26 May
2023In this article we will tell you some interesting things about Antarctica!
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A one-of-a-kind route to Antarctica!
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Antarctica, an unforgettable adventure!
Not until 1840 was it established that Antarctica was indeed a continent and not merely a group of islands. About 99% thick continental ice sheet and 1% barren rock, this area saw little human activity.
This cruise will take you to some places where no man has gone before!
The Boat:
The two-masted schooner Amazone, 42 m length ice class sailing boat, will get us there!
She was launched by Olivier van Meer Design in the Netherlands and operates in the high latitudes of the Arctic and Antarctica.
Having a Sail size of 420 m2, Amazone is capable of high speeds in the water but is equally comfortable while cruising.
The Expedition:
In 2023 Maritime Practice will undertake 5 sail training voyages to Antarctica on the polar schooner Amazone. Every year a large number of tourists visit the southernmost continent, but few go there by the most beautiful and ancient way — under sail. Our first sailing voyage to Antarctica was conducted in 2020 — on the polar yachts Wind Dancer and Mon Coeur.
In 2021 we organized 4 sail training voyages to Antarctica on the schooner Amazone and we are planning to visit the white continent again in 2023!
We will cross the Drake Passage, learn the basics of sailing, get to the icebergs as close as possible, visit polar stations of different countries, watch penguins and whales in their natural habitat and much more.
The Terrain:
Let’s look through the whole itinerary:
Our trip will start in Ushuaia, a small resort town in Argentina, located in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. It is the southernmost part of South America, called "The edge of the world".
On day 2, we will sail through the Drake Passage, an intercontinental strait that connects the southern parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The next part of our trip is King George Island, with a visit to the Russian Antarctic research base Bellingshausen. It was one of the first research stations founded by the Soviet Antarctic Expedition in 1968.
After that we’ll sail closer to Yankee Harbor, a rocky cove on Greenwich Island. The American sealer, Nathaniel Palmer, discovered and named Yankee Harbor in 1820. There you’ll be able to see whale bones as a reminder of the whalers who practiced outboard flensing in the early years of Antarctic whaling (1906-1925).
Not far from there lies crescent-shaped Half Moon Island, where you can see Weddell and Elephant seals, as well as a large Chinstrap penguin colony, with approximately 3,300 breeding pairs!
We will reach Enterprise Island on day 5. There you can find 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.
During the cruise we will try to get as close as possible to Orne Harbour and Cuverville Island. Orne Harbour was first discovered by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition under Gerlache in 1898 and comprises 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 is a 252-meter high rock with a long shingle beach at its foot. About 6,500 breeding pairs of gentoos call Cuverville home, composing the largest rookery on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Another highlight of our cruise is Vernadsky Research Base, the only Ukrainian Antarctic Station located on the Argentine Islands. It used to beFormer British Faraday research station, but 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.
We’ll also have a chance to visit Port Lockroy, 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 is now is a historical site, and it functions only as a museum and a post office!
Day 10: The quest continues at the great Melchior Islands - a group of sixteen low, ice-covered islands lying in the Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica. Things to see there include penguin colonies and whales, pack ice and giant icebergs, groups of fur seals.
On Amazone ship there are 2 options for you to choose fromOn Amazone ship:
2-bed cabin, 10 900 € per person, or Admiral's cabin: 13 000 € per person.
You arrive and disembark in Ushuaia, commonly held to be the world’s most southern city. But despite this stopping point, you’ll be taking home memories that will accompany you wherever your next adventure lies.
