ANTARCTIC NON-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY NEWS
Tourism Industry |
Brief news items on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic
non-government expedition activities.
ANAN 81
Wednesday, 11 September 2002
News in this edition:
81-01. Cruise ship steerage loss, waste spill, resurrects 'big ship' concerns.
81-02. 'Fathom Expeditions' prepares for first 'operational' season.
81-03. 'Ultimate Walk' plans confirmed.
81-04. Polar Trilogy pair to abandon plans; separate venture mooted.
81-05. Taiwanese group proposing 2003-04 Vinson ascent, trek to SGP.
81-06. 'Cold Feat' expedition announces plans for 2003-04 SGP traverse.
81-07. 'Spirit of Sydney' heads for first Peninsula season.
81-08. 'Around Alone' to get underway with smaller fleet.
81-09. Coming Events Relevant to Non-Government Activities.
CRUISE SHIP STEERAGE LOSS, WASTE SPILL, RESURRECTS 'BIG SHIP' CONCERNS
[ANAN-81/01]
Problems experienced by the cruise ship 'Ryndam' in Alaskan waters late last month have resurrected concerns about large vessel operations in Antarctic waters expressed in recent years by some Treaty nations, smaller tour ship operators, environmental groups and others. 'Ryndam' first lost steerage at sea and later the same week accidentally discharged partially untreated waste-water into the sea. Despite both events, however, the ship's operator, Holland America Line (HAL), says that it "firmly believes" the ship is more than suitable for operations in the Antarctic Peninsula region.
In the first incident on 11 August, 'Ryndam' suffered what HAL says was a "brown out" or loss of electrical power while passing through the 10-km wide Lynn Canal in south-east Alaska. Reports indicate that one of the ship's two electrical generators on line at the time shut down unexpectedly; while some power was available, steerage was lost for up to 20 minutes.
As water depths in the area were too deep to anchor, the ship drifted until propulsion was fully restored, weather conditions at the time of the incident being said to have been "good". A tug, which was sent by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to escort the ship to a nearby port as a "precaution", was in the end not needed. HAL says that the tug did not join 'Ryndam' until well after the ship regained power and steerage. HAL also says that the loss of power was brief ship 'was never in danger". However, a USCG spokesman told Alaskan media outlets that "the chances of an accident when a ship, particularly as large as 'Ryndam', is adrift are very real", as there are "some dangerous reefs [in the Lynn Canal]". 'Ryndam' is 219 m long, 31 m wide and of 55,451 gross registered tonnes (ANAN-47/01, 23 May 2001).
HAL and the Coast Guard are understood to be working to ensure that they understand precisely what occurred with the electrical system so that appropriate changes can be made to procedures. No public comment on that evaluation has yet been released, however, the company stressed to ANAN that they "anticipate no further incidents of power loss, [and that] the vessel [was and] is able to recover quickly from such an event due to the redundancy [offered] by the five generators [that are on the ship]". Another HAL vessel, the 'Statendam', suffered a debilitating electrical failure last month, but the company has emphasised that that problem was of an entirely different nature.
'Ryndam' is to conduct her third voyage to Antarctic Peninsula waters early in 2003 (ANAN-69/02, 27 March 2002). The ship carried some 2,500 passengers on two voyages to the Peninsula last January-February (ANAN-67/04, 27 February 2002), and HAL became a full member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators in July (ANAN-77/03, 17 July 2002).
A week after its loss of power, 'Ryndam' accidentally discharged "partially treated waste-water" into the sea from its sinks, showers and sewage system during a visit to the Alaskan port of Juneau. HAL officials believe as little as 1,200 litres may have been discharged, however, an initial report by the USCG suggested that around 18,000 litres was involved.
The company is carrying out a "thorough investigation" of this incident and says it "will take all appropriate actions to make sure such an incident doesn't happen again". The State of Alaska's Department of Environmental and Conservation (ADEC) is believed to be considering whether fines should be imposed on HAL.
Despite the accidental discharge, ADEC last month praised HAL for installing "advanced treatment systems" on five of its vessels, including 'Ryndam'. ADEC has also said that the company has been a cruise industry leader in the acquisition of treatment systems and that they undertook that work "well before" they were legally required to by Alaskan statutes.
There has been considerable debate in Alaska in recent years about the impact of cruise ship operations on Alaskan waters. The number of ships and voyages has increased significantly over the last decade and the State of Alaska last year enacted a stringent new law that regulates discharges from cruise ships within three nautical miles of land. The law calls for sampling of grey and waste water, air emission monitoring, and new limits on where ships can and cannot discharge.
Some experienced observers see the issues affecting tour ship operations in Alaskan waters over the last decade as providing valuable input for the management of large tour vessel operations in the Antarctic Peninsula region.
Canadian company Fathom Expeditions, which has been in existence for just over two years, is preparing to operate its own tourist voyages to the Antarctic Peninsula region for the first time during the coming austral summer. Although it is a relative newcomer to Antarctic tourism, the firm is currently an Associate member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and is headed by several people who have managed numerous tourist voyages and other non-government programs in Antarctica over the last decade.
Fathom Expedition's President and owner, Dave German, told ANAN in a recent interview that while he and his colleagues have "solid operational experience", since forming the company in 2000, their prime focus has been to develop it "slowly and carefully". Over the last two years they have worked to build their client base by selling berths on ships operated by "companies that offer products that appeal to us", but because of the "high costs and complexity" involved have resisted chartering their own ship until now.
Over the past decade German has led over 35 voyages to Antarctica, while Kristoffer Erickson, who coordinates technical 'on land' safety and shore operations, has considerable Antarctic experience, including support of US tour company Adventure Network International's first high plateau marathon races last January (ANAN-70/04, 10 April 2002).
Fathom has sub-chartered the 49-passenger tour ship 'Professor Molchanov' from US-based Quark Expeditions for two voyages during the 2003-04 austral summer, the ship being marketed as the 'Fathom Discovery' by the company. German said though that "if clients come to us and we are unable to fit them into one of our own programs, we link them up with other appropriate companies".
The first voyage planned is a 10-day trip to the Antarctic Peninsula from Ushuaia, Argentina, from 24 January to 4 February, while the second is a longer operation that also involves visits to South Georgia and the Falkland Islands between 23 February and 13 March.
According to the company, the primary aim during both trips is "to raise awareness of Antarctic conservation and environmental issues". This is to occur not only on 'Molchanov', but also via a "host of educational materials that will be available on line" to people around the world.
In its marketing, the company says that it is able to "custom design" a wide variety of programs and there is a high degree of emphasis on off-ship programs, with hiking, skiing and climbing activities being among the ventures on offer. These activities range from relatively straight-forward hikes at such places as Deception and Petermann Islands, to harder climbs in the general vicinity of the southern end of the Gerlache Strait, a popular climbing area (see ANAN-81/07 following).
Indications are that the 10-day voyage to the Peninsula will take place at a time when up to a dozen other tour ships are expected to be in that region (ANAN-75/02, 19 June 2002). German says that he and his staff know the Peninsula area "very well" and that "if things get crowded" they know of a few "out of the way landing spots" that they can use. He believes though that IAATO's scheduling of landing site visits has worked 'exceptionally well' in the past, even during 'high traffic' periods.
Fathom is about to commence construction of a replica of Sir Ernest Shackleton's famous boat the 'James Caird'. It is to be carried and sailed on the company's second voyage as that operation is being marketed with a focus on Shackleton and his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (ITAE) of 1914-16.
Provided weather, ice and sea conditions allow, passengers on the Peninsula-South Georgia-Falklands voyage will be able to sail in the replica at places such as Paulet Island, Point Wild on Elephant Island, and in King Haakon Bay on the southern coast of South Georgia. While the presence of the boat is expected to add a new dimension to tourist operations, German says that its use is "just one aspect, and not the main focus", of his company's plans for the coming season.
Experienced Antarctic Captain Bob Wallace, whose vessel 'Able J' has visited the region many times in the past, is to skipper the 'James Caird'. Wallace played the part of Shackleton in the IMAX documentary about the ITAE, a feature that was filmed in part at South Georgia and the north-western Weddell Sea during the 1999-2000 austral summer, German being the expedition leader on the Antarctic voyages that supported the production (ANAN-20/02, 26 April 2000).
German says that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for Fathom's operations is part of IAATO's annual 'consolidated' summary for the Peninsula region which is submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency for authorisation. As Canada has not yet ratified the Madrid Protocol, no mechanism exists there for official review and endorsement of EIAs for Antarctic activities proposed by its nationals.
Further details of Fathom Expeditions' program of activities are available on line at: http://www.fathomexpeditions.com/.
Plans by the two-man 'Ultimate Walk' expedition to trek from Hercules Inlet to the South Geographic Pole (SGP) in 2002-03 were confirmed late last week and the venture is expected to get under way in November this year (ANAN-64/12, 16 January 2002). While the journey involved is along a well-known route, one of the trekkers, Will Cross, is a Type 1 diabetic and requires regular doses of insulin. Care will have to be taken to prevent the medicine from freezing, otherwise his life could be at risk.
Cross, from the UK, and Jerry Petersen from the US, say that they are making the trek to raise money for research into Type 1 diabetes and raise awareness of the condition. Type 1 diabetes strikes children suddenly, makes them insulin dependent for life, and carries the constant threat of serious complications. Currently there is no cure for diabetes, a condition Cross says is the leading cause of blindness, heart attacks, kidney failure and amputations.
Cross, who needs insulin daily, believes that he will be able to keep the medicine from freezing and that there is a "sufficient margin" to undertake the 1,100-km trek safely. He also believes that he could survive between three and five days if the insulin becomes unusable. This would provide enough time, provided weather conditions are suitable, for fresh supplies to be flown to him.
According to Cross he also faces other "challenges specific to a person with diabetes [during the trek]". These include "a high fat diet that may adversely affect an already at-risk heart, an increased risk to frostbite due to nerve damage, daily blood testing to monitor glucose levels, and management of high and low blood sugar levels".
The 'Ultimate Walk to Cure Diabetes' was originally scheduled for late last year but was deferred for 12 months due to difficulties with fund raising. Two air-supported depots of food and fuel are to be established along the route to the Pole by US tour operator Adventure Network International (ANI). Two other trekkers are to join the pair at latitude 88 degrees south for the final stage of the journey (ANAN-47/03, 23 May 2001).
The only other groups that have currently publicised their plans to undertake treks to the SGP in 2002-03 are ANI's commercial 'Ski the Last Degree' and 'Ski South Pole' ventures (ANAN-73/01, 22 May 2002), and another private venture that is expected to detail its plans late next week (see ANAN-81/04 following).
Further details of the 'Ultimate Walk to Cure Diabetes' expedition are available on its web site at: http://www.curewalk.com/.
Plans by two men to undertake three difficult polar journeys in a single year, including an 1,100-km trek to the South Geographic Pole (SGP) that was listed for November-December 2003, have been abandoned due to lack of interest from prospective sponsors. Despite that set-back, one of the adventurers involved is planning an Antarctic journey of a different kind later this year, although details of what is proposed will not be released until next week.
Brian Cunningham, who along with Paul Landry was proposing the three-event 'Polar Trilogy' program, said in a short notice posted on the expedition's web site last week that the "inability to attract sufficient sponsorship for [their] dream of completing the three classic polar journeys in a single year" had led to the decision not to proceed with the venture.
Cunningham concluded by saying that "Paul and I are now going our separate ways" and that "unless a miracle happens", there will be no further up-dates made to the Polar Trilogy Expedition's web-site.
During 2003 the pair proposed to use dogs to travel from Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic to the North Geographic Pole (NGP), cross the Greenland ice cap, and trek from Hercules Inlet on the coast of Ellsworth Land to the SGP (ANAN-80/05, 28 August 2002).
Cunningham told ANAN last week that he is now "organising a different expedition to Antarctica" that he hopes will be conducted in December this year. The new venture is believed to involve an overland journey on the Antarctic plateau. A major naming-rights sponsor for the planned program has been obtained, however, details of the venture will not be made public until late next week.
The only other groups that are currently expected to undertake treks to the SGP in 2002-03 are the 'Cure Walk' venture (see ANAN-81/03 preceding), and, depending on client interest, US tour operator Adventure Network International's 'Ski the Last Degree' and 'Ski South Pole' commercial ventures (ANAN-73/01, 22 May 2002).
Two Taiwanese non-government organisations, the National Alpine Association and the Antarctic Society, announced in Taipei late last month that they are hoping to jointly send a six-person group to climb Vinson Massif and man-haul to the South Geographic Pole (SGP) in 2003-04.
Full details of the venture, which is being called the 'Taiwan Antarctic Expedition 2004' (TAE), have not yet been released. It is not yet clear therefore if those involved are to undertake both facets of the expedition or, as seems more probable, whether they will be split into two groups, one to conduct the Vinson ascent, and the other to trek to the Pole. Just where the SGP trek is to commence has not been indicated, although a start from either Hercules Inlet or the Patriot Hills along what is now a well-traversed route seems likely.
Despite the lack of detail it would appear that the two-part expedition will be similar to those that have been supported by US-based tour operator Adventure Network International in the Ellsworth Land sector many times in the past 15 years.
The National Alpine Association is "an alliance of mountain climbers", while the Antarctic Society is made up of "Antarctic enthusiasts", some of whom have previously visited the continent as tourists. Few details about either group, including their size and resources, are known at this time.
In announcing its plans, the TAE organising committee said that it will need the equivalent of $US275,000 to mount the expedition and that all funds will be sought from private companies in Taiwan. The committee has indicated, however, that if "difficulties are experienced with fund raising" over the next 12 months, the number of participants may have to be reduced below the six currently envisaged.
The Secretary-General of the Antarctic Society, Lee Hou-chin, was quoted in a Taiwanese newspaper as saying that the TAE was established to "serve as a means of promoting Antarctica to Taiwanese people so that one day we can actively participate in international forums on Antarctic research." He said that "many developing countries" have carried out national Antarctic research expeditions and that "Taiwan should follow suit".
The TAE joins three other groups that are hoping to conduct treks to the SGP during the 2003-04 austral summer. The others are the five-woman 'Ice Maidens' party from Australia who hope to start from the Patriot Hills (ANAN-70/06, 10 April 2002), the three-man 'Polar Quest' group who are planning to conduct a return journey to the Pole from the same location (ANAN-63/11, 2 January 2002), and the recently announced six-person 'Cold Feat' trek that is listed as starting from Hercules Inlet (see ANAN-81/06 following).
The Antarctic Society of Taiwan maintains a Chinese-only language web site at: http://www.asot.org/. Brief details of the TAE proposal are provided on that site.
A six-person group from the UK recently announced plans to undertake a man-hauling traverse from Hercules Inlet on the coast to Ellsworth Land to the South Geographic Pole (SGP) during the 2003-04 austral summer. The venture, which is being conducted under the name 'Cold Feat', is the fifth party to have announced plans for a traverse to the Pole during that season, although one of those parties recently withdrew due to lack of sponsorship (see ANAN-81/04 preceding).
'Cold Feat' says on its web site that in conducting the traverse they are hoping to raise in excess of $US1.5m that will be divided between 'Cancer Research UK' and the UK 'National Canine Defence League'. The group puts the cost of undertaking the expedition at around $US700,000 and it hopes to raise that money through commercial sponsorship "in order to leave all publicly donated funds for charity".
The traverse is expected to be conducted during November-December 2003, with total time for the 1,200-km journey being put at just over two months. Expedition organisers say the US-based tour company Adventure Network International will fly their party to and from Antarctica and provide support during the two months they expect to be on the ice.
'Cold Feat' joins the Taiwanese Antarctic Expedition, the 'Ice Maidens' party, and the 'Polar Quest' trio in drawing up plans for traverses to the Pole in 2003-04 (see ANAN-81/05 preceding). Treks by small adventure groups to the SGP from either Hercules Inlet or the Patriot Hills in Ellsworth Land have become relatively commonplace in recent years.
Additional details of 'Cold Feat's plans are available on its web site at: http://www.coldfeat.org/expedition_main.html.
The 19-m yacht 'Spirit of Sydney', which has made eight visits to Adelie and George V Lands over the past decade, left Australia last week for South America from where it is to commence commercial operations in the South Atlantic sector of Antarctica late this year.
In addition to work around the southern coasts of Argentina and Chile, the yacht is to support two separate mountaineering expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula region in January, February and March next year. The main climbing focus of both ventures is the area in the general vicinity of the southern Gerlache Strait, a locality that has attracted many mountaineers over the past few decades.
'Spirit of Sydney' is owned and operated by Australian Roger Wallis who purchased it from the Ocean Frontiers company in July last year (ANAN-51/10, 18 July 2001). Wallis sailed on 'Spirit' to Commonwealth Bay in 1996-97 as a relief skipper, and has also operated the yachts 'Parmelia' and 'Tooluka' in the South American sector of Antarctica over the last six southern summers in support of mountaineering, kayaking and filming ventures.
Wallis, who sold 'Tooluka' in Cape Town, South Africa, in August, told ANAN last week that he has made extensive modifications to 'Spirit' in the months leading up to its departure for South America. Work undertaken has included the fitting of a new diesel engine, enclosing the cockpit, replacing all bilge plumbing, strengthening steering systems, installing new navigation and communications equipment, and adding a new mainsail.
Earlier this year tourists travelling on the tour ship 'Akademic Ioffe' were being offered the opportunity to also spend 3-4 days on 'Spirit of Sydney' in Antarctic Peninsula waters, however, that program will not be undertaken in 2002-03.
The separate yachting sojourn was marketed by the Australian company Peregrine Adventures, operators of the 'Ioffe'. Participants were to have travelled to the Peninsula from Ushuaia, Argentina, on the 'Ioffe', sailed on 'Spirit' for 3-4 days, then returned to the larger vessel for the passage back to Ushuaia. Peregrine's brochure indicated that those taking part were required to have had "previous yachting experience". A surcharge of $US250 was to have applied on top of their normal voyage fare for the sailing program.
Journeys on the yacht were the second multi-day off-ship program that Peregrine advertised in its 2002-03 Antarctic program brochure. The other involved climbing and skiing programs on Wiencke Island (ANAN-77/08, 17 July 2002).
'Spirit of Sydney' is currently being sailed directly to Ushuaia from Australia by a four-person crew, although Wallis, who is currently in the process of applying for membership of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, is not on board and will join it in South America next month. 'Spirit' is due to arrive in Ushuaia in mid October.
Details of the yacht are available on line at: http://www.spiritofsydney.net.
Five of the 18 yachts that originally indicated that they would take part in the 'Around Alone' single-handed yacht race in 2002-03 have withdrawn from the event and a fleet of 13 is now expected to commence its 'around-the-world' journey from North America on 12 September (ANAN-79/03, 14 August 2002).
The yachts are to leave Newport in the north-eastern United States, sail to New York and the UK, then head south to Cape Town, South Africa. Commencing in mid-December they are to make two long separate sub-Antarctic passages totalling 24,000-km on the journey back to the finishing line in Newport, the first from South Africa to New Zealand, and the second from there to Brazil via Cape Horn.
Race organisers, the UK-based company Clipper Ventures, says that on both of those southern legs the fleet will be required to stay north of designated way points that are designed to keep the yachts "north of Antarctic pack ice", although icebergs are still likely to be encountered in some longitudes. The position of these South Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean way points has not yet been made public.
The day-to-day positions of each yacht and general news of the race are expected to be available on line at: http://www.aroundalone.com/.
COMING EVENTS RELEVANT TO NON-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES
[ANAN-81/09]
Please forward notice of events via e-mail to: tourism@aad.gov.au. Up-dates are made to ANAN's web site at: http://www.antdiv.gov.au/goingsouth/tourism/Research/BibConf/Confer/default.asp as soon as new information comes to hand.
YEAR 2002
10-13 September (Warsaw, Poland)
Fifth Meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP V)
10-20 September (Warsaw, Poland)
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting XXV (see ANAN-80/01, 28 August 2002).
16-28 December (South Geographic Pole)
High Plateau Marathon (see ANAN-79/10, 14 August 2002).
Contact: general@adventure-network.com
YEAR 2003
3 March (King George Island, Antarctica)
Sixth Antarctic Marathon and Half Marathon (see ANAN-68/09, 13 March 2002).
Contact: marathon@shore.net (Thom Gillian).
[Date to be confirmed pending finalisation of ATCM XVI date] (Seattle, United States).
IAATO year 2003 annual meeting.
Contact: iaato@iaato.org (Denise Landau)(invitation required).
9-20 June (Madrid, Spain) (to be confirmed at ATCM XXV)
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting XXVI
18-20 September 2003 (Cambridge, UK)
Conference on the future of South Georgia (see ANAN-77/07, 17 July 2002).
24 November (Queen Mary and Dronning Maud Land regions).
Total solar eclipse (See ANAN-79/09, 14 August 2002).
YEAR 2004
Sometime around mid-year [Dates to be set] (Christchurch, New Zealand).
IAATO year 2004 annual meeting.
Contact: iaato@iaato.org (Denise Landau)(invitation required).
Next edition issued on Wednesday, 25 September 2002 @ 0600 UTC.
Deadline for items: Sunday, 22 September 2002 @ 2359 UTC.
ANTARCTIC NON-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY NEWS (ANAN)
IN READING PLEASE NOTE: This newsletter is produced in the interest of improved information sharing in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic community. Inclusion of information in it should not be taken to imply endorsement, by the publishers of ANAN News, of any company, program or associated activity that is listed, nor that the activity has necessarily completed all environmental impact assessments required under the legislation of the 'home' nation concerned.
Links provided in ANAN stories are working at the time of first publication.
AVAILABLE ON LINE TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY:
ANAN archive (including this issue with its built in links):
http://www.antdiv.gov.au/goingsouth/tourism/News/default.asp
Coming events related to non-governmental activity:
http://www.antdiv.gov.au/goingsouth/tourism/Research/BibConf/Confer/default.asp
Links to tourist industry web sites:
http://www.antdiv.gov.au/goingsouth/tourism/Industry/default.asp
EDITOR: Dave Moser (David.Moser@aad.gov.au).
POSTAL: Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia 7050
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