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What to Expect

Polar Tall Ships / What to Expect

Yes it can be Cold!

No you won’t get cold!

Specialist Clothing? For clothing think ski holiday with a bit of wet salt water chucked in. A ski jacket or down jacket under normal sailing waterproofs works fine in the more extreme weather in Antarctica or the Arctic. Good warm waterproof boots and maybe hiking boots once ashore.

Footwear is important.

Prepare for – Antarctica – snow, ice, rock and penguin poo. South Georgia – sand, gravel, lichens, grasses and mosses. East Greenland – tundra vegetation, cotton grass arctic flowers and fluffy arctic hares….

Sounds and smells.

What does it sound like? Ice tinkling against the hull, Orcas off the starboard bow blowing!

Ashore the wildlife can be pretty smelly, 250,000 King Penguins in one colony is an odour you will never forget but you do get used to surprisingly quickly!

The sound of thousands of Blue Eyed Shags chattering away is awesome.

On board and below decks you can smell the new baked bread or the supper in preparation to excite your taste buds.

The happy sounds of the crew relaxing, playing scrabble or joining talks on the wildlife and nature.

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The Weather

High pressure over Greenland in the summer creates still, stable conditions which is great for nature lovers and sun seekers.

Further South Iceland receives its fair share of depressions tracking from the West so there is no shortage of sailing winds.  In fjords of Svalbard or East Greenland there are fickle winds if you have time to play with the sails, but when there is a lot of ice to weave around then the ships motor may come into play (Opal has a silent electric engine.)

Out in the fresh air.

You steer our sailing ships and keep a lookout out on the open deck, but the professional crew will adapt the time on duty to match the conditions.

Unlike the early 20th century explorers you have modern kit to keep you warm and nice warm deckhouses or saloons to escape to when your trick on the wheel is over.

How to join a Polar Tall Ship

  1. Follow any link to our central website classic-sailing.co.uk
  2. Pick your adventure where you can search by sailing area, vessel, Voyage Type or date.
  3. Complete a booking application on line. (No money is required until we have approved your application.)
  4. Or call a skipper for advice on +44 (0) 1872 580022
  5. Get really excited about your sailing adventure!
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Polar Tall Ships