Sail Spitsbergen
A once in a lifetime voyage
Experience the wild and remote area of Svalbard
The Trips
Experience an exclusive arctic sailing expedition on board luxury yacht Santosa. After enjoying a very successful first season exploring the Lofotens Islands, Santosa is heading further north to explore Spitsbergen the main island of the Svalbard archipelago during July 2020.
The dates that are:
Tromso to Spitsbergen (Longyearbyen) 2nd to 12th July 2020 - FULL
Spitsbergen (Longyearbyen) to Tromso 14th to 24th July 2020
The distance between Tromso
and the southern end of Spitsbergen is approximately 420nm and the passage
through the Arctic sea will take between 3-4 days leaving the rest of the time
to explore. There is no fixed itinerary at present other than
starting/finishing in Tromso and finishing/starting in Longyearbyen,
Spitsbergen.
Miles in your log book
Approximately 580nm
Spitsbergen
Located at 78 degrees north in the Arctic Sea some 650 miles from the north pole this area is wild and remote, in the arctic summer the ice retreats, the sun doesn’t set and the area comes to life with flowers and wildlife in the sea and on the land, there are great opportunities to see a variety of wildlife; whales, seals, walrus, artic fox and some of the 3000 polar bears that inhabit Svalbard, they outnumber people! A hydrophone is on board so you can listen to the whales as well and watch them.
You will sail into majestic fjords, get up close to glaciers, hike, fish for arctic cod, absorb the awe-inspiring landscapes and breath the pure arctic air as we seek out remote areas to explore that are only possible by yacht. Don’t worry about being cold as panoramic views can also be enjoyed from the warmth of the deck saloon. The entire yacht has heating, each luxury ensuite double cabin has a heated towel rail and power shower, black out blinds are fitted to.
'Listening to the whales through the hydrophone was the most magical experience, I felt extremely priviledged" Lucy, Lofotens, July 2019
The Yacht
Your comfort and safety
will be at the forefront of this expedition. Santosa was launched in 2017, she is a 55ft (16.7m) steel ketch of Bruce Roberts design with a
high latitude rig and has been built with exactly these sort of waters in mind and to provide an exclusive and luxurious experience. She is ‘coded’ to
Category Zero meaning her structure, the safety equipment on board and the
experience and qualifications of the skipper and mate meet the UK’s Maritime
and Coastguard Agency (MCA) international standards to sail anywhere in the
world. For any trips ashore a guide will be present, if required, and
appropriate firearms carried.
This is an exclusive voyage with a maximum of four guest-crew. All meals on board are included with the exception of a couple evenings where you may wish to sample the local cuisine ashore.
Accommodation on board Santosa
From the cockpit you come down into a spacious and sociable coach house with a raised saloon area offering panoramic views, leather seating and a dining table. To starboard there is a helming position and navigation area.
Aft of this area you step down into two luxury en-suite cabins, one each side of the boat. Plenty of storage is offered and a wardrobe. The ensuite has a power shower with seating, heated towel rail and electric flush toilet. the cabins also have heating, aircon and black out blinds.
Forward of the coach house saloon, you go down a level to a well designed galley on the port side and a snug seating area with TV/DVD to starboard. Beyond that is mainly crew accommodation consisting of another heads, another double cabin and two bunk beds, and a work shop right up in the forepeak.
What to expect/pre-requisites
Come as a couple, by yourself or with a friend whom you are happy to share a cabin with (the double mattress can be divided by a lee cloth).
Experience is always welcome but for this trip it doesn't matter if you have haven't done much sailing before.
You will need to be healthy and reasonably fit.
Meals on board are included and made for you, apart from 2 or 3 evenings where you will have the opportunity to eat ashore and sample the local cuisine! We do not provide alcohol on board but you are very welcome to bring your own. Whilst our experienced skipper and mate are perfectly capable of sailing the yacht by themselves you are most welcome to take part in all aspects of keeping a watch, navigating and sailing the boat.
You should get some exciting sailing. You will see some dramatic scenery.
Warm clothing will be needed but the trip will not be as cold as you might expect. The weather can be fickle, but crystal clear and sunny days are not uncommon.
Price and Travel
Two luxury double ensuite cabins are available on each leg.
Come as a couple, by yourself or with a friend (the double mattress can be divided by a lee cloth).
Or charter the whole yacht.
The price is £6850 per cabin.
The price includes all food on board, bar 2 or 3 meals ashore; gas, fuel and mooring fees. You will need to bring your own oilskins and arrange your own travel insurance (circa £60 from a company like TopSail Insurance).
To pay a deposit of £1000 to secure your place use code SANTOSASPITSBERGEN1 for the 2-12 July trip and SANTOSASPITSBERGEN2 for the 14-24 July trip in the check out stage.
Travel
Tromso is a reasonably well served airport.
For Spitsbergen fly in/out of Longyearbyen with Norwegian Air or SAS Air.
Other Legs of this Voyage
Santosa is sailing from Southampton in the UK, west along the South Coast, up the Irish Sea to Scotland, through the Caledonian Canal, over to Stavanger in Norway, then up the Norwegian Coast to Tromso before heading to Spitsbergen in Svalbard. From there she will come back down as far as Trondheim before heading back across the North Sea to the Shetland Islands, the Orkneys, through the Caledonian Canal to the west Coast of Scotland, then back down to Falmouth. During this whole voyage there are a number of different legs that all have slightly different sailing aspects to them. For example some are purely coastal cruising whilst others have a large part of offshore sailing to them as well as coastal cruising.
Coastal Cruising
Bergen to Trondheim - 300nm and Fjords
Trondheim to Bodo – 280nm and Fjords
Bodo to Trondheim - 280nm and Fjords
Shetland to Inverness - 200nm. Via the Orkneys
Inverness to Isle of Skye -150nm. Through the Caledonian Canal
Isle of Skye to Oban – 70nm West Coast of Scotland
Arctic Circle Cruising
Bodo to Bodo - Sail in the Lofoten Islands
Bodo to Tromso - Sail in the Lofoten Islands
Tromso to Bodo - Sail in the Lofoten Islands
Mile Building and Coastal Cruising
Falmouth to Scotland - Up the Irish Sea and through the Caledonian Canal
Inverness to Bergen - Cross the North Sea and cruise the Fjords
Tromso to Svalbard, Spitsbergen - 580nm. Wild and remote
Svalbard, Spitsbergen to Tromso - 580nm. Wild and remote
Trondheim to Shetland - 350nm. Cross the North Sea
Shetland to Inverness - Via the Orkney Islands
Inverness to Skye - Through the Caledonian Canal
Skye to Oban - West Coast of Scotland Cruising
Oban to Falmouth – 430nm mile builder. Sail down the Irish Sea
