7-Day Sailing Cruise. Western Svalbard

The cruise encompasses the classic Spitsbergen tour. Stepping onto the deck, you witness the peaks outlining the horizon, all dusted with snow. In between them, massive glaciers run down to the salty water.

Our yacht is a 23-meter Bermuda cutter named the „Southern Star.” The vessel has spent 21 seasons sailing in the Arctic, participating in 17 significant polar expeditions, including twice traversing the Northwest Passage. Accommodation is provided in 2-person heated cabins.

Being here is worthwhile, it is a race against time. The Arctic is melting at an alarming rate, a process continually intensifying. Climate change is already affecting even such remote regions as northern Svalbard. According to scientific analyses, global warming in the Arctic is progressing twice as fast as anywhere else on Earth – the Austfonna Glacier itself flows ten times faster than scientists believed, and in the Spitsbergen region the permafrost is thawing.

The realization of The Far North project in the furthest reaches of the Arctic aims to prompt reflection for each of us on humanity’s place on Earth. Polar sailing offers close contact with nature in its purest form: boundless shades of white, clear air, navy, crystalline seas. Moments of solitude and alienation, experienced during voyages through the waters of the Far North, serve as an impetus for personal actions to reduce one’s contribution to the climate warming process.

We commence and conclude the cruises in Longyearbyen. The name Svalbard designates the archipelago of islands, with Spitsbergen being the largest and the only one inhabited. Founded in 1906 by John Munroe Longyear, the owner of the coal mining company operating here, Longyearbyen began serving tourism and science purposes after 1990 when coal extraction was moved to the nearby settlement of Sveagruva. Today, Longyearbyen hosts around 2500 permanent residents.

Attractions include polar research stations, fjords and glaciers, Arctic flora and fauna: whales, walrus colonies, polar bears, bird colonies, reindeer, seals, orcas; Russian mining settlements; trekking; cod and halibut fishing; kayaking.
Sailing with us are sailors, scientists, travelers, photographers, naturalists, and fishermen.

Depending on weather and ice conditions on the route, we may encounter:

Research stations: Hornsund (Isbjørnhamna), Baranówka, Petuniabukta, Calypsobyen, Kaffioyra

Fjords: Isfjorden, Billefjorden, Van Mijenfjorden, Kongsfjorden, Magdalenefjorden…
Glaciers: Jotunfonna, Nordenskiöldbreen, Svitjodbreen, Monacobreen…
Settlements: Barentsburg, Pyramiden, Ny-Ålesund

The motto of The Far North expedition is inspired by the words of Himalayan mountaineer Piotr Morawski: „Barely back home, I already long for more adventures. As my friend once said: at the beginning, your life goes on normally, sometimes interrupted by expeditions; then your expeditions go on normally, sometimes interrupted by life.” Ahead of us, beyond mountain peaks, lies the depth of the sea and the ocean, unexplored expanses of icy emptiness…

The realization of the route is entirely dependent on weather and ice conditions. The captain decides on the route itinerary. Every cruise starts and ends in Longyearbyen.

Participation in the expedition can be as a passenger or crew member. Crew members are included in the watch system and undergo basic sailing training.

The expedition aims to accumulate a significant number of sea hours, providing practical maritime experience in accordance with the Regulation of the Polish Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation of January 29, 2018, regarding the qualifications and training of crews of commercial yachts and the conditions for obtaining them.

The expedition meets the criteria for navigation on tidal waters, as mentioned in the Regulation of the Polish Minister of Sport and Tourism of April 9, 2013, regarding water tourism, and fulfills the criteria for sailing on a yacht with a hull length exceeding 20 m – necessary for obtaining a yachtmaster’s license.