News from the Southern Ocean
FROM THE BLOG
Latest News
-
Sailing SOUTH 2026 – Adventurers wanted!
Read more: Sailing SOUTH 2026 – Adventurers wanted!After the expedition is before the expedition Sailing SOUTH 2026 – sailors and adventurers wanted! Sailing SOUTH 2024 is history. But the adventure continues!We have not given up on our goal of reaching South Georgia and our dream…
-
Starlink and Major Tom
Read more: Starlink and Major TomOffline at the end of the world ? That’s what we thought before we started our journey, that was part of the idea. To be travelling at the end of the world and in a world of our…
-
Goodbye Falklands
Read more: Goodbye FalklandsFarewell After almost ten days here at the Falkland Islands, it is now time to head home. Our Sailing SOUTH 2024 expedition comes to an end here. And we as a crew are going our separate ways again…
-
Falkland Islands’ Mountains
Read more: Falkland Islands’ MountainsHiking and History We had a wonderful place to stay with David in the former boathouse right on the harbour with a view of the water, even though we first had to get used to the amount of…
-
Falkland Islands’ penguins
Read more: Falkland Islands’ penguinsA paradise for penguin fans Five different species of penguins live in the Falklands: Magellanic penguins, gentoo penguins, rockhopper penguins, macaroni penguins and king penguins. We were lucky enough to encounter and observe four of them. Not far…
-
Falkland Islands’ Coastline
Read more: Falkland Islands’ CoastlineParadise Island with dream beaches We have discovered wild and beautiful beaches. Sometimes rocky and rugged around the lighthouse at Cape Pembroke, sometimes paradisiacal with a white sandy beach, turquoise blue or emerald green water and a magnificent…
-
Falkland Islands
Read more: Falkland IslandsWhat a surprise! Don’t have any expectations and you won’t be disappointed. There’s a saying that goes something like this. Put a little more optimistically, it could also mean: Have no expectations and you will be surprised ……
-
Farewell
Read more: FarewellThe day after This morning is different. And anything but good. I’m sitting here in the old Boathouse, our accommodation, with todays first coffee in my hand, looking out of the window at the harbour. It’s actually a…
-
Port Stanley – Anchorage SH4
Read more: Port Stanley – Anchorage SH4Sailing at last! What a marvellous last day of sailing! We couldn’t have had it any better. Especially after the last few days, when the wind kept letting us down and the Drake was mostly as tame as…
-
Night thoughts
Read more: Night thoughtsOnly 100 miles to go It’s two o’clock in the morning. I’m sitting outside on deck, having just taken over the night watch from Unda for the next four hours. I have the first two hours to myself,…
-
Sunrise at Lake Drake
Read more: Sunrise at Lake DrakeNeptune and Aiolos, the gods of the sea and the winds, seem to be asleep, as is our crew. It’s 6 o’clock in the morning and I’m sitting on the deck of the Selma, which is rocking in…
-
Elephant Island
Read more: Elephant IslandAs I write these lines, Elephant Island is already moving away in the wake of the Selma. Today, at around five o’clock in the morning, our destination emerged dimly from the darkness of the night. At first all…
-
Course Elephant Island
Read more: Course Elephant IslandTwo days ago, on Sunday, we weighed anchor at four in the morning, left Deception Island and set course 060 for Elephant Island. There are a good 200 nautical miles between these two islands, both of which belong…
-
Deception Island
Read more: Deception IslandThe next morning we weigh anchor at five o’clock in the morning and set course for the South Shetlands. It’s about 100 miles to Deception Island. We have zero wind, it’s gray and the water is as smooth…
-
Enterprise Island Governoren
Read more: Enterprise Island GovernorenIt is already afternoon when we reach Enterprise Island. It is gray and cloudy. A light drizzle falls from the low-hanging clouds. We drop anchor near a bay surrounded by a glacier. Here in Foyn Harbor lies the…
-
Port Lockroy
Read more: Port LockroyHot Spots On the way north from Vernadsky Station, we pass the north-west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, the part most frequently visited by Antarctic tourists. Easily accessible, mostly ice-free in summer, only the Drake Passage has to…
-
Moved
Read more: MovedMy new home I have moved! The move from my 3-room apartment to a 7-room shared flat with six double cabins, a bathroom, separate toilet, kitchen and lounge, as well as a cozy green house, has been a…
-
Vernadsky Station II
Read more: Vernadsky Station IIOutside, the wind hisses around the masts of the Selma and the rain beats on the roof of the wheelhouse – it’s just plain bad weather. We’ve just managed to hide back here in the Argentine Islands in…
-
A new week begins
Read more: A new week beginsMonday morning at half past three… I’m getting dressed for the watch when I hear the engine being switched off. Gerhard, Alan and Piotr, our skipper, come down to the saloon. No watch? Yes, but because we are…
-
Nightlife
Read more: NightlifeWhat do you actually do at night? We have often been asked this question. The answer is the same as to almost all questions that arise here on board and in life in general: “It depends”. No two…
-
On the Glacier
Read more: On the GlacierWe’ve been on the road for almost a month now. Arrived far to the south. And ready for our planned tour ashore. Great anticipation for the five-member Mountaineering Team, consisting of Alan, Jan, Karen, Piotr and myself. After…
-
Adelaide Island – Shore excursion
Read more: Adelaide Island – Shore excursionOn March 1st we departed early for the southern end of Adelaide Island and the Chilean Base. This base has not been used since the winter of 2014-15. We had to break a way into the anchorage due…
-
Further South
Read more: Further SouthWe set off from Vernadsky two days ago. The break did us good, but now we want to continue. For most Antarctic travelers, the southernmost point is reached at the latest here at the Ukrainian Station or even…
-
Kayaking
Read more: KayakingWe had already set up the kayaks three days ago. Pjotr had been inspired by SY Podorange, where we can moor them well on deck. The dinghy has made a bit of room and now they are snuggled…
-
Vernadsky Station I
Read more: Vernadsky Station IBefore you can see Vernadsky, the Ukrainian station, you can smell it. At least the day before yesterday afternoon, when we arrived, the wind carried the smell of the resident Gentoo penguin colony (gentoo penguins) towards us from…
-
Westside Stories— Lemaire Channel
Read more: Westside Stories— Lemaire ChannelWe leave the incredibly beautiful but restless anchorage early in the morning. Just around the corner, the spectacular entrance to the Lemaire Channel awaits us. This six-kilometre-long strait between the peninsula and the offshore Booth Island is very…
-
Westside Stories — Cape Renard
Read more: Westside Stories — Cape RenardWe set off the next morning, wanting to continue our journey south. We quickly leave the Argentinean station Almirante Braun in our wake. It’s still gray and cloudy, but the sun comes out in the Ferguson Channel. And…
-
Westside Stories — Course south
Read more: Westside Stories — Course southWe set course south. We leave Tower Island and Trinity Island to starboard. The uncomfortable weather and numerous icebergs remain our companions. Spotlights are installed on the bow for the night. It starts to snow in the evening.…
-
Westside Stories — Astrolabe Island and Bransfield Strait
Read more: Westside Stories — Astrolabe Island and Bransfield StraitWe have now been traveling on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula for three days. And – compared to the east side – in a different world. Both the landscape and the weather have changed. After starting…
-
Good bye Weddell Sea
Read more: Good bye Weddell SeaWe made it, the circumnavigation of James Ross Island! And not just somehow, but it was a feast! We saw so much wildlife, island scenery, countless natural ice sculptures, history (from fossils to huts of brave Antarctic explorers…
-
Changing the side
Read more: Changing the sideAt last! We are sailing again! After yesterday’s 40 knots of wind directly on the nose and an initially very restless night at anchor in Hope Bay in Antarctic Sound, we now have a moderate 25 knots of…
-
Animal encounters
Read more: Animal encountersWe were blessed with numerous animal encounters that will remain unforgettable. The albatrosses and petrels of the Drake Passage were followed by the penguins. These also deserve a chapter of their own. I wouldn’t have thought it possible…
-
Circumnavigation
Read more: CircumnavigationAs the route to the east seemed to be blocked by ice, we decided to try to make our way further south on the west side of James Ross Island. Here too, between the mainland (Peninsula) and James…
-
Weddell Sea
Read more: Weddell SeaOur time in the Weddell Sea was as unexpected as it was fantastic. Originally not planned at all (except perhaps to point the bow into the Antarctic Sound), this change of plan turned into a very special experience.…
-
What a perfect day
Read more: What a perfect dayIt’s 3 o’clock in the morning. I’m standing alone outside on deck. The night envelops me, I can dimly make out the outline of the landscape, very slightly gray, barely discernible, the ice stands out against the black…
-
Circumnavigation
Read more: Circumnavigation“This is no holiday, this is an expedition!” Often with a wink, sometimes as a joke and occasionally simply surrendering to life on deck with everything that goes with it, this sentence is said several times a day.…
-
Early morning pink
Read more: Early morning pinkMy 0340 alarm sounds. I turn it off and think for moment that I want to stay snuggled deep in my sleeping bag for another hour. I get up, grab my staged clothes and socks and step into…
-
Lazy day
Read more: Lazy dayWhat a wonderful moment: I’m sitting on deck in the sun, wrapped up warm because it’s really cold. The Selma’s wheelhouse provides a little shade from the wind. The wind is blowing strongly, with fierce gusts from the…
-
Drift
Read more: DriftIt’s quiet, with the occasional ripple of a small wave. I can only hear the captain snoring softly in his bunk in the wheelhouse. I missed the “ice thriller” at the beginning of last night, my watch didn’t…
-
Summit happiness
Read more: Summit happinessBeak island The idea was to get our legs moving, explore Beak Island and combine a love of hiking with a spirit of discovery. So we set off to explore the small island, whose sheltered bay offered us…
-
Drake II
Read more: Drake IITeam spirit I love life on board with this crew! The watch system works really well and everyone is reliable at their post, always keeping an eye on the others. I’ve never been so kindly provided with tea,…
-
Changing plans
Read more: Changing plansPlans are one of those things. Especially down here, deep in the south. Here, man is just a tiny little cog in the infinitely larger course of nature. You have to be flexible and react when external circumstances…
-
Drake the Lake and Drake the Shake
Read more: Drake the Lake and Drake the ShakeWe’ve made it! After four days and nights, the Drake Passage lies behind us, a good 530 nautical miles in our wake. This notorious ocean passage between the Pacific and the Atlantic has welcomed us graciously, presenting a…
-
Drake I
Read more: Drake IWednesday, February 07, Morning Cape Horn and the Drake Passage. I had imagined it to be wild and rough with meter-high waves and heroic sailing. After all, the crossing from Tierra del Fuego to Antarctica is considered the…
-
Cast off
Read more: Cast offAnd then the time has come: on Monday, February 5, at around 7 p.m., we cast off the lines for good and leave Puerto Williams with Antarctica as our destination. The Sailing SOUTH 2024 expedition can begin. The…
-
Puerto Williams, Isla Navarino
Read more: Puerto Williams, Isla NavarinoAs the weather forecast for the Drake Passage predicts a full-blown storm, we have two days in Puerto Williams on Isla Navarino. We are moored at a mooring buoy, well protected from the strong westerly wind, and take…
-
Departure
Read more: DepartureBefore we can really set off, there are still a few things on the agenda: a last major shopping trip, re-stowing the same and the last fresh vegetables delivered. But above all the formalities, including customs and emigration…
-
Preparations
Read more: PreparationsWe’ve been on the Beagle Channel for almost a week now, all the team members have gradually arrived in Ushuaia and we’ve been complete since Tuesday. What luck and how nice that everyone has actually landed here safe…
-
What a wonderful day
Read more: What a wonderful dayThere are those magical days that are so perfect that you sometimes have to pinch yourself to check that you’re not dreaming. One such day for me was our first day in Ushuaia. A first sunset together the…
-
Arrived
Read more: ArrivedHere at last! Arrived in Tierra del Fuego. After a seemingly never-ending journey.. Ushuaia The southernmost city in the world welcomes Gerhard and me (we met in Buenos Aires and were on the same plane) with a friendly…
-
Inbetween
Read more: InbetweenSo now I’m actually on the way. Started yesterday with countless good wishes, small practical gifts or talismans for the journey and said goodbye to my family and friends waving unexpectedly on the street. Thanks to the rail…
-
Time to start packing
Read more: Time to start packingHappy New Year 2024! The year – among hopefully many other joyful things and events – of our Sailing SOUTH 2024 expedition.Time is running out – time to get the equipment and gear sorted for the first time…
-
Bad News: Avian Influenza (HPAI) in South Georgia
Read more: Bad News: Avian Influenza (HPAI) in South GeorgiaBad news from the other side of the world Bad news from the other side of the world: bird flu (avian influenza) has unfortunately also reached the remote regions of the Southern Ocean and Antarctica – the highly…
-
Permit No 1
Read more: Permit No 1Next important Step Hooray!We have received the first of many needed authorisations: the permit from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which allows us to sail into the Antarctic waters of the Antarctic Treaty area. Poland because the…
-
Crew Meet-Up
Read more: Crew Meet-UpCrew meeting – not only virtual Crew meeting last week in Berlin. The first time we met as a full team in real life (and not just online). Karen from Alaska had the longest journey. The program included:…
-
Planning Process
Read more: Planning ProcessGood news! The Sailing SOUTH team is complete! Further planning has begun. First of all, we are mentally travelling on the map … We consider route planning, possible destinations and landing sites on the Antarctic Peninsula, the South…
-
An important step
Read more: An important stepWe did it! The contract has been signed and further planning can begin. Of course we celebrated that with a Shackleton. There are still three places left – apply for this Antarctic adventure and become part of our…
-
Wanted II
Read more: Wanted IISuccessful Restart “Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all.” Sir Ernest Shackleton After our originally planned skipper unexpectedly dropped out at the end of August, we were looking for a new partner. And we have found one!…