Tuesday May 28th 2013 - 03:08pm

Tecla will join the OceanoScientific® fleet in 2014

The round the world of the three-masted barque EUROPA is continuing even further East, from now on between Durban and Mauritius. Another superb Dutch sailing boat has joined her in her voyage, the ketch Tecla. As her three-masted big sister, the ketch Tecla is the illustration of a nice human adventure. As Bark EUROPA, Tecla enables passengers passionate and in love with traditional sailing navigation, to sail in historical maritime routes. Built in 1915, Tecla has also a rich story. She was one of the last true commercial fishing sailing vessels. Initially Dutch, she was sold to Denmark, where she sailed the coastal waters transporting heavy grain and stone. In 1979, Tecla returned to the Netherlands to be re-fitted as a charter sailing vessel. Tecla is 38 meters long overall and 6.60 meters wide, she has a 92 tonnes displacement and carries until 380 square meters sails.

Built in 1915, made for offshore sailing, Tecla is sailing under Dutch flag, remarkably well mastered by a crew of experienced sailors. Her OceanoScientific® vocation in sea areas subject to little or no exploration is a quality asset for the international scientific community.  Photo Tecla

Tecla takes onboard sixteen passengers in her expeditions around the world. Her size and her member crew make her a very family boat. Tecla’s owner, Jan Bouwman is also the captain and chief engineer. He gathered together: his wife, Jannette Sluik (co-owner and manager) and their children Gijs Sluik (captain) and Jet Sluik (first mate and cook), all driven by the same values of the traditional sailing and of the spirit of adventure. Together, they muster 65 years of traditional charter sailing experience! The “in-laws” of the family: Loes Van Aken (flexible crew, Gijs girlfriend) and Sam Dubois (officer, Jet’s boyfriend) complete the crew. This is definitely a passionate crew, determined to transmit its values to the persons wishing to sail in these unexplored maritime areas. The idea of participating in the study of causes and consequences of climate change through the OceanoScientific® Programme came therefore as an evidence for the crew of Tecla. The version 3.0 of the OSC System will be installed onboard Tecla during her next stopover for great maintenance, next spring in the Netherlands.

From left to right in Cape Town, the family crew of Tecla: Sam Dubois (officer and Jet’s boyfriend), Jet Sluik (first mate and cook, daughter of Jan Bouwman and Jannette Sluik) ; Jan Bouwman (owner, Captain and Chief Engineer) ; Loes Van Aken (flexible crew and Gijs’ girlfriend) ; Gijs Sluik (Captain and son of Jan and Jannette). Missing on the picture: Jannette Sluik. Photo SailingOne

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Wednesday May 22nd 2013 - 08:05am

Eighth meeting of the OceanoScientific® Programme aboard LE BOREAL

As tradition requires since the origin of the OceanoScientific® Programme in 2006, the great meetings (once or twice maximum a year) always take place on different sites. This time, according to the wishes of Lower-Normandy’s authorities - the headquarters of SailingOne are indeed located in Caen - the eighth general meeting took place onboard LE BOREAL, prestigious liner of the Compagnie du Ponant, in the harbour of Caen, on the canal connecting Caen to Ouistreham and to the sea. The short stopover of LE BOREAL in Normandy, as this luxury liner is on her way for her summer schedule in Northern Europe and in the Arctic, was the opportunity to highlight the fact that the OceanoScientific® Programme is not only reserved for actions on sailing ships. LE BOREAL will indeed host an OSC System as from next October. An on-site visit had been carried out by SailingOne and SubCtech in October 2012, during her maintenance stopover in Fort-de-France, in preparation for an Antarctic campaign last winter. However, the following stopovers of LE BOREAL, much shorter, did not enable the installation of the OSC System in good conditions. This campaign has therefore been pushed back one year. The Captain Etienne Garcia has greeted this eighth meeting (R8-OSC) onboard LE BOREAL.

On the deck of LE BOREAL (Compagnie du Ponant) from left to right: Antonio Lourenço (LOCEAN - IPSL), Denis Diverrès (IRD), Martin Kramp (JCOMMOPS), Yvan Griboval (SailingOne), Margot Choquer (SailingOne), Captain Etienne Garcia (Compagnie du Ponant), Cindy Guillemet (SailingOne), Franck Jacqueline (IFREMER - LERN), Pierre Blouch (Météo-France).

The R8-OSC enabled to come back on the great steps of the past year. The two long OceanoScientific® Campaigns were therefore at issue: the ARCTIC MISSION 2012, carried out last summer thanks to the schooner La Louise of Thierry Dubois, with the financial support of the Veolia Environment Foundation; the ANTARCTIC MISSION 2013, carried out from mid-January to the end of April thanks to the three-masted barque EUROPA (NL), mastered by Klaas Gaastra.

Scientists of IFREMER and Météo-France have commented the collected data, observing that the OSC System worked better during the second mission than during the first one. It has to be raised that the few problems noticed are related to the peripheral elements of the OSC System. It essentially deals with problems caused by the pump supplying the water circuit. As the version 2.0 and 2.1 tested on these occasions do not have any ON/OFF function easy to use, the OSC System is continuously working, even in the harbours and in shallow moorings. In these conditions, the pump is overburdened with rubbish and sediments, which block the functioning and disturb the water flow. As a consequence, oceanographic data are degraded when the pump is not working properly. Regarding the atmospheric data, nothing special to mention, except that onboard Bark EUROPA, it had been decided to test the circuit in priority. Sensors were therefore not installed masthead, but in a masts position receiving a disturbed wind.

Let’s remind that since December 2012, the development of the OSC System is carried out with the support of the Funds FEDER Basse-Normandie and complies with the disposals of the ERA-MARTEC II call for proposals, making it eligible for the support of the French Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy - General Direction of Infrastructures, Transports and Sea. These two significant supports enable to guarantee the good end of the R&D period of the OSC System, which should be reached in the middle of next year.

It has been presented to the audience the details of the OSC-Software development currently carried out by the Doctor Dimitri Voisin in the company Mer Agitée, headed by Michel Desjoyeaux. After a long collaboration (about two years) with the team of IBM La Gaude, a very precise bill of specifications has indeed been determined about the OSC-Software and the OSC-Hardware. The latter has been transmitted to the probably most competent structure in France - or even among the most competent one in the world - developing computing functions aboard offshore racing sailing boats. Mer Agitée has boasted a flawless performance during the last four editions of the Vendée Globe, the round-the-world single-handed yacht race sailed without assistance, that is to say on a period from 2000 to 2012 and four wins to his name. The optimisation of the OSC System is therefore in process, with, from one side: reducing the weight, size and the energy consumption, and on the other side: increasing the ease of implementation of the system and more conviviality. This will makes the OSC System an upmarket material of automatic acquisition and transmission of scientific data at the ocean-atmosphere interface really unique in the world.

The third and last part of this R8-OSC was essentially dealing with the great OceanoScientific Campaign - ANTARCTIC MISSION 2013 - 2014. This should be carried out on several boats: the three sailing boats : Bark EUROPA (NL), Tecla (NL) and Boogaloo (F); the liner LE BOREAL (WF). We will have the occasion to come back on this blog on the details of this great campaign carried out on several platforms, all equipped with the Version 3.0 of the OSC System, including the new OSC-Software and OSC-Hardware ordered to Mer Agitée.

On the left, Fabienne Gaillard (IFREMER - LPO) presents to Margot Choquer (SailingOne) the way the data automatically transmitted by the OSC System are checked according to the procedures defined by the international scientific community, during a meeting in Brest to prepare the R8-OSC. Photo SailingOne

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Tuesday May 07th 2013 - 01:07pm

The prototype 2.1 of the OSC System is back onshore

It is in Cape Town in South Africa, on Saturday 4 May, that is to say after the 96 days of the OceanoScientific® Campaign - ANTARCTIC MISSION 2013* that the prototype of the OSC System (Version 2.1) has been unloaded from the superb three-masted barque EUROPA (NL), at the moment high and dry in South Africa before new adventures. This campaign can be summarised in 423 Mo of collected data with a collection every six seconds, for a total of 1.4 million geographical points in a maritime area subject to little or no scientific exploration at the ocean - atmosphere interface. It is therefore the longest campaign carried out in extreme conditions since the creation of the OceanoScientific® Programme, in November 2006. This scientific quality data collection has been carried out according to the expectations and recommendations of scientists gathering them, including IFREMER (oceanographic data) and Météo-France (weather data), which have leaded this mission in favour of the international scientific community. From now on, the material unloaded is going to be dismantled and looked at in the smallest detail. The components of the new prototype (Version 3.0) are already under consideration for some of them and in manufacture for some others. Its implementation will be carried out during the summer. The major evolutions will be related to the OSC-Software and OSC-Hardware, with a miniaturisation of the main elements, and therefore a lightening of the OSC System as a whole. After a stopover a bit longer than usual for a general maintenance, Bark EUROPA will keep on her round the world. Follow her voyage thanks to the link appearing on the official website of this great expedition… and book your ticket onboard for an exceptional sailing. Fair winds!

* The development of the OSC System is carried out with the support of the Funds FEDER Basse-Normandie and complies with the disposals of the ERA-MARTEC II call for proposals, making it eligible for the support of the French Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy - General Direction of Infrastructures, Transports and Sea.

From left to right: Eric Kesteloo (Captain), Gary Hogg (Chief-Engineer) and Klaas Gaastra, the emblematic Captain of Bark EUROPA, are posing with the OSC System in Cape Town (South Africa), on Saturday 4 May. Photo SailingOne

Christophe Chaumont (SailingOne) has carried out the installation of the OSC System in Ushuaia (Patagonia - Argentina). Then he demobilised the material in Cape Town (South Africa). Before leaving the Bark EUROPA, he receives the comments and advices of the Chief-Engineer Gary Hogg, who took care of the functioning of this material with rigor and enthusiasm. Thanks a lot to him! Photo SailingOne

On the slipway of Cape Town (South Africa), the 102-year beautiful lady makes her 56-meter hull look good again, after this sailing in maritime areas subject to little or no exploration and full of pitfalls. Bark EUROPA will leave again for new adventures in the southern hemisphere. The team of the OceanoScientific® Programme will find her again in October for another campaign, with an OSC System optimised. Photo SailingOne

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Monday April 29th 2013 - 05:06pm

Antarctic Mission 2013 achieved with success

On Saturday 27 April, in the early afternoon, the captain Klaas Gaastra has docked the 56-meter three-masted barque EUROPA (NL) in Cape Town in South Africa, after 49 days of sailing since her departure fom Ushuaia (Patagonia - Argentina), on 9 March, and 48 hours in advance compared to the initial schedule. This arrival in South Africa also indicates the end of the OceanoScientific® Campaign - ANTARCTIC MISSION 2013* started on last 21 January from Ushuaia, which means 96 days of functioning for the OSC System taken onboard. It is therefore the longest campaign carried out in extreme conditions since the creation of the OceanoScientific® Programme in November 2006. The collection of quality scientific data has been carried out according to the expectations of scientists gathering them. Let’s remind that the OSC System collects continuously since last 21 January data of eight parameters at the ocean - atmosphere interface every six seconds. These data are automatically transmitted by satellite to the dedicated platforms of the international scientific community via IFREMER (oceanographic data) and Météo-France (weather data). Moreover, all the data collected are recorded in the hard drive of the OSC System. The latter, as the all prototype (Version 2.1) taken onboard Bark EUROPA, will be dismounted at the end of the week by Christophe Chaumont (SailingOne), and brought back in Europe. All the components will be analysed. The results observed by the teams of SailingOne (France) and SubCtech (Germany) will enable to modify the OSC System ahead to the implementation of a new prototype (Version 3.0), which will be operational at the end of July. If the OSC System has been fully satisfactory during this campaign, it is mostly thanks to the different crews who have taken great care of it, and who succeeded each other onboard the superb sailing ship, an exceptional platform for the ANTARCTIC MISSION 2013.  The collaboration between the crews of Bark EUROPA, at sea and ashore, and of SailingOne and the OceanoScientific® Programme, has been harmonious and very constructive. New OceanoScientific® Campaigns should therefore be carried out onboard Bark EUROPA, still on sea routes little frequented, in the south of the planet. After a stopover a bit longer than usual, Bark EUROPA will keep on her around-the-world trip. Follow her voyage thanks to the link appearing on the official website of this great expedition… and book your ticket onboard for an exceptional sailing. Fair winds!

* The development of the OSC System is carried out with the support of the Funds FEDER Basse-Normandie and complies with the disposals of the ERA-MARTEC II call for proposals, making it eligible for the support of the French Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy - General Direction of Infrastructures, Transports and Sea.

Land! In front of the stem of Bark EUROPA stand the edges of the South-African coast around Cape Town, including the Table Mountain from where the violent gusts are going down and constitute the welcoming committee of this harbour at the world’s end. Photo Klaas Gaastra - Bark EUROPA

The third and last part of the ANTARCTIC MISSION 2013 has left Ushuaia (Patagonia - Argentina) on 9 March. The three-master has firstly headed for the cape of the Antarctic Peninsula to try to enter in the Weddell Sea - which was made impossible because of the presence of too many icebergs. Her captain, Klaas Gaastra, mastering these 102 years old lady can be proud of the route sailed in these extreme conditions! Map Google Earth - Bark EUROPA

During 96 days, the Ocean Physics Laboratory (LPO - IFREMER Brest) has received by satellite every hour the data collected automatically by the OSC System onboard Bark EUROPA. In front of her computer screen, the Doctor Fabienne Gaillard has observed the results obtained. She will analyse them as soon as she will get the hard drive of the OSC System, which should arrive in about ten days. Map LPO - IFREMER

At the whim of the data automatically transmitted by satellite by the OSC System, the Ocean Physics Laboratory (LPO - IFREMER Brest) has automatically carried out the comparison of information related to the water sea surface temperature and salinity compared to the climatology models of the international scientific community. Graphs LPO - IFREMER

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Monday April 29th 2013 - 04:57pm

The OceanoScientific® Programme at the FerryBox Workshop

The fifth edition of the FerryBox Workshop took place in Helsinki (Finland) on April 24 and 25 at the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE). The OceanoScientific® Programme was once more present at this international event, which traditionally gathers FerryBox designers and manufacturers as well as the scientists who use the data collected by these materials. About 70 people attended the workshop. FerryBoxes are automated instruments packages on ships of opportunity, mainly ferries connecting Northern Europe ports by regular routes. During the continuously repeated crossing of these vessels, the data collected are, mainly: temperature, salinity, partial pressure of CO2, O2 or fluorescence (Chlorophylle A and Phycocyanin). Most of the important European institutes were represented: IFREMER - French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (France), NIVA - Norwegian Institute for Water Research (Norway), SMHI - Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (Sweden), SYKE - Finnish Environment Institute (Finland), Hellenic Center for Marine Research (Greece), Helmoltz-Zentrum Geesthacht - Centre for Materials and Coastal Research (Germany), DHI Water Environment Health - Institute for the Water Environment (Denmark), Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia (Spain), the National Oceanography Center (England), Rijkswaterstaat - Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment (Netherlands). France is part of this international data exchange thanks to FerryBoxes installed on French ferries sailing between the French coasts, the United Kingdom and Spain. The scientists presented their studies. They discussed about ways to gather and centralise the data for an optimal use by the international scientific community. The manufacturers who design and build these systems showed new technological solutions to integrate those systems onboard ferries, among them, our German partner SubCtech, who presented not only its own materials but also the OSC System. By its renewed presence at this event, the OceanoScientific® Programme pointed out its particularities and its differences from the regular FerryBox. It was especially emphasized that one of the most significant originality of the OceanoScientific® Programme - the ocean - atmosphere interface quality data collection on sea routes subject to little or no scientific exploration, especially around the Antarctic - remains a major innovation.

Many ferries in the Channel and in the North Sea are equipped with FerryBoxes. This is an important contribution to the scientific study of the ocean - atmosphere interface in this part of the world. Map FerryBox.

The OceanoScientific® Programme was attending the FerryBox Workshop. From left to right: Patrick Farcy (IFREMER), Margot Choquer (SailingOne), Stefan Marx (SubCtech) and Saskia Heckmann (SubCtech) in front of the OSC System poster showing the Bark EUROPA during the ANTARCTIC MISSION 2013. Photo SailingOne

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Tuesday April 16th 2013 - 01:55pm

Stopover in the middle of nowhere

The three-masted barque EUROPA (NL) mastered by Klaas Gaastra has reached the Tristan da Cunha Island on 15 April, coming from South Georgia, where she made a short stopover on 29 March. It is the most remote inhabited island, about middle-distance from southernmost points of America and Africa. It is also the last stopover before the arrival in Cape Town (South Africa) scheduled on 28 April. During these two weeks of navigation, sailing conditions were varied, with sometimes moderate breeze, but also a strong gale with fifty knots wind gusts. The 56-meter three-master has also gone through long days with backing wind which made her route longer (see the map below). In these conditions, the OceanoScientific® System (OSC System) worked regularly, without any problem, under the scrutiny of Chris Forrest, the engineer on board. This third and last mission of the OceanoScientific® Campaign - ANTARCTIC MISSION 2013 runs its course without any trouble. The collection of scientific quality data keeps going in accordance with the expectation of scientists gathering them. Let’s remind that the OSC System collects continuously since last 21 January data of eight parameters at the ocean - atmosphere interface every six seconds. These data are automatically transmitted by satellite to the dedicated platforms of the international scientific community via IFREMER (oceanographic data) and Météo-France (weather data). The voyage of this 56-meter sailing ship built in 1911, carrying until 1250 square meters of sails, can be followed on the official website of Bark EUROPA.

Early quiet morning on board Bark EUROPA sailing between Ushuaia (Argentina) and Cape Town (South Africa), via the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia, and now Tristan da Cunha. Photo Klaas Gaastra - Bark EUROPA

As from Tristan da Cunha, Bark EUROPA will start the last part of one of the longest sailings of her round the world trip, and most likely the most difficult one considering her route, which made her sailing in the Screaming Sixties. Her captain, Klaas Gaastra, can be proud of the way already covered, mastering the 102 years old lady. Map Google Earth - Bark EUROPA

On board Bark EUROPA, Finn Mensour (crew member) is collecting plankton under the orders of Tara Clemente (Marine Biologist), to show passengers a very small overview of what the ocean holds at the surface. Too often, pieces of plastic are mixed up with plankton. The pollution of huge maritime areas is unfortunately always verified. Photo Klaas Gaastra - Bark EUROPA

Tristan da Cunha is part of the British overseas territory of Saint-Hélène and Ascension. Its inhabitants form the most remoted island according to the Guinness World Records. The inhabitants were evacuated in 1961 because of a volcanic eruption, but returned then. Source Map Google Earth - Bark EUROPA

No, Bark EUROPA has not anchored along a coast of the green Europe. The Dutch three-master slacks off some hours along the shore of Tristan da Cunha, where cows do not pay any attention to the 102 years old Lady. Photo Klaas Gaastra - Bark EUROPA

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Tuesday April 02nd 2013 - 11:54am

The Long Road

After having tried to move into the Weddell Sea and having turned back because there was much ice, including some tube-shape icebergs of high dimension, the 56-meter three-masted barque EUROPA (NL) hits the road again to Cape Town (South Africa), mastered by Klaas Gaastra. The first part of this voyage has taken Bark EUROPA in South Georgia on 29 March. This crescent-shaped British territory of about 3800 square meters is located on the East of Cape Horn. This island is composed of not less than eleven summits, each culminating at more than 2000 meters high. More than the half of the island is made up of glaciers. The rest is the territory of thousands of extraordinary birds breeding and nesting there, the most renown ones are petrels, albatrosses and penguins. The colony of sea elephants is considerable, not to mention the large number of seals and sea lions. After some pump problems quickly resolved by Chris Forrest, the engineer on board, this third and last mission of the OceanoScientific® Campaign - ANTARCTIC MISSION 2013 runs its course without problem. The collection of quality scientific data keeps going, as illustrate the map (see below) and the graphs of Temperature and Salinity published on the website of the Ocean Physics Laboratory – IFREMER on which Fabienne Gaillard keeps a close eye. After this stopover to discover the fantastic landscape of South Georgia and thousands of not wild birds, Bark EUROPA will head for Tristan da Cunha, the most remote inhabited island, about middle-distance from southernmost points of America and Africa. It will be the last stopover before the arrival in South Africa, scheduled on 28 April. Let’s remind that the OSC System has been continuously collecting for more than two months data of eight parameters at the ocean - atmosphere interface every six seconds. These data are automatically transmitted by satellite to the dedicated platforms of the international scientific community via IFREMER (oceanographic data) and Météo-France (weather data). The voyage of this 56-meter sailing ship built in 1911 - 102 years ago ! - carrying until 1250 square meters of sails, can be followed on the official website of Bark EUROPA.

With a hard gale from the Great South in the sails, Bark EUROPA is heading for South Georgia, one of the rare pieces of land on her road from Ushuaia (Argentina) to Cape Town (South Africa). Photo Matt Maples - Bark EUROPA

The Weddell Sea being impracticable (too many icebergs), Bark EUROPA has lightly turned back to the north of the Antarctic Peninsula and has then sailed to South Georgia Islands, where she arrived on 29 March, after having weathered a gale with 8 knots of wind and a heavy sea. Map Google Earth - Bark EUROPA

The main oceanographic data (Temperature/Salinity) collected every six seconds by the OSC System on board Bark EUROPA, is transmitted every hour to the Ocean Physics Laboratory - IFREMER in Brest, where Doctor Fabienne Gaillard observes it. Map LPO - IFREMER.

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Tuesday March 26th 2013 - 11:31am

Only Aeolus and Neptune decide!

There is an evidence in terms of sailing, whether it be at the time back when Bark EUROPA was built, at the beginning of the 20th Century, or now. And this is especially the case when moving into under the fortieth parallel south, even more so when sailing by 60° South! Klaas Gaastra, the captain of the three-masted barque EUROPA could confirm it. When leaving the harbour, you generally know where you want to go. Then Aeolus and Neptune decide alone the place where you will finally go! That is why the track of the Dutch three-master has the shape of a big open V between Ushuaia (Argentina) and South Shetland Islands. Then Bark EUROPA ventured in the Weddell Sea when leaving the series of Islands showing the extreme north of the Antarctic Peninsula. The aim was to move deeply into this sea so little visited.  But a wall of icebergs, including some impressive tabular, have decided otherwise (see the photo below). The huge sailing boat came back on its track, to head for the northeast. Once again, Aeolus was a spoilsport. Some high pressures made the crew heading for the northwest, that is to say 90° from the head it wished. In short, the third and last mission of the OceanoScientific® Campaign - ANTARCTIC MISSION 2013 started on 9th March, is full of unexpected events. As if it was done on purpose, the pump of the OSC System has shown signs of tiredness around the Antarctic Peninsula, after having taken in, but not digested, sediments during the second mission of this campaign. Fortunately, Chris Forrest, the engineer on board, resolved the problem with dexterity. From now on, the OSC System is purring back with a good pace of collection of quality scientific data.  Bark EUROPA is now sailing to South Georgia (4000 square kilometres with an outstanding wildlife, due east from Cape Horn). Then, Tristan da Cunha (most remote inhabited island, about middle-distance from southernmost points of America and Africa), will be the last stopover before the arrival in South Africa, scheduled on 28th April. Let’s remind that the OSC System has been continuously collecting for more than two months data of eight parameters at the ocean - atmosphere interface every six seconds. These data are automatically transmitted by satellite to the dedicated platforms of the international scientific community via IFREMER (oceanographic data) and Météo-France (weather data). The voyage of this 56-meter sailing ship built in 1911 - 102 years ago ! - carrying until 1250 square meters of sails, can be followed on the official website of Bark EUROPA.

At the entrance of the Weddell Sea, in front o the stem of Bark EUROPA, stands an ice-field hiding the horizon. The way is definitely closed. Photo - Bark EUROPA

The route of Bark EUROPA since her departure from Patagonia (Argentina) highlights the difficulty to sail in these hostile areas. It is indeed difficult to plot a straight route there. Map Google Earth - Bark EUROPA

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Tuesday March 19th 2013 - 12:30pm

Even further South

It has been more than ten days now since the superb three-masted barque EUROPA (NL) has casted off the moorings for the last time from Ushuaia in the south of Argentina for a long 52-day journey taking her to Cape Town (South Africa), mastered by Klaas Gaastra. This is the third and last mission of the OceanoScientific® Campaign - ANTARCTIC MISSION 2013 started on 21 January. The three-masted barque has gone over the South Shetland Islands (lying 65 nautical miles north of the Antarctic Peninsula), and is now heading for the Weddell Sea, at the moment by 63° 30’ South. Then she will sail to South Georgia (4000 square kilometres with an outstanding wildlife, due east from Cape Horn) and to Tristan da Cunha (most remote inhabited island, about middle-distance from southernmost points of America and Africa). The arrival in South Africa is scheduled on 28 April.  During this first part of the Great Voyage, Bark EUROPA faced heavy air in the middle of the Drake Passage, on 11 and 12 March. With 7 to 8-wind force (35 to 40 knots), waves of a middle height of four meters and a water sea only a few degrees above zero, the hostility of this little explored sea area was total. The wind was again above 6-wind force (25 knots) on 15 March, in the series of islands in the south of the Shetlands. Now almost at the entrance of the Weddell Sea, the conditions are more clement even if the sea water temperature at the surface is now definitely negative. This route in sea areas, which are mostly unexplored at the ocean - atmosphere interface, has a significant scientific interest. Let’s remind that the OSC System collects continuously since 21 January data of eight parameters at the ocean - atmosphere interface every six seconds. These data are automatically transmitted by satellite to the dedicated platforms of the international scientific community via IFREMER (oceanographic data) and Météo-France (weather data). The voyage of this 56-meter sailing ship built in 1911 – 102 years ago ! – carrying until 1250 square meters of sails, can be followed on the official website of Bark EUROPA.

Bark EUROPA is making her way in the wind in the middle of the Drake Passage, between Cape Horn and the Antarctic Peninsula. Klaas Gaastra, her captain, is watching in the wheelhouse. He is listening to his sailing boat, paying close attention to the lowest sound. Photo Bark EUROPA

The first part of the Great Voyage of Bark EUROPA has been quite restless in the middle of the Drake Passage. The Weddell Sea is now in front of the stem. Map Google Earth - Bark EUROPA

The sailing in the South Shetland Islands and in the north of the Antarctic Peninsula has alternated periods of gentle breeze and a harder part, on 15 March, when leaving the Shetlands, with gusts of above 25 knots. Map Sailwx

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Monday March 11th 2013 - 10:16am

The great voyage

Here we go again! Saturday 9 March at 13 TU (9h00 in Patagonia), the superb three-masted barque EUROPA (NL) casted off the moorings from Ushuaia in the south of Argentina for a long 52-day journey taking her to Cape Town (South Africa), she will be mastered this time by Klaas Gaastra. This will be the last mission of the OceanoScientific® Campaign- ANTARCTIC MISSION 2013 started on 21 January. Other OceanoScientific® missions will be carried out on Bark EUROPA, probably from Australia, as from the end of the summer. For now, this 52-day voyage will take the three-masted barque and her 52 crew members (including 35 guests) to Cape Horn, South Shetland Islands (lying 65 nautical miles north of the Antarctic Peninsula), then the Weddell Sea (between 65° and 70° south latitude), South Georgia (4000 square kilometers with an outstanding wildlife, due east from Cape Horn) and Tristan da Cunha (most remote inhabited island, about middle-distance from southernmost points of America and Africa). The arrival in South Africa is scheduled on 28 April. This route in sea areas, which are mostly unexplored at the ocean – atmosphere interface, has a significant scientific interest. The prototype of the OSC System (Version 2.1) embarked has been controlled by Gary Hogg, the engineer on board, during a short stopover in Ushuaia, to optimise the pump and to try avoiding the loss of priming during heavy sailing conditions. He has also cleaned the water circuit, stuck with sediments collected in coastal areas. Let’s remind that the OSC System collectscontinuously since 21 January data of eight parameters at the ocean - atmosphere interface every six seconds. These data are automatically transmitted by satellite to the dedicated platforms of the international scientific community via IFREMER (oceanographic data) and Météo-France (weather data). The voyage of this 56-meter sailing ship built in 1911 – 102 years ago ! – carrying until 1250 square meters of sails, can be followed on the official website of Bark EUROPA.

Bark EUROPA, here at Cape Horn, is once again heading for the unknown, or almost unknown, in the less visited parts of Antarctica, the Weddell Sea, which will be the southernmost point of these sailings between the icebergs, southern than 65° South . Photo Jordi Plana Morales - Bark EUROPA

No fewer than 52 days will be useful for Bark EUROPA to get from Ushuaia (Patagonia – Argentina) to Cape Town (South Africa), including South Shetland Islands, the Weddell Sea, South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha, in the wake of great sailors-explorers of the beginning of the century. Map Google Earth - SailingOne

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