Spitsbergen
and Arctic Polar Circle:
Southern Star's Itineraries
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The program descriptions below are
provided as an indication only.
Please keep in mind that under high latitudes more
than everywhere else, the weather leads the game.
There is also the pleasure for the participants to invent the adventure
day after day relating with feelings and meetings... |
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Norway
- Spitsbergen
This sailing trip can be divided into three sections...
Step 1: sailing through Northern Norway and the
Lyngen Alps. Navigation in the inside passages is well protected
from the swell. A confortable way to start a sailing trip
through fjords and mountains
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Step 2 :
The crossing to Spitsbergen via Bear Island (Bjørnøya).
In general, the leg from Norway to Bear Island lasts for
less than 48 hours and the leg from Bear Island to Spitsbergen
lasts around 30 hours. The first meeting with pack ice
could be in the vicinity of Bear Island (in the cold Bear
island current between the two branches of the Gulf Stream)
Step 3: Spitsbergen Southwest coast.
We can enjoy our first meeting with fast ice, glaciers
and fjords along the coast before arriving in Longyearbyen.
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Day 0
: Arrival on board in the end of the afternoon
or in the evening, a good oportunity for you to enjoy
Tromsø downtown by night. Scandinavian athmosphere
guaranteed in the northernmost University town.
Day 1 : Presentation of the boat, personal
purchases. Afternoon, setting sail north by the east of
Ringvassøya, anchoring for the night in the north
part of the island.
Day 2 : Sailing towards Langfjordbotn
(Langfjorden).
Day 3 : To Indre Pollen, anchoring in
Stjernøya
Day 4 : Bustadhamm,
Day 5 : Crossing to Spitsbergen in the
evening.
Days 6 and 7 : Navigation to Bear Island
between Norway and Svalbard, stop on the island if correct
ice condition
Day 8 : Crossing from Bear Island to
Spitsbergen.
Day 9 : Hornsund, first contact with
Spitsbergen, Gashamma.
Day 10 : Van Mijenfjorden, anchoring
in Fridtjovhamma.
Day 11 : Isfjorden, Ymerbukta
Day 12 : Navigation in Isfjorden to Longyearbyen.
Day 12 + 1 : 03h00 AM, taxi to the airport.
Take off 04h40 AM for a flight back to Tromso and Paris |
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Western
and Northern Spitsbergen present
a huge diversity of gorgeous fjords, glaciers and mountains.
For the program, you have to trust us. We know much more
places than we can visit within a 12 days trip. For that
reason, it makes no sense to present a fixed itinerary.
The navigation area spreads from Isfjorden
to Woodfjorden for those who
are not afraid by long legs. The program will be established
according to weather and ice conditions.
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Our local knowledge (polar
navigation, anchorages, fauna, flora, geology, glaciology)
is a guarantee for you to enjoy a maximum of Spitsbergen
during your stay on board. This trip will bring us
quickly, after a stop in Ny Ålesund
and Kings Bay, to the North
where we will take the time to discover the natural
treasures of Smeerenburg fjord,
Raudfjord and Woodfjord.
In our slow way towards south, we stop in Magdalena
fjord, 14 of July glacier and Forlandsundet. |
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| We cast anchor every night
except for one or two bigger legs of 20 hours duration each.
We go for a walk on shore as much as we can, hiking trips
from two to four hours each. |
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An amazing
voyage to the most secret parts of the fjords, a possible
meeting with the pack ice, a guaranteed meeting with
the History and big probabilities to observe polar
bears. |
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Tysfjord
The main navigation area is around Vestfjorden,
this huge fjord between Lofoten
and continental Norway.
Orcas follow the herrings migration and stay there from
mid-October to mid-January. They are in Vestfjorden,
Ofotfjorden and Tysfjorden
with a maximum concentration in the latter. |
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Experts
estimate up to 600 the number of Orcas in this small
perimeter every year. It's not rare to watch pods
of up to 12 animals. |
We
spend every night at the anchor or at the dock.
Possible stop at Finsness, Gibostad,
Lodingen. We're sailing the whole
trip in the inside waters, well protected from the
swell..
Days are getting short at this
period, then we have big probabilities to watch
for Northern Lights. Day light from 8 AM to 5 PM..
We have light enough to enjoy the navigation and
watch for Orcas.
Day 0: Tromsø, arrival
onboard at the end of the afternoon
Day 1: Morning, presentation of
the boat, personal purchases in downtown Tromsø
. Beginning of the afternoon, setting sail to the
south by east Senja Island and the Solbergfjord.
Days 2 and 3: Sailing south to Lofoten
and Tysfjord through the inside passages.
Days 4 to 9: Navigation in the
area Vestfjord, Ofotfjord, Tysfjord for orcas observations
Days 10 to 12: Sailing up to Tromsø.
Stop in Ryøya where the most courageous members
of the crew can go to observe a herd of musk ox.
Arrival in Tromsø in the end of the afternoon.
Day 12 + 1: Morning, bus to the
airport after breakfast.
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Ski and Sail
in the Lyngen Alps
The "Southern Star" is based in Tromsų
all the year long. The Lyngen Alps are her backyard...
Combining sailing and skiing makes very much sense in
Northern Norway. Our sailboat will become base camp. We
organize these trips in partnership with ESCALES
POLAIRES. This trips are fitted for professional
mountain guides who desire to come on board with a group
of skiers. |
| Please contact
us for more details |
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