Macquarie island.

[Bargearse]

Any mad hatters been to Macquarie island? Anyone want to go?

[Lord Chunderguts]

I'll be mad keen to go once I can scrape two cents together for outboard, sails, EPIRB and whiskey, may take up to three months. Is it about a 20-25 day sail each way? I intend to take my Top Hat to the North Pole, South Pole, East Pole, West Pole, Jupiter and Saturn at the least, money permitting. Gunna see how many customers my business gets this week, might earn enough to buy a sail or two. If I do my damndest I might be able to get sailing around Christmas, how soon will your ship be in sailing condition chief?

[Bargearse]

Not that quick. Working overtime to consolidate funds and get the boat in ship shape for a good haul. Will be in touch every now and then and keep you posted on the progress.

[Phillip]

Not really, last time I sailed towards Macquarie Island in 2017 I only got as far as Lake Macquarie .

[Phillip]

Maybe you should look at this first on Youtube:-

Sailing to South Georgia in September/October 2019

[Lord Chunderguts]

Thank you Phillip, I see both places are 54° South. Icebergs have been seen up to 41°, as far North as Hobart. I've frequently wondered if there's any way on Earth to take a TH among icebergs without sinking, but it appears you'd have to add so many layers of fibreglass it would end up half a ton heavier and sailing like a log. I've also examined various life rafts, with a view to carrying one on dangerous trips, but you wouldn't survive an hour in the freezing seas at that latitude, the life raft is like a thin sheath of rubber with the sea on one side and your body on the other - very tiny and freezing. A few sixty foot fibreglass yachts have sailed among 'bergs - does anyone know if it's remotely doable? Or would rough seas just dash them against your boat with tremendous force? If anyone's sailed among 'bergs, please let us know. Cheerio!

[Iluka82]

Although I’m sure it’s ‘possible’ to sail a Tophat to Macquarie island you’d have to be comfortable sailing in sustained 40kts of breeze for extended periods of time (days) and prepared to sail in much higher (55-70kts) if a bad front came through. When you look at the weather maps in the southern ocean fronts come through regularly every few days (they don’t call it the furious 50’s for nothing) In my opinion ice would not be an issue but you’d need to have a very well prepared boat and crew ready to handle the strong wind you’d encounter.

These guys sailed a 34’ steel boat from Hobart to commonwealth bay in Antarctica on a fairly small budget.

https://youtu.be/O9i7dWpl38U

[Shaun]

Thanks Iluka for posting that video, fantastic documentary ,
Cheers

[Lord Chunderguts]

Thank you Iluka, I'm investigating further. There's a chap who's sailed up to 82° N in the Arctic (a bit calmer seas than the Antarctic Ocean) in a Contessa 26 footer solo - "Sailing Wave Rover" is his YouTube channel - he sails from indoors, fully sealed and he's attached a thingy to the deck so he can stand up and look outside in all directions. It's clearly as cold as a polar bear's dangly bits up North - a lot of yachts have heaters. Cheers, -Will

[RohanJ]

Wave Rover? Or Junkming?