March 2026 Newsletter

End of Antarctic Season - University of Alaska Project - Catch up on our Blogs - 2026/2027 Programme and Opportunities

Vinson and Amundsen moored up at Palmer Station

We have come to the end of our Antarctic season. Vinson of Antarctica is en-route across the Drake Passage after, by all accounts, a great trip on the Peninsula. They came to visit us for two nights at Palmer Station where Amundsen has been for three weeks, tied up in a creek with six lines ashore and an anchor down.

This was no visitor’s cruise. We were working on a construction project for the US Dept of War – hosting a team of University of Alaska Fairbanks engineers and geophysicists putting in an array of ‘infrasound’ sensors for the International Monitoring System on behalf of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) in Vienna (yes, quite a mouthful).

Yet again something very different for Pelagic Expeditions which underpins our versatility, flexibility and ‘can do’ ethos.

Installing the array

The team of four Alaskans from the University of Alaska; Tony, Jay, Riley and Matt plus Greg, a representative of the CTBTO that was responsible for certifying these installations, were joined by our crew of five; Tor, Eoin, Kate, Luca and me who were seconded in to help shift five tonnes of equipment that had been dropped at Palmer Station earlier by supply ship to the four sites on rocky headlands in the area.

These installation sites had to be in line of sight to the station for the short wave transmissions of data where it is then beamed up and down via satellite to Vienna. This was a young man’s job . . . . Shifting tonnes of rocks to anchor down various parts of the equipment was also required - if not exactly fun, was beneficial to one’s strength, if you looked at it that way. . . . I tried my best. View full slideshow of array installation below>>

Other news: Go https://www.pelagic.co.uk/news_press&ads.asp To read Kate’s article on her transatlantic experiences and my article on the Shackleton Traverse, both articles having appeared in Yachting World. Also, the Vinson blogs are a must read if you are contemplating a voyage with us: https://www.vinsonofantarctica.org/en/blog

ONWARD!!

Trips available for 2026/2027 Season

South Georgia - September 2026 Ski Randonee with Venables 6 places available

South Georgia - October/November 2026 SCUBA diving with Amos Nachoum (go www.biganimals.com) 2 places available

Antarctic Ski with Venables - November/December 2026 - 3 places available

Antarctic “Ice with Everything” - January 2027 - 6 places available

RYA Ocean Yacht Master Theory and delivery to Cape Town March/April 2027 - 6 places available

RYA Ocean Yachtmaster training on passage Falklands to Cape Town

To read the full prospecti of these trips go: https://www.pelagic.co.uk/programme.asp

Then Whatsap Skip directly to discuss. +44 7379541936

Do not rely on initial email correspondence, due to risks of hacking.

So much to do, so little time . . .

Cheers, Skip

Vinson of Antarctica in Antarctica