What Equipment, Modifications And Preparations Are Needed For Sailing To High Latitudes? Ice Pilot Magnus Day Explains
The key is that a yacht needs to be solid – solid hull, solid rig, solid systems and solid crew and, if of fibreglass construction, avoid high risk areas. You’ll need to outfit and equip to commercial standards: a vast amount of yachting gear will not last in these conditions. Any boat so lightly built that it deforms in a seaway should be avoided, so if your rigging goes slack or you find doors and drawers don’t fit when pounding to weather, forget it. Water will find its way in and make life below miserable, quite apart from the risk of a catastrophic ice or ground impact.
The hull and rig should be capable of taking a full speed grounding on solid rock and the stem strong enough to smash into that unseen berg. Glacial ice should be considered rock hard and even a small bergy bit can weigh tens of tons, probably more than your yacht. Unless you have absolute faith in your stem you should consider protecting it with a stainless or Kevlar sheath. If nothing else, this will protect your gelcoat against abrasion if you do decide to get involved with the brash in front of a glacier. Three-bladed fixed propellers are much tougher in ice, but never engage reverse gear unless someone is watching astern for ice that might get sucked under the hull. Carry a spare propeller.
Ready for anything
All systems must be in tip-top condition. That means a full service or overhaul of the engine and its associated systems. If your engine is at all reluctant to start, go back to first principles before you leave home.
Denne historien er fra January 2019-utgaven av Yachting World.
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Denne historien er fra January 2019-utgaven av Yachting World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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NIKKI HENDERSON
WHERE DO YOU FIND HANDY BILLY WHEN YOU NEED HIM?
MATTHEW SHEAHAN
IS OLYMPIC SAILING ACTUALLY HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS A SHOWCASE OF THE SPORT FOR BOTH COMPETITORS AND SPECTATORS?
Building fleet for Baltic Sea Race
The second edition of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race, a 635-mile race out of Helsinki, Norway, saw varied conditions and a new benchmark course time set.
New cruising charter 'Odyssey'
Charter company Dream Yacht has launched a new round the world supported cruising programme for yacht owners which draws on the company's extensive network of charter bases.
Mixed fortunes at Marseille
The Paris 2024 sailing regatta saw mixed fortunes for many favourites - some confirming their dominance, others crashing out as variable winds played havoc.
The yacht Bayesian
Bayesian is one of Italian yard Perini Navi's 56m series, originally named Salute.
Seven dead in superyacht sinking
Seven people are dead following the sinking of the superyacht Bayesian, a 56m/184ft British-flagged Perini Navi, off the coast of Sicily.
5 EXPERT TIPS HELENA DARVELID ON MULTIHULL CONTROL
Performance multihull racing is growing hugely in popularity. Helena Darvelid shares some key learnings with Andy Rice
PALMA'S FUN FACTOR
FUN ON AND OFF THE WATER IS AN UNBEATABLE COMBINATION AT THE SUPERYACHT CUP PALMA, WRITES PHIL RILEY
SWAN 88 DREAMCATCHER
GLOBAL LEADERS AT THE SEMI-CUSTOM END OF THE PRODUCTION SCENE, NAUTOR SWAN INVITED US FOR THE FIRST SEA TRIALS OF ITS BIG NEW 88