Antarctica2007.com
Ciara, Katherine, Simon and Stu go south on Seal - February/March
So what was the trip about?
Well basically, we sailed from Chile to Antarctica, spending about 3 weeks exploring the western side of the Antarctic peninsular.
We meet up with Kate and Hamish on board their yacht 'Seal' on the 5 th February in Puerto Williams, the most Southerly town in Chile.
After geeting to know the yacht and how to live on board and sail her, we headed down the Beagle Channel.
We choose our weather window before leaving South America and sailed south across the Drake Passage (the bit of the Southern Ocean between South America and Antarctica) The passage should took us 4 days.
Once we made landfall in Antarctica, we explored the coast and islands. Kate and Hamish had been to Antarctica many times and they recommended a route and suggested areas to explore.
You can read about our time in antarctica in the news section and in our individual blogs.
About the yacht 'Seal'
Seal is Kate and Hamish’s wonderful expedition yacht.
Launched in September 2003, she is 56’ long and built from Aluminium. She is really built for high latitude sailing – with a lifting keel and rudder, simple, well thought out systems and all the high latitude ‘extras’ like through boat heating, workshop and line handling gear.
She also has a raised deck house, incorporating the galley, navigation area and saloon – so you can see out when to navigate, cook or chill out.
Hamish and Kate have put years of practical experience into the design and fit out of Seal. Simple details like the easy wipe deckhead above the galley, the day tank that feeds the engine fuel by gravity and the custom drying rack for dishes are testament to the care and thought involved.
You can find out far more about ‘Seal’ including comprehensive photo galleries by visiting the expeditionsail.com website.
So what are we hoping to see?
Well allsorts of wonderful wildlife – from penguins to seals, to whale and albatross. We also look forward to seeing the pristine Antarctic environment, one of the few places on earth where mans impact is minimal.
We will bring you pictures as and when we take them.
More info on Antarctica?
Visit our links page
Trip and Seal facts
The total trip is 5 weeks long, starting on the 5th February 2007
Seal is a 56' aluminium cutter rigger yacht with a lifting keel and rudder
We spent 3 weeks in total on the Antarctic penisular
Seal draws less than a metre with her kell and rudder up
The Drake passage between Antarctica and South America is about 650 miles across
Seal weighs almost 25 tonnes