Elizas' Antarctic Adventure

As part of our partnership with the Antarctic Heritage Trust (AHT) Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ programme, one of our crew, Eliza recently joined a team of explorers to sail to Antarctica on the Bark EUROPA tall ship. Here are some of her reflections that she shared with the team at AHT.

What were the standout moments of the expedition for you?

One particularly special moment was when we were navigating through Graham Passage, heading South down the Antarctic Peninsula. It was early in our trip and the unrelenting wind, heavy cloud and biting cold, (alongside our challenging 5-day journey across the Drake Passage) was starting to take its toll. Our spirits were low, especially after we were unable to do our planned landing the day before due to the weather conditions.

As we gazed at the steep, ice-covered mountains of the Peninsula and Bluff Island, wishing for a break in the low clouds to witness the sharp peaks and ridgelines, heavy snow begun to fall. It dusted the Europa’s deck and rigging in a beautiful white blanket. Snowflakes settled on the water’s surface, drifting aside as the ship moved silently through. It felt truly magical and our moods were instantly lifted.

We didn’t think it could get any better until several Humpback Whales appeared - feeding, diving and breaching! It was a very special moment to be able to witness, and probably the most epic spot for a snowball fight!

The abundance and diversity of wildlife that we encountered, and how unphased they were by our presence, created many standout moments on the expedition. We were lucky to see Wandering Albatross, Adélie Penguin, Gentoo Penguin and Chinstrap Penguin, along with Leopard Seals, Weddell Seals and Humpback Whales, to name just a few!

Were there any experiences that pushed you outside your comfort zone, and how did you handle them?

The sheer power of nature really pushed me outside of my comfort zone. The further South you sail, the more intense and unforgiving the elements you experience. As sailors, we often talk about the ‘Roaring Forties’, the ‘Furious Fifties’, and then the ‘Screaming Sixties’ - the latitudes where the wind circles the globe uninterrupted. Experiencing the changes of the environment on a tall ship as you cross the latitudes and the Drake, into polar water is something that is hard to describe. You’re not just observing the elements, you are living in them - you notice the drop in temperature of the air and the sea, and the vast remoteness of your surroundings. The wind pelts your face, the salt water from the rolling seas grabs at your seaboots and the cold attacks your toes and fingers. It’s physically and mentally demanding. It’s exhausting but it also makes you feel unbelievably alive.

The best way I found to handle it was to lean on the people around me. We had an amazing mix of inspiring explorers, voyage crew and permanent crew onboard who somehow found ways to laugh even in the toughest conditions. Even if it was the midnight-to-four dog watch -pitch black, freezing cold, and in the most remote place in the world - we would still be out on deck cracking jokes and smiling as we hauled on lines and trimmed the sails.

You quickly learn to rely on your shipmates, but you also have to appreciate the magnitude of what you’re doing. Not many people get the chance to sail a historic tall ship to Antarctica. In the hardest moments, remembering the uniqueness of this journey, helped turn discomfort into strength. It was a challenge, but also a privilege.

What was it like sailing this historic tall ship compared to your time on Spirit of New Zealand? Were there any similarities between the two experiences?

Sailing on Europa compared to Spirit of New Zealand was a different experience for me because while both are tall ships, they have different core priorities. Europa has a strong focus on sail training and traditional seamanship, whereas Spirit primarily focuses on youth development.

I loved the opportunity to sail on Europa, where I learned so much from her experienced crew. Their diverse international backgrounds bought a wealth of knowledge to the ship, and it was impressive watching them sail her with such expertise and cohesion. For a historic tall ship, Europa was superbly maintained – beautifully preserving traditional seamanship while including modern comforts that made the extreme environments more manageable.

What truly resonated with me between the two ships, though, was the sense of community. Both ships foster an environment where everyone belongs, regardless of their background. To sail a tall ship, teamwork is essential. Hauling ropes, keeping lookout, helming the vessel, working aloft, requires responsibility, trust and support as a crew. I feel there is something really unique about sailing a tall ship and how fast strangers become shipmates, and shipmates become friends. You have a sense of connection and belonging and it makes the experience even more special.

What navigation skills did you learn during the voyage, and how do you think early polar explorers would have relied on similar techniques in their own journeys?

This was my first ocean crossing – and what an incredible voyage for my first one! During the voyage, a few of us voyage crew were fortunate to learn how to take a noon sight with a sextant from the 2nd mate, Clara.

A sextant is a traditional navigational equipment used to determine your position at sea. It was the primary tool used by early polar explorers, as modern systems such as GPS had not been invented. By measuring the angle between the sun and the horizon at local noon, you can calculate your latitude (and, with additional calculations and timekeeping, your longitude).

Completing a noon sight aboard Europa in the Drake Passage gave me a whole new appreciation for the skills of early explorers. Using a sextant requires patience and precision as you ‘bring the sun down to the horizon’, which is very challenging on a rolling, heaving ship in cold conditions. Additionally, we had very limited opportunities to take sightings because we barely saw the sun over the 19 days!

Nowadays we are lucky to have GPS, satellite imaging and daily weather forecasting for accurate positioning and to help us understand the dynamic environment we are in. However, if early explorers were unable to take a sextant sight they had to use ‘dead reckonings’ where they estimated their position based on their average course and speed. It really was just a big trust in their knowledge and skills.

It really struck me how much patience, resilience, and navigational knowledge early explorers would have needed. The conditions were often harsher, and they had none of the technological backups, such as GPS, Radar and weather forecasting, that we rely on today. I feel grateful for the advancements in navigation equipment which has made the still challenging journey that much easier to navigate but have now gained a new appreciation and connection to the challenges of early explorers.