Join the Ocean Tramp in Ushuaia, sail the Beagle channel toward Cape Horn, sail across the Drake passage to reach Antarctica. Explore Antarctica for 2 weeks, and fly back to Punta Arenas from King George Island in the South Shetlands. Only 8 guests will share this experience with you, allowing for extensive landings, zodiac tours, and quality time in Antarctica. In some trips we will have a guest scientist onboard, and in all our trips we will conduct citizen science projects.
Dec 3, 2024 / Dec 3, 2025
We provide longer trips resulting in more places visited than the traditional cruise. Very long landings -no time limit other than those set by guidelines. (no need to swap with other passengers onboard)
Our vessels anchor in small coves for most nights, meaning you get to observe and enjoy how wildlife “go to bed” and to watch the night slowly setting in, while sipping a cup of coffee or tea on deck. Since the vessels will anchor close to shore for the night, if conditions are nice, we'll go for a zodiac tour after dinner. When conditions and guidelines allow, we'll do a night landing for astrophotography. We carry kayaks which are free to use anytime when conditions are good -at no extra charge. Open bridge.
Family style. Passengers will go home with new friends and feel close to the crew.
When we say small group, we mean small group, never more than 8 or 12 guests. This means when going ashore to a penguin colony you are not crowded with 100 other passenger vying for the best view. It means that you can have space and time to explore Antarctica. It means on the deck you can have your own space. No elbowing or hurrying on deck for the best spot. With so few guests onboard, you leave with new friends. There is strong camaraderie onboard between guests and the crew!
Direct interaction with the captain and crew. Thanks to our extended trips, our guests will visit not only the traditional west Antarctica peninsula but also the South Shetlands, including historic sites.
Once you step onboard, it’s all included: excursions, meals, kayaking, camping, wine with dinner, gin and tonics with glacier ice (collected by guests!).
When in Antarctica the focus should be on the experience – the whole experience.
The vessel’s size means we can maneuver into small coves and passages. The crew and itinerary flexibility means that when there is an opportunity – we go for it. The light is fantastic after dinner and a few passengers want to go for a zodiac cruise – 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. The afternoon is so amazing at a penguin colony that no one wants to rush back for dinner? We’ll push back dinner another hour to enjoy the time onshore.
In some trips we will bring a Guest Scientist with us, please check with us before booking if the trip you are interested in will have a Guest Scientist. In all our trips we will conduct citizen science projects conducted by our crew. When a Guest Scientist is present onboard, they will give lectures during the trip about their research and past projects. Each trip is different. Past research has included penguin vocalizations, background antibacterial resistance, oxygen/hydrogen isotope levels, and mercury levels in the Southern Ocean
Other positive facts of our trips:
We suggest arriving to Ushuaia 36 hours before the start of your trip, this way if your bag didn`t make it you still have time to recover it, plus it will give you some time to rest before the transit across the Drake. The day before the start of the trip we`ll all meet at immigration office for checking out of the country. The day of the start of the trip, we`ll meet at the boat at the local marina, for a safety induction tour, and pack our bags away, and when all ready, we`ll depart for Antarctica!
Sailing to remote areas means that we are away from everything! That also means that if we need medical assistance, it can be days away. It also means that we have limited access to emails, facebook, etc, for the duration of the trip, and there is NO access to phone lines.
Our expeditions provide many very good things, the main one being that we only take 8 to 12 guests, but we are not a luxury cruise with jacuzzi, sauna or cabins with balconies -our balcony is the main deck!.
Sailing on an Expedition Yacht means that the cabins and common places are very small, and we, all the crew and passengers, share pretty much everything. It can be considered as an Adventure in its true meaning!
The cabins on our sailing boat Ocean Tramp are very small, one of them with barely space to stand inside, still they can be considered big for sailboats standards. Also, sailing boats have hatches on deck for ventilation, light and as an emergency escape route, but the downside is that sometimes when is very cold outside and warm inside, condensation will occur in the inside of the hatch, sometimes dripping if not dried -nothing that cannot be solved with a rag, or if weather allows by crack opening the hatch -ask our crew and they will do it for you.
The cabins on our motor Yacht Hans Hansson are slightly bigger compared to those on Ocean Tramp, but still small compared to regular cruise ships.
An important question to ask yourself is “Am I in good shape for participating on these expeditions?” If your answer to the questions below are YES, then yes! You are fit to join us! Any questions, Please ask us!!
• Can you stay without external medical assistance for the duration of the expedition? -it could be up to 20 days
• Can you swim or float?
• Do you have good balance: Can you stay standing on a bus/metro/train with little to minimum holding in normal conditions?
• Can you embark/disembark from a zodiac to a beach with little swell?
• Can you walk 10 blocks/half a mile/ 1 km, without getting exhausted?
• Can you climb a 6ft / 2m vertical ladder?
• Are you aware that you are going to a remote area, with no phone access? (note, we now have Starlink onboard, so under normal conditions you should able to purchase internet access, but given that we have no control over the satellite system, we cannot guarantee its functionality over the duration of the trip)
•Am I a flexible person who can deal with changes and adjust to new situations? Do I understand that in Antarctica everything is weather permitting and plans not always goes according to plan?
• Do I understand that I am joining a sailing boat, where spaces are small, ventilation is limited, water supply is limited, hot water is limited, and I am supposed to share my space with other guests?
Any questions, Please, ask us!!
This is a great trip for photographers, especially those looking to get the perfect shot. Our size offers us incredible flexibility. We can help you get some great shots and we can take advantage of the weather and the light!
Don’t worry – we will send you a list of gear you will need. If you have winter clothes, most of it you will already have. A must have are some Arctic Muck boots – insulated rubber boots. They are amazing.
YES! Please join us. Anyone with a sense of adventure and a desire to spend quality time in Antarctica will find our trips enjoyable. We teach you everything you need to know. Sailors and non-sailors alike both have incredible experiences.
Our cabins are some of the most comfortable available for sailboats. We have private double cabins, and even one with a private bathroom. Each cabin has a door that can be closed, they are fitted with warm and cozy duvets and storage space for your things. A luxury suite it is not, however each cabin gives you a place to call your own for the duration of the journey.
Everyone is a little different, but we highly recommend bringing seasickness pills with you. The Drake Passage is open water and the vessel will move. We recommend having a chat with your doctor and bringing seasickness pills with you.
When we are in Antarctica Ocean Tramp will act like a base camp. Some days we will travel other days we will stay put. Once we are anchored we will launch the zodiac to explore. Sometimes we will cruise around the in the zodiac exploring the area, other times we will use the zodiac to bring us to shore. Sometime on shore we will be able to freely move around, explore and hike, other times we may be limited due to the wildlife and limiting our impact on them. We also bring kayaks and can use them to explore at eye level.
On-board you will eat hearty well-made delicious home cooked food. Lunch is often warm soups and sandwiches, while dinner is the big meal of the day and can be wide ranging based on the cook and crews’ favorites. The food might be described as healthy, comforting fare. We also always have snacks available during the day and water ready for coffee or tea. If you do have any special snacks or teas that you can’t live without, we recommend bringing some with you.
Passengers with dietary needs: The vessel is small and not a full-scale restaurant with multi options each meal. Our cooks will make their best effort to try to meet your needs, but some flexibility and understanding is also asked. We are a small boat, with only a fortnightly resupply by plane.
Once you are onboard everything is included – port fees, meals, wine with meals. We also provide your basic safety equipment including life jackets. Flights to/from Punta Arenas to Antarctica. One night between Antarctica and Puerto Williams in Punta Arenas.
Flights to/from Punta Arenas, airport transfers, and REQUIRED evacuation insurance. Accommodation before and after the trip is not included.
Yes. The places we go are quite remote and while what we do is safe, it does require some physical activity and advanced care could be days away. Once you sign up for a trip we will require you to fill out a medical form and have it signed by a doctor.
One of the wonderful aspects of this trip is it allows you to unplug and get away from emails, phone calls, etc. We do have a connection to the internet via our satellite phone. We use this for weather updates, email to update our position, emergencies, and facebook and blog updates. We encourage everyone to tell their friends and families to subscribe to our blog and like us on facebook. Then they can get updates while you are here with us. Our guests and their families have appreciated these “news” updates in the past.
Alcohol consumption is at the discretion of the captain. If we are underway sailing then we do not drink, as it is not in the interest of safety for crew and guests. If we are comfortably in a cove for the night then indeed, we all enjoy a nice glass of Argentine wine with our meal.
Inebriation will not be tolerated onboard and the Captain has the right to cancel a trip should guests not adhere to this policy.
We recognize that this trip is not cheap. When shopping around for Antarctica Trips consider how many days a vessel is actually in Antarctica. Many have two days crossing the Drake each way (or 4 days each way in a sailboat). Our trips are 14 days in ANTARCTICA. If you look at cost per day of actually being in Antarctica – our costs aren’t so different. In addition, our vessels only carry 8 or 12 passengers and we need to charter a plane.
Please fill out the form, and we’ll be delighted to have you join our next trip. We look forward to seeing you!
Please fill out the form, and we’ll be delighted to have you join our next trip. We look forward to seeing you!
