Go With The Floe

A private charter provides the ultimate seaborne experience, but not all vessels are equal. Nick Walton discovers freedom in the icy waters of Antarctica aboard one of the few superyachts equipped for such adventurous expeditions

- Nick Walton

The horizon, a silver line that seems to drift in and out of existence as if in a dream, is gradually broken. The effect is subtle at first, almost like a trick of the eye, but soon its clear icebergs are rising out of the sea like the vanguard of an approaching horde, eventually towering in icy blue majesty as we approach. It’s dawn—or at least the transition between the shades of twilight that represents the birth of a new day this far south—and I’m on the bridge of a state-of-the-art expedition vessel as she silently slices her way through near frozen seas into the depths of the Antarctic Sound.

Being able to go where others are rarely able to venture has become a central theme for well-heeled world wanderers. With today’s trend for experiential travel, the pursuit of something more than leisure at its most somnolent rules supreme, and suddenly everyone wants to see the Northern Lights from a hot tub, track game in the Serengeti on foot, or, at the top of many bucket lists, visit the vast, desolate beauty of Antarctica. So how do the wealthy stay ahead of the game, you might ask? Just like they do in the air: they go private, with a luxury charter yacht opening up a world of exotic possibilities.