ANTARCTICA

Sail training voyage to Antarctica
on the ice-class schooner
Amazone

22 December – 11 January(sold out)
13 – 30 January 2022 (sold out)
2 – 19 February 2022 (sold out)
22 February – 11 March 2022 (sold out)
LET YOUR DREAM COME TRUE – VISIT ANTARCTICA ON BOARD THE SHIP AMAZONE
In January 2020, our team had a maiden trip to Antarctica on board the sailing boat Wind Dancer as part of the expedition "Russian Sails 2020". The journey to the white continent has impressed us a lot, and it has resulted in a decision to sail back there on a larger boat.

From December 2021 till March 2022, for those in search of real adventure, we are inviting you to join one of the four Antarctic sail training voyages on board the two-masted schooner Amazone that combines comfort and high safety standarts of a tall ship with manoeuvrability of a small sailing boat.

The voyage will start and finish in Ushuaia (Argentina).
WHY SAIL WITH US?
  • Sail training voyage to Antarctica
    Take part in the sail training voyage and fulfil your lifelong dream of visiting Antarctica
  • Unique experience
    Unlike a large cruise ship, the format of a sail training voyage allows you to experience Antarctica as close as possible: approach blue icebergs, see whales at arm's length and visit the polar stations of different countries
  • "Competent Crew" training
    As a part of the training course, you will become a crew member: sail over the seas, climb masts, do emergency work, learn about the vessel and the navigation in Antarctica region
THE SCHOONER AMAZONE
The two-masted schooner is an ice class sailing boat launched by Olivier van Meer Design in the Netherlands. Built in 1963, she was operated as a fishery vessel in the North Sea. In 1993, she was refitted to be a sailing boat used for regular charter voyages.

She is capable of high speeds in the water but is equally comfortable while cruising.

Technical specifications of the boat:
Length – 42 m
Width – 6.8 m
Draught – 3.7 m
Sail size – 420 m2
ACCOMODATION
Trainees are accommodated in 2-bed cabins, men and women separately. Each cabin is equipped with a sink with cold and hot water.

Five showers and toilets are shared, as well as a spacious lounge for meetings and events.

RULES AND TRADITIONS
  • TERMS OF PARTICIPATION
    Both men and women are welcome! Minimum age – 12 years (with parents), or 18 years (solely). Previous experience is not required. At the beginning of the trip, our trainers give you an orientation, lectures, practical classes, which are vital to effective communication with the crew.
  • VOYAGE
    It is designed to be a sail training voyage on board the tall ship Wylde Swan. During the trip you will attend the program "Competent Crew" according to the International Yacht Training standards.
  • DUTIES
    Trainees are scheduled for navigation and general service duties on board, also they are involved in shipboard and sail works. Shipboard and sail works are needed when maneuvering or whether changes. Our help is crucial for the best crew operations. All hands on deck are very important when abrupt change of weather.

    By the way, all activities on board are voluntary. You can choose and rotate within the range of duties there. We want you to feel comfortable on board our ship.
  • DISCIPLINE
    We are a team. There is a schedule on board, and we are required to follow directions from the captain, officers and trainers. If we are supportive and we are on the same wavelength, thus our trip seems to be comfortable for everyone.

    A dry law is applied on board. According to sea rules, alcohol consumption is allowed at the beginning and the end of our trip only.
  • SAFETY ON BOARD
    All participants (crew, instructors, trainees) must present either a negative RT-PCR test result based on a sample collected no more than 72 hours before embarkation OR show a COVID vaccination Final Certificate (obtained after taking both doses of vaccination). RT-PCR timeline starts from the swab collection time. Your health is the most important for us!
  • MEAL, ACCOMODATION, EQUIPMENT
    We provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. All the trainees live in two sections: the large section (for 24 trainees) and the small section (for 8 trainees).

    Before setting out on a trip, participants will be informed about equipment requirements.
ITINERARY
MAIN STOPS
1. Ushuaia (Argentina) — 2. The Beagle Channel 3. The Drake Passage
4. King George Island — 5. The Russian Antarctic research base Bellingshausen 6. Yankee Harbor — 7. Half Moon Island — 8. Deception Island 9. Enterprise Island — 10. Orne Harbor — 11. Cuverville Island 12. The Lemaire Channel — 13. The Ukrainian Antarctic research base Vernadsky — 14. The British Antarctic research base Port Lockroy — 15. Melchior Islands — 16.
The Drake Passage 17. The Beagle Channel 18. Ushuaia (Argentina)


Duration:
18 / 21 days
Overall distance:
1650 nautical miles

*Click on the map to see closer
MAIN STOPS
1. Ushuaia (Argentina)
2. The Beagle Channel
3. The Drake Passage
4. King George Island
5. The Russian Antarctic research base Bellingshausen
6. Yankee Harbor
7. Half Moon Island
8. Deception Island

9. Enterprise Island
10. Orne Harbor
11. Cuverville Island

12. The Lemaire Channel
13. The Ukrainian Antarctic research base Vernadsky
14.
The British Antarctic research base Port Lockroy
15. Melchior Islands
16.
The Drake Passage
17. The Beagle Channel
18. Ushuaia (Argentina)

Duration:
18 / 21 days
Overall distance:
1650 nautical miles

Note: This is a preliminary voyage route, it is dependent on weather conditions. If required, the itinerary might be changed.
Note: This is a preliminary voyage route, it is dependent on weather conditions. If required, the itinerary might be changed.
MAIN STOPS
Ushuaia (Argentina)
At the airport of Ushuaia our staff members welcome you and provide a transfer to the sailing boat. After embarkation, you will meet our captain and other trainees.

Things to do after you board:
– Check your cabin
– Tour the boat
– Have a safety drill

The Drake Passage
The voyage begins! Our plan for the next few days is to sail along the Beagle Channel towards the Drake Passage and then cross it.

Crossing the Drake Passage is a real challenge on the way to Antarctica, as strong storm winds and high waves await us there. Such weather conditions require the coherent work of all crew members and trainees.
King George Island and Russian research base Bellingshausen
We are going to discover the Antarctic Peninsula with many stops at beautiful and remote sites. First, we will reach King George Island and visit Russian Antarctic research base Bellingshausen. It was one of the first research stations founded by the Soviet Antarctic Expedition in 1968. Since that time, it has been operated as a year-round station.
Yankee Harbor
We will spend another day at Yankee Harbor, a rocky cove on Greenwich Island. The American sealer, Nathaniel Palmer, discovered and named Yankee Harbor in 1820 when he sailed his 47-foot-long vessel, Hero, around the South Shetland Islands in search of good beaches and harbors for his sealing fleet. Several thousand pairs of Gentoo penguins will welcome you ashore. Also, here you can see whale bones as a reminder of the whalers who practiced outboard flensing in the early years of Antarctic whaling (1906-1925). Weddell seals are seen on beaches regularly.
Half Moon Island
Crescent-shaped Half Moon Island, lies on the eastern side of the Livingston Island, South Shetlands. Here you can see Weddell and Elephant seals, as well as Gentoo penguins along the shore and a large Chinstrap penguin colony (with approximately 3,300 breeding pairs) further up the hill. It is a home to breeding Antarctic terns, skuas, blue-eyed shags, kelp gulls, and Wilson's storm-petrels. Also there is the Argentine Cámara Station located on the south-west side of the island.
Deception Island

Deception island used to be home to a whaling station, the remains of which can still be seen today (it is a protected heritage site). The ring-shaped island is in fact the top of a volcano, a caldera. The Deception Island volcano is still active – eruptions have happened as recently as 1970. Although the wildlife on the ash covered island does not seem to be abundant, thousands of petrels, gulls, skuas and terns breed on shores and cliffs here.
Enterprise Island
This little Enterprise Island holds one of the few physical remains of man's occupation of Antarctica, the wreck of the whaling vessel Gouvernoren is here – only its bow is above water. This area was heavily used by whalers from around 1915 to 1930, and there are a few other artifacts from those times scattered around the shoreline if you look closely. The small scale and human aspect make this a great spot to discover.
Orne Harbor

Orne Harbour was first discovered by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition under Gerlache in 1898 and comprises of a rocky shoreline below scree slopes and patches of permanent snow. Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins as well as Weddell seals are common in this area.
Cuverville Island
Cuverville Island is a 252-meter high rock with a long shingle beach at its foot, home to a sizable colony of Gentoo penguins. About 6,500 breeding pairs of gentoos call Cuverville home, composing the largest rookery on the Antarctic Peninsula. Icebergs often run around nearby, and minke whales commonly frequent the nearby Errera Channel.
The Lemaire Channel

While sailing through the spectacular Lemaire Channel, you will witness one of multiple highlights of Antarctica. It is 11 kilometers long, 150 meters deep, and 700 meters wide channel with rock and ice rising out of the sea. Tidal currents often clog the passage with bergs and pack ice, so the channel is sometimes blocked for vessels sailing down south. Marine birds and orca, humpback, and minke whales often show up on the surface of water
The Vernadsky Research Base
The Vernadsky Research Base is the only Ukrainian Antarctic Station located on Argentine Islands. Former British Faraday research station, it was sold to Ukraine by the UK for a symbolic one pound in February 1996. As one of the longest operating bases in Antarctica, Faraday/Vernadsky Station has been the subject of scientific research studies on long-term temperature trends that indicate global warming.
The Port Lockroy Research Base

Port Lockroy is currently the most visited site in Antarctica. The spectacular mountain scenery, abundant wildlife and historical interest make Port Lockroy well worth a visit. Port Lockroy now is a historical site, it functions only as a museum and a post office. This remote piece of earth is home to a colony of Gentoo penguins.
Melchior Islands
The Melchior Islands are a group of sixteen low, ice-covered islands lying in the Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica. The islands were roughly charted by the Third French Antarctic Expedition under Jean-Baptiste Charcot in 1903–1905. Things to see there include penguin colonies and whales, pack ice and giant icebergs, groups of fur seals.
PRICE
New Year Voyage
22.12.21 – 11.01.22
10700 €

13.01.22 – 30.01.22
02.02.22 – 19.02.22
22.02.22 – 11.03.22

SOLD OUT
BOOKING AND PAYMENT
3000 € – within 7 days after booking
3000 € – before 1st July 2021
2900 € – before 1st November 2021
cancel and refund
Not later than 1st August 2021
included in the price
— An 18 / 23-day boat charter
— Ship accommodation with central heating
— Crew and meal services
— Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
— A brand-new voyage outfit (a jacket, a vest, a polo shirt and a hat)
— Fuel
— Taxes, port fees and permits, including a permit issued by the National Antarctic Survey
— Daily expenditures for a boat operation
— A life vest
— Bed cloths
— An access to sea charts and ship's library,
— A limited access to satellite phone, the boat works with satellite systems such as Iridium and INMARSAT (calls are subject to additional fares)
not included in the price
— Round trip flights to Ushuaia (Argentina)
— Alcoholic beverages
— Hotels and accommodations ashore
— Additional charges for single accommodation on board
— Visa
— Insurance and repatriation charges
— Use of satellite communication systems
ANY QUESTIONS LEFT?
Submit an application to join the voyage and we will get back to you as soon as possible

© 2022 All Rights Reserved
Photo credits: wyldeswan.com, Kate Uryupova.