After 30 days on charter in Svalbard with little or no wind, where the sailing vessel Vinson of Antarctica motored everywhere we had to go, the old question of sail versus power, at least for a working vessel, again loomed large. After an experience like that, discussing the pros and cons with both the crew and the charter clients becomes inevitable.
Several of my colleagues in the south have evolved (or devolved depending on how you look at it), from sail to power. For a working platform a motor vessel of the same length does have several advantages over sail. More internal volume is obvious, but things like more deck space and more cargo carrying capacity are all positives for film teams and science projects who always bring inordinate amounts of unwieldy equipment that can be difficult to accommodate and handle on a sailing vessel. When on site, usually along the coast and within an archipelago, there’s no doubt a motor vessel trumps sail. Often it’s either not possible due to ice, nor practical for detailed navigation, or just not worth the effort to make sail. You end up carrying around those poles in the air while tripping over running rigging lying idle on the deck... and you begin to wonder.
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Albatross Mission
Skip Novak’s final adventure on pelagic Australis was a mission to save the Albatross
The J Way
This fast, but civilised, cruiser has a timeless appeal that will resonate with J/boats’ many long standing devotees
To the Edge
Taking a luxury cruiser to the margins of arctic ice, photographer Mike Jones experienced true wilderness sailing
The Wall of Sharks
Joshua Shankle explores French Polynesia’s ‘dangerous archipelago’ above and below the surface
5 Expert Tips
Shirley Robertson on offshore preparation
Atlantic Divide
This year’s Atlantic Rally for Cruisers proved a reminder that no ocean crossing is ever straightforward. Rachael Sprot and Helen Fretter report
Remaking of a Classic
Crosbie Lorimer reports on a dramatic Rolex Sydney Hobart race
Special Report: Helen Fretter on Sailing With Young Children
Would you take your preschooler cruising? Or are toddlers and yachts a recipe for stress, sleep deprivation and restricted sailing?
Taken by the Wind
Memoirs of a 1970s Pacific voyage reveals a time when sailors had to rely on their own pilotage skills for safe passage
Taking on Big Weather
Heavy weather is not always avoidable. Andy Schell has expert advice on how to prepare for and handle the big stuff
The Seventh Continent
I'm known to many in the photography world as a fearless explorer, having worked in some of the most off-the-beatenpath areas around the globe, including multiple trips to North Korea, Iran, and Iraq, as well as intense treks through the jungles of the Amazon, the forests of Borneo, and Nepal's Himalayas.
Wonders of the White Continent
Make lasting memories on an expedition voyage in Antarctica.
KRILL, Essential for Your Pet's Diet
There is no question that pets are part of the family and they actually help improve the mental and physical health of their human companions. To the end, it’s important that we take care of our pets and put them on the best path to wellness just like we take care of our other family members.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
A huge open world that offers runes with a view
A circumnavigator's favorite ocean films
A still from the documentary Maiden, which tells the story of the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989-90.
Antarctica
A Global Meltdown
One Good Bottle
Tamara Irish is a natural winemaker. Way natural.
Sea Hero: JOHN WELLER
How one photographer’s mission to save the Ross Sea is bringing the planet together
In Search of Terra Incognita
The risk one runs in exploring these unknown and Icy Seas is so very great, that I can be bold to say, that no man will ever venture farther than I have done and that the lands which may lie to the South will never be explored. ~ British Captain James Cook
ARCTIC TRUCKS. MARS ROVER
Advancing Humanity