South Georgia News

ABB has been selected by the Astilleros y Servicios Navales S.A. (ASENAV) shipyard based in Chile to provide a power and propulsion system for Antarctica21’s newbuild boutique expedition ship Magellan Discoverer. Due for delivery in 2026, the vessel is the first hybrid-electric polar cruise ship featuring Azipod propulsion to be built in the Americas. Accommodating up to 96 passengers and 67 crew members, the vessel will be operating in the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and…

Norway/Uruguay-based Pesquera Azul’s has successfully trialed an innovative catch protection cage in whale-rich waters in the southern Indian Ocean. The company says it is a potential game-changer for the longline fishing industry as it grapples with the challenge of whale depredation.The steady increase in the whale population in sub-Antarctic fishing grounds is hampering the longline fishing industry, especially for fatty fish species. Whales have learned to snatch, for example…

A 112-year-old tall ship has toppled over during a drydock maintenance period in South Africa.The Netherlands-registered Europa fell over during an attempt to transfer the steel-hulled barque back into the water from drydock at a Cape Town ship repair facility, leaving one crewmember with minor injuries."The injured sailor is receiving the necessary medical care and is doing well, given the circumstances," the ship's operator Bark Europa said. "He is currently in stable condition…

The wreckage of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance, which was crushed by Antarctic ice and sank some 10,000 feet (3,000 m) to the ocean floor more than a century ago, has been found, a team searching for it said on Wednesday.The three-masted sailing ship was lost in November 1915 during Shackleton’s failed attempt to make the first land crossing of Antarctica.Previous attempts to locate the 144-foot-long wooden wreck, whose location was logged by its captain Frank Worsley…

Lindblad Expeditions announced the launch of its second new polar vessel, National Geographic Resolution, on her inaugural voyage to Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands. Under Antarctica’s clear blue skies and parked on fast ice in the Weddell Sea’s Duse Bay, guests walked onto the ice to cheer on Captain Heidi Norling as she christened the 126-guest National Geographic Resolution.“I wish this ship calm winds, fair seas, and great adventures. May everyone who sails with her be blessed,” marked Captain Norling as she tossed the bottle.

Lindblad Expeditions Holdings took delivery of National Geographic Resolution from Ulstein Verft, marking the official completion of the line’s second polar new build. Present at the handover ceremony in Ulsteinvik, Norway for the official signing was Nikolaos Doulis, Senior Vice President, New Buildings and Kenneth Pettersen, Project Director at Ulstein Verft. The vessel is now ready to set off for her inaugural polar voyage on November 17, 2021 to Antarctica, South Georgia and…

Oceanwide Expeditions, the Dutch company specializing in expedition-style voyages to Antarctica and the Arctic, has cut steel on its newbuild, Polar Class 6 expedition ship, the Janssonius at Croatia’s Brodosplit shipyard.The design, size and 174-passenger capacity is the same as its sibling vessel, the Hondius (174 passengers) delivered in 2019, and a nearly identical size and design, the new ship will be equivalent to a 1A super ice-class ship, the line said.Completely on schedule, the Steel Cutting Ceremony took place in Split's Brodosplit shipyard, which marks the beginning of the construction of the vessel., it said.Janssonius´ completion is scheduled for 2021 and as of November 2021…

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) yesterday (5th February) launched a five-day capacity building seminar to help UK Overseas Territories support safe maritime trade.The seminar, delivered as part of the Government’s Overseas Territories Seabed Mapping Programme, will focus on international regulations, with sessions on maritime safety information training, best practice governance and maritime law. This guidance, given by experts at both the UKHO and MCA, will help each of the 10 participating territories to comply with international obligations and share their own maritime safety information with ships operating in their waters.For these ships, this information, including up-to-date bathymetry (seabed mapping data), navigational warnings and observations, is essential to safe navigation.

Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast is forming Contingency Engineering Response Teams (CERTs) in preparation of any damage to Naval facilities in the path of Hurricane Irma. "Teams returned last week from Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville and NAS Corpus Christi after performing damage assessments after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas," said Integrated Product Team Gulf Coast Assistant Operations Officer Cmdr. Anant Patel who is the CERT officer in charge. Just one week later, Patel is preparing several CERTs to be prepared after Hurricane Irma passes through Florida and moves up the east coast of the United States. "We need to be ready to move out early next week depending on where there may be damage on naval installations," said Patel.

BMT Group subsidiary BMT Asset Performance has appointed Paul Haycock as Business Development Lead for Surface Systems. Haycock joins BMT after 35 years in the Royal Navy, serving on a variety of ships and in a diverse range of environments. A Warfare Officer and Lynx Helicopter Observer, Haycock’s sea time has ranged from Minesweepers on Fishery Protection duties to Frigates and Destroyers as a Bridge Watch Keeper, Ships Communications Officer, Flight Commander and Second in Command.

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS), the world’s leading maritime and logistics service provider, has won a global port agency contract with Hurtigruten, a world leader in expedition travel. The new business sees ISS providing Hurtigruten with port agency services across the globe for up to four years, as well as helping to support and advise the company with the management of its rapid worldwide expansion plans. In addition, ISS will provide hands-on advice on hotel operations, shore excursions and itinerary planning. As the world leader in expedition cruises, Hurtigruten operates along Norway’s western and northern coast and also offers explorer cruises to Antarctica, Greenland and Iceland.

The IMO is on the verge of adopting the Polar Code, something that is important and long overdue. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, is on the verge of adopting the Polar Code. When implemented, it will establish the first mandatory rules for operation of commercial vessels in polar waters. This important step is long overdue. On 18 January 2010, the IMO adopted voluntary guidelines for ships operating in polar waters (Res. A.1024).

Divers from Royal Navy ice patrol ship HMS Protector braved the chilling temperatures to monitor the state of sunken research ship 'MV Bahia Paraiso'. When she ran aground in 1989 the ship spilled 645,000 litres of diesel and caused one of the worst marine environmental emergencies in Antarctica to date. However, a recent Argentine and Dutch team carefully removed all traces of fuel, with HMS Protector’s dive team tasked to ensure there was no further leakage. Diving on the hull…

Silversea Cruises expedition ship 'Silver Explorer' damaged and next cruise cancelled for repairs. The expedition ship Silver Explorer encountered heavy weather and sustained damage while on a cruise from the Argentinean port of Ushuaia to South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula. The owners report that all 133 guests and 113 crew members were safe; no guests were injured but four crew members received minor injuries and were treated in the ship's Medical Centre, also that the vessel had full power and control as it returned to Ushuaia. The next voyage has been cancelled.

A crew of six British and Australian adventurers will re-enact Sir Ernest Shackleton's epic Antarctic small boat voyage. With only four months to go before the 'Shackleton Epic' adventure gets underway, a significant milestone has been reached with the sea trial and the expedition's naval element is eager to get going on the trip of a lifetime. The 'Shackleton Epic' has been in development since 2008 when The Honourable Alexandra Shackleton, grand-daughter of Sir Ernest, had the idea of an expedition to honour one of the greatest leadership and survival stories of all time.

Trouble started 12 days into a 31-day journey from Ushuaia, Argentina, one of the southernmost cities in the world, to Ascension Island, an isolated volcanic island near the Equator. After returning from a small island, the ship suffered a complete power failure. Ship's engineers were able to fix the problem and course was set for Tristan de Cunha heading north in order to avoid a fierce storm system. En route, the ship suffered another engine failure. It was thought the ship could complete the cruise around the islands…