We are excited to offer a rare chance for intermediate to advanced kayakers to paddle single kayaks for multiple days in Antarctica. There are just 5 spots available on this yacht-based expedition which will take paddlers to rarely visited parts of the Antarctic peninsula. 2 highly experienced sea kayak guides and 2 sailing crew make up the full team of 9 people on board our 61 foot yacht. We will spend over 2 weeks exploring the nooks and crannies of Antarctica by sea kayak, foot and yacht. We’ll kayak between 2-8 hours a day, often coming back to the warm yacht for the night but sometimes camping on the snow and ice, enjoying incredible views and tranquility.

Your Guides: This trip is unique in that we have 2 kayak guides, giving a great ratio of 2 to 5 on the water. Justine has paddled all over the world and guided 2 previous month-long trips to the Antarctic peninsula. She knows good places to camp, the hotspots for wildlife and local conditions. JF Marleau has been guiding and teaching for 21 years and holds the highest possible guide and instructor qualifications in Canada. He also holds a current advanced wilderness first aid qualification.

The Yacht: The 60 foot aluminium hulled ‘Spirit of Sydney’ has crossed the Drake Passage 50 times. She’s a seaworthy vessel that can handle rough waters when necessary. On board, there’s a kitchen, toilet, shower, storage areas, 2 heaters, plenty of tasty food, and accommodation for the 9 of us. More information about the yacht is here.

The food on the yacht is excellent with fresh fruit and vegetables lasting to the end of our trip in February 2017. Famous Argentinian steaks, fish, shrimp, chicken and fresh bread are also on the menu with plenty of staples, hot drinks and snacks. Ample beer and wine are provided to accompany evening meals.

Itinerary: We’ll start and finish in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in Argentina, and sail across the Drake Passage to reach the steep mountains and giant ice fields of the Antarctica Peninsula. This sail usually takes 3-5 days and you can claim great bragging rights after crossing the notorious ‘Drake’. In reality, the weather is usually a mixture of flat calm and wild and windy.  We’ll operate a watch system so everyone gets a chance to get involved with the sailing. Magnificent albatross, petrels, prions and dolphins will keep us company.

Once the shimmering icebergs and icy peaks of Antarctica come into view, we’ll spend a little over 2 weeks exploring beautiful bays, rugged islands and towering glaciers, enjoying the ever changing landscape and the rich wildlife. Fur seals squabble on the rocks, crab eater seals lounge regally on ice floes, elephant seals spar with all their blubbery magnificence and the strong lines of a leopard seal will send a shiver down your spine. We often see feeding humpback whales, and occasionally are accompanied by minke, orca and finn whales. 3 species of penguin will be looking after their chicks at this time of year, the fluffy, downy juveniles looking like punk rockers, sometimes chasing their parents for food, other times left in crèches while mum and dad can be seen swimming through the water looking for krill.

We plan to offer paddling almost every day and would usually be on the water for between 2 and 8 hours. In 2017, we paddled 16 days and the average daily distance covered was 12 nautical miles. The yacht is always nearby for anyone not wanting to paddle and there are sometimes opportunities to get on the yacht after a partial days’ paddle. We will go on several overnight camping trips – just for 1 night to start with to make sure everyone’s systems are working, then there is the chance to do a multi-day trip during the best weather windows.

When not paddling, there is plenty to see on land. We will go on hikes up snowy hills to get a view of all the icebergs and distant peaks, and will see penguins nesting several hundred metres up rocky ridges. There are a handful of military bases and museums that we have the chance to visit, including the historic Wordie House, a Base originally set up in 1934 by a British Expedition and that has been restored to how it would have looked in the 1950s including radio equipment and food supplies.

The Ukranian base even offers the chance to learn about their discovery of the ozone hole and to sample their homemade vodka! At the British base at Port Lockroy there is a well stocked gift shop full of Antarctic souvenirs.After a wonderful Antarctic experience, we’ll sail back to Ushuaia.

Fur seal and Gentoo penguins

Reflecting on a fantastic experience

DATES: February 3^rd – March 3^rd 2019

Cost: US $ 15,950 per person, payable in installments.

Includes: All permits and fees, food and alcohol on board the yacht, hire of kayak, spray deck, paddle, pogies, PFD, crew and guides.

Doesn’t include: Transport to and from Ushuaia, accommodation in Ushuaia, personal insurance.

Kayaks & Kit: The kayaks are mostly Boreal Desgins Epsilon P100, P200 & P300s. There are also some Boreal Designs Baffins. There are Werner paddles, Kokatat PFDs, Seals sprayskirts, Pogies, Pumps and some tents available for use at no extra cost. There are a limited number of Drysuits available for hire.

Pre-requesites: This trip is for intermediate to advanced kayakers. You should be able to maintain a speed of 3 knots for 6 hours and be comfortable in winds of up to 20 knots.

Small Print: If the trip does not fill by September 2018 then we reserve the right to cancel the trip and give everyone a full refund of any money paid so far. We feel confident that we will fill the trip, but we can’t guarantee that.

Interested?: Initially contact Justine at justine -at -cackletv.com. Justine can answer any questions you may have and ultimately put you in touch with Darrel, the skipper of Spirit of Sydney, who will answer questions about the sailing aspect and take payment.