On this Antarctic expedition aboard the Spirit of Sydney, seven lucky passengers will spend 28 days on board our 60-foot yacht, sailing to and from South Georgia and spending over 2 weeks exploring the ‘Galapagos of the Poles’. On this very personal trip, two highly experienced sailors, one captains and one crew make up the full team of nine people on board.
This is an incredibly rare opportunity to explore the seldom-visited sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia by yacht, observing the greatest density of wildlife on the planet. South Georgia boasts over 7 million penguins, 250,000 albatrosses, half of the world’s elephant seals and 95% of the world’s fur seals upon her shoreline.
SAFE ANCHORAGE/WEATHER DELAYS
If need be, the nights would be spent nearby in a safer anchorage at Prince Olav Harbour or King Edward Point, all with access to the shore in bad weather.
CLIMATE
South Georgia is in the South Atlantic Ocean. It has a polar climate due to the proximity of the Antarctic current. This keeps the seas cold throughout the year (approx. 2 degrees C in October). Icebergs are common, large icebergs travel all the way up from the Weddell Sea. The prevailing winds are westerly with mountain winds blowing straight up the western side and down the eastern side. The air is warmed and dried during this process making the East side of the island more sheltered and warmer. Temperatures in October are usually between -2 and 8 degrees C, warmest on the east side.
LOGISTICS
This cruise will begin and end in Stanley in the Falklands Islands. The Falkland Islands (direct your travel agent to Mount Pleasant Airport) is reached via Santiago and Punta Arenas on a once per week basis every Saturday with Lan Chile Airline. Therefore these cruises can only be in multiples of seven days.
FITNESS LEVELS
These trips are designed for fit, agile and active people who have adventurous and positive outlooks. Participation is the key to enjoyment. No sailing experience is required. There is no age limit as we have had fit and active people of all ages.
TRIP FORMAT
If you’ve been on luxury charters in the Caribbean or Mediterranean before…. FORGET IT! This is a real ‘hands on’ expedition and everyone will need to be active in making the trip work. All tasks aboard are shared including: sailing, helming, anchoring, even cooking and domestic duties….. You can always opt for the barbecue! Our aim is to take like-minded people on an experience of a lifetime and the expedition will work best if everyone is prepared to lend a hand and be a part of the crew. When you steer the yacht back to South Georgia, you will have a real sense of achievement knowing you have been a part of a small team that has not just ‘been to the sub-Antarctic’, but you actually did it with your own hands!
The charter guests arrive at Mount Pleasant Airport and take a 40 minute bus ride to Stanley to meet Spirit of Sydney and then move on board immediately. The afternoon is spent stowing personal gear, familiarizing the team with the vessel and listening to the Captain’s ‘live aboard rules’ and safety briefings.
Weather permitting, the vessel would leave Stanley bound for the northwest corner of the South Georgia which is 750 miles away. In most cases this would be a fast downwind passage in the prevailing westerly winds. Passage time would be roughly four to five days. Albatross, petrels and dolphins will keep us company. Once in South Georgia, we’ll spend a little over 2 weeks exploring the incredible bays and Fjords, and taking in all the amazing wildlife.
Landfall will be in Right Whale Bay. If conditions are calm, this would be a place to rest our sea legs a bit after crossing the Scotia Sea. Finn whales, orcas, humpbacks, southern right whales and blue whales can be found in the nutrient-rich waters around South Georgia. We may be blessed with extended views of them on our way to the stunning backdrop of black sandy beaches, tussock covered dunes, and the snow covered mountains of the Salisbury Plains.
At the Salisbury Plains we will enjoy sights of several hundred thousand king penguins standing shoulder to shoulder together with their precious chicks that spend over 14 months on land before they are ready to swim. Then we sail onward through the Bay of Isles and land upon Prion Island which is famous for its nesting wandering albatrosses along the boardwalks. As we walk about, the chicks will be nesting, and even as babies they can be up to one meter tall! This time of year is prime time for watching the 4 ton elephant seals battling out and seeing the seal pups being born (a spectacle for everyone’s eyes and ears). This segment ends with a few days ashore Prince Olav Harbour. Then work our way along the coast to the gorgeous Fortuna Bay when the weather window is at its best.
At Fortuna Bay, we head to Whistle Stop where Sir Ernest Shackleton stopped to listen for the sound of the worker’s whistle from the nearby Whaling Station during his heroic journey across South Georgia to Stromness. This was the first time in over two years that Sir Shackleton heard a sound from the outside world after his epic Antarctic voyage set sail in the year 1916. If the weather is suitable, those who wish will disembark and trace the final 5 km of the famous Shackleton Traverse from Whistle Stop to the Stromness Whaling Station.
From the Stromness Whaling Station, a few days would be spent in King Edward Point which is a short walk from Grytviken, the premier shore based whaling facility on South Georgia which was abandoned in the 60’s.
Visiting the whaling station which has now been incorporated into the South Georgia Museum is a full day. There is also a Post Office, Customs/Immigration check-in, and the hallowed location where Shackleton was laid to rest.Long walks behind the station, overland treks are also a possibility.
From Grytviken, we would sail to the snout of the Nordenskjold Glacier in Cumberland Bay East. Continually discharging ice into the bay, this is the largest of the glaciers on South Georgia. Later, an afternoon run down the coast brings us to Cobblers Cove, a natural harbour with a dramatic entrance. Gentoo Penguins may be nesting on the slopes above the cove, while Macaroni Penguins can be found up over a pass back to the north (an hour walk inland). We would spend the night at Cobblers Cove. It is a great place to sit with the sooty albatross, which is one of the only places in the world this can be done. This is a good storm anchorage, so it would also be used as a fall back in case of adverse weather while further down the coast.
Weather and surf conditions permitting, we would attempt the beach landing at Prince Andrew Bay a few hours steaming from Cobblers Cove. Behind the beach is the world’s largest rookery of King Penguins on the Island.
In order reach the main part of the colony we would have to trek to the snout of a glacier in order to cross the river flowing from it down to the sea. It is a spectacular wildlife venue on a fine day.
Further south along the coast lies Gold Harbour which is one of the most spectacular scenic anchorages on the island. Again the landing is on an open shoreline (weather dependent and if successful) we would spend the day on the beach. Both Prince Andrew Bay and Gold Harbour offer the possibility of viewing harems of Elephant Seals with the competing bulls (September – October cruises only). If we haven’t had the overwhelming feeling that you are walking within a wildlife documentary by now, our days ashore here will surely convince you. South Georgia has the highest bio-mass of animals on Earth and St. Andrews Bay is the most concentrated area of this phenomenon within South Georgia.
These days will be spent in the Bay of Islands area. Here we would have an opportunity to go ashore at the Salisbury Plain for a hike in an area located at the mouths of the Grace and Lucas Glaciers. This area is well-known for its enormous population of King Penguins (+100,000).
Weather permitting, we would also land on Prion Island, which has one of the highest concentrations of nesting Great Wandering Albatross in the world. Our visit would be limited to a half day (the maximum allowed per visit by the government’s management plan for this sensitive area).
About this time we would need to be on standby for the return to Stanley. By day 23, if there was a favourable weather window (considering the return is against the prevailing wind) we would be obliged to take the opportunity, in order to make sure that we arrive on time for the guests to make the plane on the Saturday, with at least a day to spare.
We will undoubtedly begin to see the first signs of the infamous Fur Seals swimming southward along the boat – the captain’s first signal to head back to the Falklands. Nearly hunted to local extinction in the late 19th century, they now migrate to South Georgia in numbers nearing 5 million. In the following weeks, these Fur Seals will land upon South Georgia’s shores forming a formidable barrier that nearly halts all landings along her coastline.
Passage back to Stanley, arriving no later than the night of DAY 28.Guests plan to take the flight the day after disembarkation, heading out from Mount Pleasant Airport back to Punta Arenas with a direct connection to Santiago on Saturday.
WHAT’S INCLUDED ABOARD?
Once you step aboard Spirit of Sydney all food, drinks (including local beer and Argentine wine), port fees, required permits, and IAATO passenger fees are supplied. You need only bring a credit card and a few US dollars for buying souvenirs at museums we may visit and for gratuities. You may also wish to bring a bottle of whiskey etc. for nightcaps. The yacht will be carrying 2 kayaks.
Not Included:
Personal clothing and equipment, travel insurance, entry visas, hotel and meals in the Falklands, travel to and from the Falklands, iridium communications while on board, cost of medicals, and dry suits for kayaking.
