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cape horn
Antarctica
yacht charter & expedition support
All photos taken on our previous voyages
© Hamish Laird
All images (c) Hamish Laird
Feb or March 2009
book before 1 Jan 08
for special group rate:
4 people // $52,500 USD
28 days // extra days $1750
Read the account of this year's voyage at Antarctica2007.com
See our photos from Antarctica 2007
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: January-March
Minimum Charter: 28 days
Best Length: 32+ days
Start/Finish: Puerto Williams, Chile
CONTACT US to discuss your plans
January 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 journey begins and ends in Puerto Williams, Chile, the southernmost town in the world. You can get there fairly easy from anywhere in the world by flying to Punta Arenas, Chile via Santiago, Chile, and then connecting on a commuter flight from Punta Arenas to Puerto Williams.
We'll meet you at the Puerto Williams airport and bring you down to Seal, where you can spend the first afternoon unpacking and familiarizing yourself with the boat, and perhaps explore town, which offers an excellent small museum and some lovely hill walking.
The next morning, we will continue with the safety briefing aboard Seal, before heading off toward Cape Horn and the Drake Passage. Before going to sea, we may even have the chance to walk ashore on Cape Horn island.
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.
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.
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