Introduction
Sailing to Antarctica and South Georgia or exploring the Patagonian Channels is worth a decade of hard toiling behind a desk. These restless seas provide a romantically immense, barely explored and immensely challenging 'strange coasts where ventures under sail can seek those first experiences, and try to feel as felt the earlier men in happier times, to see the world as they saw it’ (Hilaire Belloc). In the old days of sail, the windjammers had no choice but to round the cape, irrespective of the season or weather conditions. Due to the primitive navigation instruments, lack of precise charts and limited maneuverability of the vessels, it was impossible to safely seek the protection of the land against the high winds. It was therefore necessary to give the dangerous coast a wide berth, which meant the ships often had to spend extended periods of time out at sea. This of course increased again the chance of running into bad weather and encountering problems. All this is different nowadays. Modern satellite navigation and weather forecasts, daily radio contact with other ships and the Chilean Navy have greatly enhanced safety while navigating these waters. Still, a voyage in these waters must be thoroughly prepared and strenuously desired, because a positive attitude makes all the difference between the adventure of a lifetime and an endless nightmare. Read more about an adventure in these waters in our Travel website, PlanetNomad.org . Here, more than anywhere else, every journey must be organized upon strict safety requirements, so please contact us to request your private itinerary. All our voyages in these spectacular surroundings leave a very low carbon footprint.

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
Price: 15000 USD per person, 35 days all included

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.

Antarctica
A sailboat voyage to Antarctica is quintessential exploration, a must for every true adventurer, the meaning of a decade of life. Vessels leave from Ushuaia, sail by Cape Horn when condition allow, cross the famous Drake Passage to the 'calmer' water of the Antarctic peninsula, where you will remain for a couple of weeks discovering icebergs, laying with penguins, admiring killer whales and humpbacks, perceiving the sound of a frozen desert and joying for the sensation of being on the only continent where a passport is not required.A cruise to Antarctica requires motivation and attitude, and a certai level of discomfort must be expected. But great are the rewards for the courageous. Season: cruises generally start in the first days of January. The latest leave late February. Weather: extremely cold and windy, temperatures down to minus 20 and less. It is the only continent left that is largely untouched by man. This is mainly due to the extreme climatological conditions, in which during millennia of isolation the animal and plant world were allowed to adapt to the adverse conditions. Essential condition for this precarious survivalis however that the biological chain is not broken. Since it is extremely difficult for living beings to survive in such a harsh climate, the biological chain has remained small and each link is closely dependent on the others. Because of this the flora and fauna of Antarctica is in a state of only frail stability. All human activity should for these reasons be regarded critically, as it might disrupt this fragile chain. Fortunately a treaty for the protection of Antarctica was signed in 1991 by almost all countries the world, limiting human interference in this delicate environment. By way of international conventions one hundred locations were designated as protected areas (SPA, SPS, SSSI) in order to protect their biological, scientific or historical values. Because of it, visitors now know how to conduct themselves, thus limiting the negative effects of their interference. On the basis of scientific data, and of the talks we had with station personnel, we have come to the conclusion that the form of tourism we propose does not have any noticeable detrimental effects on the natural life of Antarctica. Proviso is of course that everyone sticks to the rules. One of those rules is that what you bring in, you will also bring out again. Furthermore, we will take garbage (such as used engine oil) of defunct stations with us on our way back to the South American continent. In this way we can contribute a bit to keep Antarctica clean. "On the United States' Palmer Station, Anvers Island, an experiment was concluded last summer that aimed to test the negative influence of tourists on a penguin colony. For this experiment, a penguin colony was divided in two with a fence. One halve was left in peace, as before, while the other halve was on a regular basis visited by tourists. Upon the conclusion of the experiment, it was found that the "disturbed" penguins were even less timid than their fellow penguins on the other side of the fence. No other behavioral disorders were found. Cape Horn and Patagonia Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, Cape Horn, Magellan Strait, Staten Island, Beagle Channel.... these names made the history of exploration, discovery and sailing. Rounding Cape Horn is by far the most rewarding achievement for a sailor. Sailing the Magellan or the Le Maire Strait possibly the toughest test to any boat and hand. Exploring the glaciers appearing one after the other along the Beagle channel like Jewelrys along Bond Street is something to look forward for a whole year. Sailing silently among ice floes is exceedingly funny... Season: Cruises around Cape Horn and Patagonian Channels can be arranged between Christmas and Easter. Weather 1 to 7 Celsius, extremely windy at times, often wet, seldom calm. Long daylight with sunset at 2100. Although at the Cape Horn the average wind speed is not higher than at for instance Plymouth, it is still clear to everyone what made this cape so infamous. The winds and weather systems reaching the areas from the west can do so unhindered. None of the other continents extends farther south than 40 degrees South, while Cape Horn is located at 56_degrees South. thus, unobstructed by landmasses, lows can chase each other around the world. When they hurl themselves on the Andes mountain range, and find they can't pass this 2.5 mile high obstacle, they will press south and squeeze through the Drake Passage. Because of this geological situation, a curious weather exists: 3 days of gales are often followed by 45 days of windless weather. Likewise it is possible that it is a bit windy with 60 knots at Cape Horn, while at Puerto Toro at 25 miles distance there is no wind at all (or vice versa). Around the Beagle Channel a mild maritime climate prevails. In summer average temperature during the day is 11 degrees C. Yearly precipitation is on average 75 mm. The channel never freezes in winter, and there are no icebergs (except in the immediate vicinity of glaciers). The Antarctic Peninsula is situated south of where the depressions rage through the Drake Passage and remains largely unaffected by their high winds. The winds are therefore gentle, often from the east. During summer one can expect to enjoy long periods of calm with lots of sunshine. The annual average precipitation is around 50 mm, whilst temperatures vary around 5 degrees C.

South Georgia - read the article
This island has been described like 'the Himalayas seen from Simla' as the mountains are a magnificent sight - especially in moonlight. It is the highest , most mountainous and second largest of the small number of islands, which encircle the Antarctic Continent. Two principal mountain chains effectively form the islands spine. The highest peak is Mount Paget (2.934 m), whilst twelve other peaks exceed 2000 m. The highest peaks are concentrated around the middle section of the crescent shaped island mainly, where they provide a substantial barrier against the severe weather which reaches the south-west side of the island with the prevailing winds. The area in the lee has a comparatively less severe climate. South Georgia is 106 miles long and one to nineteen miles wide and reached from the Falkland Islands, within five to six sailing days. The coast consists mainly of high sea cliffs which are interrupted by many fjords and glaciers. The fjords provide a variety of harbours and anchorages, some deep and clear, others with sunken rocks and reefs, many of them have glaciers at their heads. Glacier snouts, which reach the ocean or waters of the bays and fjords, can be very spectacular - especially when enormous pieces break off and crash into the water (a process, termed calving). Bergy bits, growlers and brash ice infest many bays, mainly during early summer. Permanent snow begins at 200 m on the exposed south-west side and 400 m on the protected north-east side. The mountains are dissected by large numbers of deep fjords, most of which contain glaciers. Fifty percent of South Georgia is covered by glaciers. Some floating glacier fronts may be up to 50 m high, 250 m deep and over one km wide. There are over two dozen lakes on the island. Several of them have been formed, where glaciers have dammed valleys. Gulbrandsen Lake, near Husvik, is the largest and most spectacular of these with icebergs floating in it and a series of over twelve major terraces on its shores (representing previous lake levels). Ponds, pools and tarns are common throughout the island. Another distinctive ground feature is found near many flatter areas on the coast behind beaches .- Elephant seal wallows. Caused by the seals lying closely packed, in mud during their moulting periods (February, March). The wallows are often one m deep and become exceedingly foetid with skin, fur, faeces, combined with thin mud and the occasional dead seal. There are millions of breeding seals and penguins: 3 million Macaroni Penguins, 1 million Fur Seals, 360.00 Elephant seals, 400.000 Gentoo Penguins, 300.000 King Penguins (of which 100.000 at St. Andrews Bay). Also a vast number of breeding Albatross (Wandering) is to be seen. Until the middle of this century, South Georgia was a centre for the whaling industries. During the last century a couple of whaling stations had been established. The last one was abandoned in 1965. Grytviken was the main settlement with church and cinema. The ruins have been reoccupied by the seals. The church has been saved and restored, the cinema fell into shambles in 1996. South Georgia is English territory and was declared a nature reserve. It is administered by the Falkland Dependency Administration and counts two research and one administrative settlement (clearance and post office).