Embark	Disembark	Vessel	Duration	Voyage No
Fri 10-02-2023, 18:00Puerto Williams, Chile	Thu 16-03-2023, 10:00Puerto Natales, Chilean fjords	Tecla	34 Nights	TC100223

Voyage Description

IDEAL VOYAGE FOR…

Experiencing Antarctica and Tierra del Fuego at close quarters, a real expedition that you make happen.

VOYAGE HIGHLIGHTS

Once in a lifetime voyage

Penguins

Fur Seals

Treks ashore

Albatross
Antarctica

35 days

Humpback and Fin Whales

Killer Whales

Elephant Island

Drake Passage

Tierra del Fuego

Autumn sailing on Tecla in the Hebrides — sailing on Tecla

FULL VOYAGE DESCRIPTION

Antarctica and Chilean Channels

For many years, people speculated about the shape of the earth. One missing piece was the weight that kept the earth from tipping over. Aristole already speculated about a region bearing the same relation to the south pole as the one in the north. Antarktike would be the female form of Antarktikos. Meaning as much as across from Arctic. Much later this missing continent even had a name, Terra Australis. The British explorer Mattew Flinders, mapped great parts of the continent now known as Australia. He claimed there was “no probability” of finding any land mass further south than “his” Australia. Claims like these didn’t stop brave men from venturing further and further south. By 1820 the continent surrounding the South Pole was found. It stayed well hidden in the Antarctic mist and was the object of many great expeditions. Some in search of its supposed natural resources, some in search of the whales and their blubber, some in search of fame!

When starting the crossing of the infamous Drake passage, we hope that Elephant Island will be our first land fall. Following this chain of Islands we will come to the South Shetland Islands. Its highlights the imploded Deception Island. From there our journey continues to take in the sights of the great white continent. Possible places to visit are Half-moon bay, Paradise harbour, Port Lockroy, al depending on the weather conditions of course. During our stay on the peninsula it would be very possible to be in company of Humpback whales and Fin Whales.

The most Southern continent also has its own kind of fauna like the many penguins, but also a great variety of seals among whom we can hopefully find the fearsome looking Leopard Seal. If the ice allows us we will try to transit the Le Maire channel with it awesome views!

We will not finish this voyage in the same port where we set off. We will take some extra time to explore the Channels and fjords of Chili. The route through the channels will depend on wind and weather.

Well Proven Ocean Sailing Ship

Tecla sailed around the world in 2012-13 with Europa and Oosterschelde. She crossed the South and North Atlantic, Indian Ocean, the wild seas of South Australia, raced in the Tasman Sea and sailed across the Pacific to round Cape Horn. She is a fast ship that does well in tall ships races. Run by two Dutch families she likes to create unusual sailing programmes and her crews like to explore ashore with as much energy as they sail the ship.

Antarctica

Elephant Island

First stop could be, but is weather dependent, Elephant Island which is famous for being where Shackleton and his crew overwintered in 1916 after the lost their ship Endurance. A small part of the crew and Shackleton set off from there to South Georgia to seek a rescue for the entire crew in which they were eventually successful.

South Shetlands

The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of 3,687 km². They lie about 120 kilometres north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between 430 and 900 km southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. They have Antarctica bases from different nationalities set up amongst the islands.

Deception Island

The name is apt. Once you have been there you will understand why!

Drakes Passage , Cape Horn and the Chilean Fjords of Tierra del Fuego

Once you leave Antarctica you will be crossing Drakes Passage to Cape Horn and South America. Sailing up the Beagle Channel the voyage will end in Puerto Natales in Chilean Patagonia, on the Sound of ‘Ultima Esperanza’ (‘Last Hope’), named by the sailor Juan Ladrilleros when he sought the Strait of Magellan in 1557. If you have time after disembarking, visit the nearby National Park of ‘Torres del Paine’ with its mountainous towers over 2000m high and hundreds of bird species.

Skipper Gijs in one of Tecla's famous beanie hats. — Skipper Gijs in his famous beanie hat.

HANDS ON HOLIDAYS

Whether you are an experienced sailor or a complete beginner, the professional crew will train you to be guest crew from the moment you arrive, with the intention that everybody works together to sail the ship. The common thread to all Classic Sailing holidays is ‘Hands on’ participation on ships that use ropes, blocks and tackles and ‘people power’ to set sail.

SAILING STYLE & LIFE ON BOARD

We cater for a wide range of ages and physical abilities and how much you are expected to do varies a bit between vessels. See the vessel tab above which explains all about the ‘sailing style’ and what to expect in terms of hands on participation. There is a lot of information about day to day life, the ships facilities and accommodation on the vessel pages.

AGILITY & FITNESS

Every customer sailing with us will need to fill in basic medical questions on their booking application. If you are not sure if your current level of fitness and agility are up to a voyage, then please ring the Classic Sailing Office on 01326 53 1234 and we can chat through your concerns and possibly find options that might suit you better.

Start & End Port

Puerto Williams, Chile

Adam Purser

Puerto Natales, Chilean fjords

Puerto Natales is a small port on the Señoret Channel in Chile’s southern Patagonia. Population about 20,000. It’s the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park to the northwest, and the port for boats touring the Patagonian fjords. The Municipal Historical Museum in the city center exhibits artifacts from the region’s indigenous population. To the north is the vast Mylodon Cave, once inhabited by prehistoric, slothlike mylodons

Kit List

Kit List for Tecla

THIS IS TECLA standard voyage kit list. Specialist Antarctic kit list to follow shortly

Included

Sailing instruction
Safety Equipment (Life jackets and harnesses)
All meals to including refreshments throughout the day.
Bed linen, duvet, pillows and towels.

What's Not Included

Travel to and from the start and end port.
Optional trips or tours taken ashore
Meals ashore
Alcoholic Beverages
Waterproof jacket and trousers
Personal towels

What to bring

There is limited storage space on Tecla so please pack all you belongings in a soft rucksack or bag.

Footwear: Shoes with a good grip e.g. trainers or sailing deck shoes. (Sandals are great for beaches but you do need toe protection for sailing). Tecla has steel decks so waterproof walking boots are fine at sea in moderate winds and dry conditions and great for voyages where you might do some rough terrain walking like Iceland and Scotland.
Rubber Boots or second pair of shoes for wet weather or getting in/out of dinghies.
Swim suit & beach towel
Suntan lotion & sunglasses
Sun hat / warm hat, scarves, gloves
Clothes that dry quickly like fleeces and thermals. Mix of warm, waterproof & windproof layers. Wool jumpers are warm, even when wet, but can take a while to dry. Merino wool type shirts are good for under layers.
Small rucksack for going ashore
Travel insurance documents/any travel tickets
Personal medicines/ spectacles/ seasick tablets –check which brand if you suffer from asthma or are on regular medication.
Camera/binoculars etc
Modest quantity of alcohol for evening meals
You are welcome to bring musical instruments

Review

This trip fulfilled my desire for adventure sailing as we transited the north coast of Iceland, along the Arctic Circle. Even though it was rough, the boat and crew performed admirably.
Bruce

An enjoyable week in less than ideal weather conditions. The crew were competent and friendly, the catering excellent. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a voyage on Tecla.
Jonathan

A great mix of sailing in Scottish waters, some super hikes and an opportunity to see some of the immensely important historical sites in the Orkneys and Sheltands.
Mooring alongside in the Fair Isles was a great privilege.
The ocean passage to the Faroes was quiet but as a result we were blessed with clear skies whilst slinking in and out of the islands and some of the best coastal views one could hope to see anywhere.
The ocean passage to Iceland was a bit of a bimble until we were 60 miles off and then it got exciting. Thanks to a great skipper and permanent crew we snuggled into a fjord whilst the cruise ship ran aground in Reykjavik harbour. A good holiday, an adventure and fun.
K

Any initial doubts as to the number and experience of the crew were very quickly dispelled and we were impressed with the knowledge and the handling skills of the skipper and the 2 mates. Every opportunity was taken to enhance our enjoyment on both voyages and at every stage we were made to feel relaxed and under no obligation to crew the ship under sometimes testing (but enjoyable) conditions. As an observation, we must congratulate the skipper for her culinary skills under difficult conditions..........the food was perfect for the voyage.
Geoff

A delight. A competent and engaging professional crew, an interesting voyage with some challenges and some great rewards. Good companions to make the log spin around.
Mike

Brilliant. I would do it again tomorrow. And good value too. The food was excellent. I loved the spicy meatballs and my wife loved the fresh langoustines.
Steve

Most enjoyable classic sailing with great food, a true sense of teamwork, great guidance and a good sense of humour. Can't get any better.
Thomas

Vessel Gallery

Globe trotting Tall Ship Tecla in action and images. This historic gaff ketch is our Iceland Specialist and also has Greenland Sailing Expeditions. Photos from Classic Sailing customers, ships crew and professional photographers. We hope it gives a flavour of her sailing, life on board, the people that come, her beautiful sailing grounds and what it is like to live below decks.