Antarctic Yacht Expeditions: Interview with Darrell Day
M/Y Legend
Antarctica, one of the most remote locations on Earth and a bucket list item for many travelers. It is the fifth largest continent, nearly twice the size of Australia and almost completely covered by a vast sheet of ice. The coldest, driest and windiest place on earth, Antarctica remains pristine and untouched by human influence, and is filled with an abundance of life and exploration.
Dayboard Maritime has had the privilege to interview one of the world’s leaders in Antarctic expeditions and consulting, Darrell Day from Spirit of Sydney Support Yacht & Consulting Services. Darrel, speaks about what it takes to run a successful yacht charter, discloses his fascinating discoveries, and even gives detail about an expedition he did with the famous wildlife expert and late friend, Steve Irwin.
1. Can you give a brief overview of what your company, Spirit of Sydney Support Yacht & Consulting Services, does for its clients and how you organize expeditions?
Spirit of Sydney Support Yacht & Consulting Services offers yacht-based expeditions and consults clients and companies on how to operate in the complex Antarctic universe. We began our operation about twenty-one years ago, and have evolved tremendously providing and creating incredible adventures for different types of explorers.
Some areas that we cover: Itinerary and Expedition Planning, Permitting and Required Documentation, Expert Expedition Staff, Helicopter Operations, Ski-Mountaineering, Mentoring for New Operators, Ice-Pilot Training and Certification (Certified through the Australian Maritime College), Risk Management, Vessel Inspection, etc.
Our expeditions are organized based on the clients’ desires and needs. We provide bespoke itineraries which focus on the goals set up for the voyage. It depends on whether the client is looking for first ascents, diving in polar waters, a scientific contribution or if it is a family trip. Our twenty years of experience and the network of experts we have put together over the years are crucial in our planning and will guide the process of creating the desired expedition.
2. Besides Antarctica, where else do you organize expeditions?
We organize voyages to The Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Subantarctic Islands (Australian, New Zealand, French and South African Subantarctic Islands, for example Campbell and Macquarie Island etc.) Cape Horn, and the Patagonian Fjords.
3. Antarctica, and to a lesser extent South Georgia, get most of the attention. What other areas are equally as beautiful and exciting and worth serious consideration for an expedition?
The Patagonian Fjords are worth seeing. They are a cruising treasure in itself.
4. How long does the average expedition last?
There are many different groups of voyages to Antarctica, for example:
Superyacht Voyages, tend to be shorter although that is not always the case (last season we had scheduled a month-long expedition that included Antarctica and South Georgia). However, normally they last one or two weeks departing and arriving from King George Island. This can be done as a fly-in fly-out option, normally we take off from Punta Arenas and fly into King George Island, in Antarctica. This is a more convenient option if the client has limited time, as they don’t have to spend approximately 3 days in each direction crossing into Antarctica, and they can meet the vessel down there.
Sailing Yachts, departing from Ushuaia or Pt. Williams and returning to Ushuaia / Pt. Williams are longer. We suggest 22 to 24 days to make the crossing of the Drake Passage worth it. Our yacht, Spirit of Sydney, normally runs 24-day voyages, departing and returning from either Pt. Williams or Ushuaia.
5. What locations are your personal favorite, and why?
South Georgia during early season (October and November) from an expedition side of things. It is the breeding season, and the Elephant Seals are breeding and fighting. Plus the location is all covered in snow, which makes it a beautiful canvas for photography.
6. How many years have you been going to Antarctica and what stands out as one of the most memorable trips?
There have been so many memorable moments over the past twenty years. One unforgettable voyage that comes to mind is one that we did this past January 2021. Our consulting team went beyond what anyone else could do to make this voyage happen. It was a successful trip and it was very rewarding to have Antarctica all to ourselves. The guests were able to experience Antarctica in complete solitude. At the same time, we made a significant scientific contribution - we were able to provide Oxford University with the opportunity to collect data during a unique season with no tourist activities or other vessels in the area.
7. Spirit of Sydney Support Yacht & Consulting Services gets its name from your own sailing yacht, Spirit of Sydney, that you’ve been taking to Antarctica, South Georgia, and other locations for many years. Over the years you’ve had the opportunity to take your late friend Steve Irwin, a team from HBO’s VICE, and many others to Antarctica onboard Spirit of Sydney. What do you think makes Antarctica, South Georgia, and other inhospitable places so compelling and exciting to visit, document, adventure, and dream about?
Steve Irwin aboard Spirit of Sydney
Places like Antarctica and South Georgia are out of reach enough that they haven’t been fully explored yet, leaving mountains yet to be climbed for the first time, areas to be explored by helicopter where no tourists have ever visited, and plenty of opportunities just to have a real adventure.
Our brain is hungry for information on the unknown. After twenty years I am still discovering new and interesting things. In the past five years I have had the opportunity to use submarines in Antarctica and this has opened up a new window to a part of this planet that has yet to be fully explored. Almost in every dive you can come across creatures undescribed by science. It’s one of the richest biodiversities known in the world.
We are really passionate about working with film crews as they offer a portal for us to share the reasons why we keep coming to this area year after year. Antarctica and South Georgia are places of striking beauty and such abundance of wildlife that they capture people’s imagination.
8. What are your biggest challenges when planning an expedition?
Bureaucracy, dealing with governments is the biggest challenge. After so many years in the business, our process is normally very smooth. Although it got more complex during the pandemic, as we had to adapt to continuous changes in government decisions of the gateway countries. Antarctica is governed by the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM), which is made up of 29 Consultative Parties (Countries) that make the actual policy. There are 25 Non-Consultative Parties that have signed the treaty and adhere to the policies.
The ever changing political climate within the ATCM requires us to be fully involved and up to date in the political aspects of the operation. As a stakeholder in the business, we actively contribute to policy-making through our role within International Association of Antarctic Tour Operations (IAATO) and with constant dialogue with our permitting authority.
9. What is your typical interaction with a Yacht Management company and how can a company like ours help in ensuring a safe and successful expedition?
We partner with Yacht Management companies and provide them with support to secure a successful expedition. We start with a vessel inspection if the vessel has never been to Antarctica before. We help them put together the necessary gear and adjust the vessel to the Antarctic environment without overspending. We arrange the Environmental Impact Assessments, Risk Assessments, Permits and other documentation required for a safe and environmentally sustainable operation that is aligned with IAATO and Antarctic Treaty regulations.
We supply experienced Expedition Staff and Field Staff, including Ice Pilots, Expedition Leaders, IFMGA Mountain Guides, etc. We also work with port agents and local officials.
As a long-standing member of IAATO, we have access to the IAATO fleet for contingency and safety back up. In summary, we provide support along the way to overcome any difficulties that may arise, to give answers to questions and to achieve a cost effective operation that can be run overtime.
10. How soon before an expedition should an Owner reach out to you to properly plan an expedition and ensure you have time to get all of the required permits?
Twelve months is optimal to properly plan an expedition. It can be done on shorter notice but we could struggle to obtain the absolute best Ice Pilots and Expedition Staff.
11. How has the Polar Code affected the process of traveling to Antarctica?
The Polar Code basically puts into effect some common sense guidelines. In no way will it stop a vessel going into Antarctica but it will limit where the vessel can go.
12. What makes for a successful charter yacht for expeditions?
The people that work on the vessel are the most important factor. The crew must be able to listen and learn from our Expedition Team. Our Expedition Team and Ice Pilot have extensive experience working in Antarctica and will need a crew that can work as a team. After taking superyachts on their maiden voyage to Antarctica, it is extremely rewarding when the vessel captains and crew mention that they enjoyed themselves and learned a tremendous amount.
13. What specialties are required to be able to travel and explore Antarctica? In other words, in addition to an ice pilot and yourself, who needs to come along for the trip to meet the requirements?
It depends on the type of vessel and how many guests will be on board and what type of activities they want to engage in. For some of our sailing yacht trips, with five or six guests, an experienced Ice Pilot that we bring in could be enough. In this case, as bunks for crew tend to be limited, we try to find an Ice Pilot that can also be an excellent Expedition Leader as well. For larger vessels, even with only five or six guests, we normally bring at least an Expedition Leader and an Assistant Expedition Leader. If it is a Mountaineering Trip, then we bring in a qualified Mountaineering Guide, as well as the Expedition Leader and Assistant Expedition Leader. On voyages with more interests/budget, we can bring in a Divemaster, Kayaking Guide, Expedition Doctor, Naturalist, etc. We also take into account the spots available on board for Expedition Staff. To sum this up, this will be assessed in a case by case scenario. We have placed up to nine Expedition Staff members on one voyage.
14. Yacht Owners are, almost by definition, people that can afford to do about anything they would like to. How does an expedition to Antarctica, and other places, defy their imagination and bring them back to child-like excitement and wonder?
Regardless of the budget, even a simple sailing yacht voyage is able to blow everybody’s mind. Being able to take a superyacht with helicopters and submarines takes it to a new level. The sheer scale of the iceberg formations, deafening solitude, tones and shades that appear in the sky and reflect upon the ice, abundance of wildlife that inhabit Antarctica, have never failed to capture people's imagination. It is hard to describe, but once you have visited Antarctica, you might get the Polar Fever that keeps bringing it back to your memory.
15. With COVID-19 there have been restrictions throughout the planet – and Antarctica was no exception. Your company was the only one to successfully carry out an expedition during the pandemic. What was it like to literally be the only people in Antarctica and have free reign of an entire continent? What experiences were you able to give the Owner that we’re beyond the ordinary, even by Antarctic standards?
The freedom that we had to travel everywhere was truly spectacular. I kept looking over my shoulder and expected to see a small yacht or another vessel around the corner, but this never happened. This is something that normally money can’t buy, but with the clients' trust we were able to push through the obstacles where others wouldn’t even dare to consider it. This speaks by itself about the depth of knowledge of our team. As part of last season’s adventure: we did the first official heli-skiing trip ever done with a client. We try to incorporate a scientific purpose to the trips that we run, and this past season, it enabled us to support a science project that otherwise couldn’t have happened in a pandemic year. This was very rewarding for the client as well.
Learn more about Spirit of Sydney Support Yacht & Consulting Services: https://www.spiritofsydney.co/
Learn more about Dayboard Maritime: https://dayboardmaritime.com/
