, where you have good shelter. On the outside of the island chain the big icebergs are usually stacked up touching the bottom and breaking up. If there is a swell running it is dramatic to see them heaving up and down and not uncommon to see quite a few capsize.
The culmination of the voyage and the goal for this part of the voyage will be to reach the level of the Antarctic Circle and land on the mainland. If you can make it through the inside passage, you will shelter near Prospect Point at the Fish Islands. Prospect Point is the site of an old British Antarctic Survey base that was abandoned in the 50’s and is soon to be removed. An interesting place if it is still standing!
This will be a highly variable (and therefore the most interesting part of the voyage for some people!) part of the voyage, as the landscape here is open and stunning, but on the other hand very challenging as good shelters for the vessel are few and far between. This is where you ‘suck it and see’ for want of a better turn of phrase.
Days 12,13,14: These days will be used to make up lost time due to weather and sea conditions. You will likely be held up by stormy weather somewhere!
Day 15: Working your way back up north through the Penola and Lemaire Channels you will anchor and put lines ashore to Weincke Island near Port Lockroy. This has become the de facto visitor center for the cruise ship trade, but it is always worth a visit. Formerly a British Antarctic Survey base and recently renovated as an information center, staff here provide the service of a British Post Office selling stamps, post cards, information sheets, maps, etc. The base, manned in summer only, has been declared a Site of Historic Interest within the framework of the Antarctic Treaty System. The base was originally built on a Gentoo Penguin colony and today the humans are still very much the guests.
Day 16: Going south around Weincke Island back into the Gerlache, you will motor for a few hours into Paradise Harbor, again spotting Humpback Whales along the way. The night could be spent at Cuverville Island (bird and seal populations) to the north or within the Melchior Archipelago between Anvers and Brabant Islands.
Day 17: The Melchoir Islands are the best place to jump off from for the return passage across the Drake. By Day 16, you will likely be watching the weather closely for an opportunity to cross. In case of an early departure, any spare days you have left can be spent near Cape Horn with a visit to Horn Island possible. The risk of a late departure is missing a favorable pattern and still being there on Day 20! When needed, you use the services of a weather router in America so as to predict the situation for about five days in advance.
Days 18-20: Re-crossing the Drake Passage and/or spare days at Cape Horn
Day 21: Puerto Williams, last night on board.
Day 22: You will fly back to Punta Arenas and connect to Santiago.
