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expedition sail home >> charter schedule >> antarctica || south georgia
Antarctica
yacht charter & expedition support
All photos taken on our previous voyages
© Hamish Laird
All images (c) Hamish Laird
2009-2010
Only two spaces remaining for Antarctica next season
- a single berth on the trip
15 Dec 2009 - 14 Jan 2010,
and one on the 9 Feb 2010 - 12 March 2010
expedition. $15,000 USD per person.
Contact us now to reserve your place.
View our photos from Antarctica 2007 and Antarctica 2008
Our 2007 guests' website antarctica2007.com follows a similar route to our 2009-10 itineraries.
Our 2008 guests' blog is online at Antarctica 2008
Sail to a world of ice and mountains.
Listen to the ice chatter as you cruise in the shadow of the mountains, visit penguin rookeries, and sail amongst seals, whales, calving glaciers, and breathtaking vistas.
This is an excellent voyage for bird watchers, scuba divers, mountaineers, and sailors looking for wild cruising.
Best Dates: December-March
Minimum Charter: 28 days
Best Length: 32+ days
Start/Finish: Ushuaia, Argentina
CONTACT US to discuss your plans
Mid December to March is best time of year to visit Antarctica - the sea ice is near its minimum which gives us the most freedom to explore and the days are still long.
The Drake Passage usually takes three days, and then we will have nearly a month to explore the Antarctic Peninsula at our leisure. In these regions, we can expect several days of down time due to bad weather, and a longer voyage means these down days are an enjoyable time to catch up, write in journals, and reflect on the trip, rather than a stressful high percentage of your Antarctic visit.
Seal is ideally suited for small groups wishing to visit extreme latitudes. With all the comforts of a much larger boat you can enjoy the advantages of having a private charter with an itinerary based on what you want to do.
The raised saloon gives you a view on the world, with plenty of room for your entire party to enjoy the sights, or retire to your cabin, with its comfortable bunk, library and computer desk when you need a bit of privacy.
All of Seal's voyages are "expedition style" which means we expect you to help with standing watch, sail handling and boat keeping to the extent of your abilities (no experience necessary), as well as assist with food preparation and clean up and look after your own cabins and equipment.
What's covered in the price
* Shared cabin
* Food (including table wine) and lodging, aboard Seal from the 11 am on on the scheduled start day until 4 pm on the scheduled end day of the charter.
* Port fees
* Use of safety equipment, including harnesses
* Sheets, towel, pillows
What's not included
* Transportation to and from the boat
* Shoreside accommodation
* Hard alcohol
* You must have a valid passport, visas if required, and a flexible air or sea ticket from the destination country to your home country
* Personal medical and evacuation insurance
* Personal clothing, including foul weather gear, seaboots, sleeping bags
* Permits for any projects ashore (climbing, research, etc.)
Why is a 32 day charter twice as long as a 21 day charter?
Many operators are now offering 21 day trips to the Antarctic Peninsula. We think this is too short ... all the charter yachts take roughly 3-4 days to cross the Drake Passage, with a few days added on in Chile to visit Cape Horn or wait for a good weather window. So, if you calculate 10 days in transit for good weather, with a worst case of 12 days in transit, that leaves you with a mere 9-11 days in Antarctica. A 32 day trip gives you 20 days on the peninsula -- TWICE the trip at the cost of taking an extra week off work.
Why a long charter is better: no yacht can go through the Drake Passage when this low hits. (weather map from 3 Sep 08)
Since we vastly prefer the longer trips, we have kept our prices low, with a minimum of 28 days for a custom voyage, but sticking to our favorite 32 days for voyager charters which are sold per person.
For more information:
see our blog from 2007 and our guests' blog which is at www.antarctica2007.com.
please also read our blog from 2008, although our itinerary for 2009 will be much more like the 2007 trip than the 2008 trip.
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