Sailing Antarctica: A Polar Wildlife Expedition

© Moira Le Patourel

Accommodations

Please Note: Two of the hotels below are exemplary of the accommodations we use in Punta Arenas. Specific hotel details will be confirmed in your preliminary and final trip documents. The ship you will be on is associated with the itinerary and date you choose.

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S/V Australis
An Optimal Vessel for Small-Scale Polar Exploration
The 75-foot ice-strengthened sailing vessel S/V Australis is a sturdy, seasoned veteran of polar waters and our base for nearly two weeks of in-depth exploration along the Antarctic Peninsula and its islands. Based in the Southern Hemisphere, Australis is a steel-hulled, fully rigged motorsailer powered by a 180hp Gardner engine that can attain a speed of 8+ knots. Carrying a full range of safety, operational and navigational equipment, Australis is also equipped with two Zodiac tenders that provide access to remote coastal areas that larger vessels cannot reach.

The interior of the Australis is compact and cozy, providing basic modern-day creature comforts in an expeditionary atmosphere. Four cabins accommodate a maximum of seven passengers and one Nat Hab Expedition Leader. A single bathroom is shared by all guests. (Ship crew members have their own berths and bathroom.) Guests can relax in the saloon, well-equipped with many entertainment options, and a large table seats guests comfortably. The small but well-equipped galley features a cooktop, oven, microwave, toaster, double sink with running water, and three full-sized fridge/freezers. The chef creates hearty and tasty meals throughout our journey. The vessel has 240-volt electricity throughout. On deck, the spacious outdoor cockpit area has a removable sun shade, and if the weather allows, there is a barbecue on the aft deck for outdoor meals. A crow's nest with ladder access offers 360-views and fantastic wildlife viewing.
 
Important Information on Rooming Configuration
There are four cabins aboard the Australis. Two are configured with one lower double bed that can convert to two twins (with a separation board), plus a single upper bed above the double. These rooms also contain a sink. The third cabin is configured with one lower and one upper twin, and also contains a sink. The fourth cabin has a lower double bed and an upper single bed, but there is no sink and only a curtain that provides complete privacy. Rooming configuration is determined by booking date as well as by gender and other preferences. Though our quarters are compact, the Australis is surprisingly comfortable. Utilizing this vessel as our mode of exploration allows us exclusive and intimate access to an experience of Antarctica that's simply not available to most travelers. The rooming situation may not be as spacious or convenient as you would find on a larger cruise ship with a hundred (and often plenty more) guests on board, but getting away from dozens of other tourists to experience the polar wilderness in solitude is exactly the point, isn’t it?
S/Y Ocean Tramp
Optimally designed for small-scale polar exploration
S/V Ocean Tramp is a 66-foot-long aluminum ketch-rigged expedition motor sailboat designed for exploring polar waters. The yacht can accommodate eight guests (and up to four crew), though we travel with no more than seven. Ocean Tramp's length and profile ensure swift passage across open seas, though her nimble size also permits intimate exploration of the rugged coastline and secluded bays of the Antarctic Peninsula that are inaccessible to larger cruise ships. Very large forward and aft decks facilitate superb whale watching, and keep an eye out for leopard seals, too, slinking below the surface in the crystal-clear water. In fine weather, we can even dine on deck. The dining space inside is likewise roomy, with ample padded banquette seating around a generous table in a well-lit space ringed with windows.

The expeditionary style of a voyage aboard a smaller vessel like Ocean Tramp means the ultimate in flexibility to pursue wildlife viewing, the best light conditions for photography, and other advantages. If a few guests want to go for a Zodiac cruise after dinner—let’s go! Whales are bubble feeding? Let’s stay and watch. A leopard seal is on the hunt for a penguin? Let's slow down and see what happens. Our afternoon visit to a penguin colony is so amazing that no one wants to rush back for dinner? We’ll push dinner back another hour to enjoy the time onshore. In this context, we have the ultimate opportunity to explore as conditions invite.

Important information on rooming configuration
Accommodations are in four guest cabins of varying configurations: the Forward Cabin has a lower double and upper single berths with access to one shared full bathroom just feet away. Mermaid Cabin has one single lower berth and one single upper, with access to the shared bathroom. Shackleton Suite is the largest cabin on board, with one double lower and one single upper berth, plus a private en suite bathroom. And one single guest will be in the two-bunk Beagle Cabin utilizing the shared bathroom as well.

Cabin/rooming assignments are determined by booking date as well as by gender and other preferences. Though our quarters are compact, the Ocean Tramp is surprisingly comfortable. Utilizing this vessel as our mode of exploration allows us exclusive access to an experience of Antarctica that's simply not available to most travelers. The rooming situation may not be as spacious or convenient as you would find on a larger cruise ship with a hundred (and often plenty more) guests on board, but getting away from dozens of other tourists to experience the polar wilderness in solitude is exactly the point, isn’t it?

All the specs
Dimensions: LOA 19.55 m, LWL 17.10 m, beam 5.35 m, draft 2.2m.
Tonnage: Displacement 32 tons.
Construction: Aluminum.
Machinery: Perkins Sabre 215 HP.
Tanks: Diesel 5500l, 2500l Fresh water.
Speed: 8 knots maximum, 7 knots cruise, under engine

Ocean Tramp is equipped with every state-of-the-art instrument and amenity you'd want to have aboard on a journey such as this: broadband 4G radar, AIS, 3 VHFs, SSB Radio, 3 GPS, 2 echo sounders, forward-looking sonar, autopilot, media drive for watching movies, chart plotter, Satellite Iridium Phone with email and weather download capabilities, a large separate kitchen and a large saloon for 12 guests. She carries all the safety equipment required, including Epirb beacon, two SARTs, a line-throwing device, two life rafts, flares, handheld VHFs, SOLAS life jackets, inflatable life jackets, and a full Co2 engine room firefighting system.
Alto Andino Hotel
Location
Ushuaia, Argentina

The Alto Andino Hotel provides stylish and sophisticated boutique accommodations in the world's southernmost city. A TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence winner, the hilltop hotel's 18 guest rooms offer 180-degree vistas of the harbor and surrounding peaks. Modern suites are furnished in dark hardwoods and warm earth tones with colorful accents. All rooms have spacious en suite bathrooms with hair dryers, a 32-inch plasma TV, direct-dial telephone, safe, mini bar and wireless Internet. Computers with complimentary Wi-Fi are also available in the lobby. A substantial continental breakfast buffet is included and served each morning in the Bar Mirador on the top floor, where panoramic glass windows and an outdoor terrace offer 360-degree views of the city, the Beagle Channel and the mountains beyond. Drinks and dinner are also served in the Bar Mirador each afternoon and evening.
La Yegua Loca
Location
Punta Arenas, Chile

Arguably Punta Arenas' most distinctive lodging, this boutique hotel is the realization of the creative vision of its founders, Paola Milosevic and Sergio Solar, whose grandparents were Croatian pioneers in Chilean Patagonia. Rehabilitating an old house built for the English court in 1929, they have created a sophisticated boutique hotel that pays homage to the multicultural traditions shaping the southern tip of Chile since the mid-1800s, when immigrants from Croatia, Russia, Ireland, Britain, Spain and elsewhere arrived to meld their cultures with the indigenous people living in the region.

Each of the inn's eight rooms is named and themed around a different trade that was important in Chilean Patagonia's early history: The Coachman, The Stable, The Leather Braider, The Orchard, The Milkman, The Blacksmith, The Carpenter and The Shearing Shed. Rooms are furnished with period antiques relevant to those pursuits, offering guests a taste of history along with a supremely comfortable stay. Located on the second and third floors of the house, rooms have panoramic views over the Strait of Magellan and colorful rooftops of Punta Arenas. Each is harmoniously decorated in a neutral palette of white and browns and has central heating, en suite bathroom with hair dryer and custom toiletries, super king-size or two double superior beds, Wi-Fi, telephone, desk, luggage storage and safe.

The restaurant on site, La Cocina de la Nonna, features Patagonian specialties with a Croatian flair, including roast lamb, gnocchi and grilled octopus. The Bar is a faithful reflection of traditional Patagonian pulperias: these were old warehouses used during the early colonial days as drinking establishments and purveyors of groceries and other products. That heritage is replicated at La Yegua Loca with local specialty cocktails such as the Pisco Sour and Ruibarbito, and artisan handicrafts, books and regional gourmet items for sale in the small shop on site. Or relax in the glass-enclosed Terraza, which offers inviting lounge space with territorial views in all directions. 
Hotel Cabo de Hornos
Location
Punta Arenas, Chile

Located in the center of Punta Arenas on the historic town plaza and overlooking the Strait of Magellan, this landmark hotel enjoys iconic status in the capital of Chilean Patagonia. Its warm interior features contemporary decor, original artworks, and liberal use of natural stone, wood and leather, embodying a rustic elegance that's sophisticated at the same time. The Hotel Cabo de Hornos (Cape Horn) has 110 stylish rooms decorated in a warm palette of earth tones and featuring all the amenities of a full-service 4-star hotel. Each room is equipped with high-quality beds and linens, individual heating controls, complimentary high-speed wireless Internet, direct-dial international telephones, cable TV, electronic safe, and a large en suite bathroom with full bath and shower, hair dryer and quality toiletries. The hotel restaurant offers an outstanding breakfast buffet (included), plus evening fine dining featuring regional specialties and international dishes. The bar offers a cozy place for conversation around the fireplace, with an impressive collection of Chile's noteworthy red wines.
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