Rannoch Adventures - Awaken the explorer within...
email us
1.972.239.8198- toll free: 1.888.571.3061
print page
Request Flyer for This Trip:
Itinerary
Northeast Spitsbergen by Tall Ship
17 days - Sep - From US $ 3,930
Day 1: Today you will arrive in Longyearbyen, the capital of, and gateway to, Spitsbergen. With 1200 inhabitants, the little town is the largest settlement on Spitsbergen and the administrative center of the archipelago. Longyearbyen was founded by American entrepreneur John Longyear when he started a coal mine on the island. The town was originally named Longyearcity but changed to the present name when the Norwegian government took over. John Longyear’s coal mine is still in operation today, but of no great importance.
The Oosterschelde will be waiting for you in Longyearbyen’s little harbor. After introductions to the crew, guides, and fellow passengers, you can do some exploring of the town.
Day 2: After the last supplies are brought onboard in the morning, there will be just enough time to visit the Polar Museum.
In the afternoon, the ship will set sail to the north via the Forlansundet, a narrow and shallow passage between Prins Karls Forland and the main island of Spitsbergen. You will be heading for Kongsfjord.
Day 3: This morning, the ship will drop anchor at Ny-Ålesund, the northernmost village on earth. Initially the village developed as a mining settlement, but it has now become a modern center for arctic research. At a visitor’s center, you can find information about the type of research that is being done here.
After dinner, the Oosterschelde will set sail for either Amsterdamøya or Danskøya.
Day 4: Depending on the weather, you will visit either Smeerenburg or Virgohamna in the morning. During the 17th century Smeerenburg was the principal Dutch whaling station; although there is not much left of it, the large oil ovens are still standing. At Virgohamna, the remains of two pole expeditions can be seen--Swedish explorer Salomon Andree made an attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon. The balloon did not make it and, after a three month return journey over the ice, he and his two companions perished on a litter desert island northeast of Spitsbergen.
In the afternoon, you will sail for Murchison Bay via Moffen Island. Around midnight, you will cross the 80th latitude. Most of the time large walrus herds inhabit the isle of Moffen and you might be able to observe them in the twilight illumination of the northern lights.
Day 5: In the morning, the ship will sail into Murchison Bay, a bay of Nordauslandet, where you will find an old Swedish station. The vast tundra there is usually home to reindeer, arctic foxes and polar bears.
After lunch you will sail for Palanderbukta.
Day 6: Palanderbukta is a fjord which reaches deep into Nordauslandet and features impressive polar landscape and a colony of ivory gulls.
After an excursion and lunch, the ship will head to Augustbukta, where you should arrive in the evening, and anchor there for the night.
Day 7: In the morning, you will sail close to a glacier front where a colony of ivory gulls resides and the icecap is easily accessible.
In the afternoon, you will sail for Barentsøya.
Day 8: Early in the morning the ship will drop anchor in the vicinity of Jeppeberget, where you can find tundra full of geese that are flocking and foraging before heading south.
In the afternoon, you will proceed toward Kapp Lee, northeast of Edgeøya, where the Oosterschelde will anchor for the night.
Day 9: Today you will visit an old Dutch polar bear research center situated in a valley with rich vegetation and many reindeer.
After dinner, the ship will make for Diskobukta, hoping to arrive at midnight.
Day 10: In the morning, you will go ashore in order to visit a beautiful canyon with a large colony of black-legged kittiwakes near Diskobukta. A polar bear family has also been spotted in this area on a regular basis.
Lifting anchor in the afternoon, you will continue the voyage and head to Andreetangen.
Day 11: Andreetangen will be your last destination on Spitsbergen. While here, you may find walruses on the beach, the spectacle of geese during their autumn migration, and possibly even polar bears.
In the evening, you will say goodbye to Spitsbergen as the Oosterschelde sails for open sea.
Day 12: The whole day will be spent at sea. As you sail along the division line of the Barentsz Sea and Norwegian Sea, you may experience rough waves in the Barentsz Sea. It is for this reason that sailors traditionally call it “the devil’s dance floor”.
Day 13: Today you will arrive at Bear Island, a name given to the island by William Barentsz when he discovered it in 1596. It is a desolate island that measures no more than 20 kilometers (12.4 mi) by 15 kilometers (9.32 mi). The high cliffs on the south side of the island are home to thousands of black-legged kittiwakes. Weather permitting, you will go ashore at the Bjørnøya Radio weather and radio station. It is manned year-round and is the only inhabited place on the island. You will also try to go ashore at Kvalrossbukta, where a large herd of walruses used to live until the island was discovered and they were killed off. Skulls and bones are all that is left today.
In the late afternoon, you will be on course for the mainland, being in open sea throughout the night. The nights will begin to get longer and there will be a good chance of seeing the aurora borealis (northern lights). This extraordinary phenomenon is best viewed at the latitude at which the ship will be sailing.
This will also be the time for real sailboat enthusiasts to get their fill as the ship will best be able to demonstrate what it was built for. The deck watch will be at the ready for steering, adjusting the sheets, and reefing or hoisting sails when necessary. It may be cold, especially at night, so the helmsmen will be relieved at regular intervals.
Day 14 & 15: The Oosterschelde will continue its course toward the Norwegian coast. Soon you will see Fugleøya, Birds Island, and the sea will grow calmer the closer you get to the mainland.
Day 16: The last part of the voyage will take place in the calm serenity of the Norwegian fjords. You will arrive at Tromsø, known as the “Paris of the North” due to its lively center. Tromsø is situated at the 70th northern latitude and well above the Arctic Circle. If the journey progressed according to schedule, there will be time for you to visit Tromsø.
Day 17: After disembarking the Oosterschelde, you will transfer to the airport for you flight home.
The above itinerary is based on the experience of earlier voyages made by the Oosterschelde and of skilled guides that have spent a vast amount of time traveling along the coast of Spitsbergen. The description given should be used as an example of how the voyage might progress. Please bear in mind that weather, wind, and ice will determine the actual course of the journey, making it a true Arctic experience.
The Oosterschelde will be waiting for you in Longyearbyen’s little harbor. After introductions to the crew, guides, and fellow passengers, you can do some exploring of the town.
Day 2: After the last supplies are brought onboard in the morning, there will be just enough time to visit the Polar Museum.
In the afternoon, the ship will set sail to the north via the Forlansundet, a narrow and shallow passage between Prins Karls Forland and the main island of Spitsbergen. You will be heading for Kongsfjord.
Day 3: This morning, the ship will drop anchor at Ny-Ålesund, the northernmost village on earth. Initially the village developed as a mining settlement, but it has now become a modern center for arctic research. At a visitor’s center, you can find information about the type of research that is being done here.
After dinner, the Oosterschelde will set sail for either Amsterdamøya or Danskøya.
Day 4: Depending on the weather, you will visit either Smeerenburg or Virgohamna in the morning. During the 17th century Smeerenburg was the principal Dutch whaling station; although there is not much left of it, the large oil ovens are still standing. At Virgohamna, the remains of two pole expeditions can be seen--Swedish explorer Salomon Andree made an attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon. The balloon did not make it and, after a three month return journey over the ice, he and his two companions perished on a litter desert island northeast of Spitsbergen.
In the afternoon, you will sail for Murchison Bay via Moffen Island. Around midnight, you will cross the 80th latitude. Most of the time large walrus herds inhabit the isle of Moffen and you might be able to observe them in the twilight illumination of the northern lights.
Day 5: In the morning, the ship will sail into Murchison Bay, a bay of Nordauslandet, where you will find an old Swedish station. The vast tundra there is usually home to reindeer, arctic foxes and polar bears.
After lunch you will sail for Palanderbukta.
Day 6: Palanderbukta is a fjord which reaches deep into Nordauslandet and features impressive polar landscape and a colony of ivory gulls.
After an excursion and lunch, the ship will head to Augustbukta, where you should arrive in the evening, and anchor there for the night.
Day 7: In the morning, you will sail close to a glacier front where a colony of ivory gulls resides and the icecap is easily accessible.
In the afternoon, you will sail for Barentsøya.
Day 8: Early in the morning the ship will drop anchor in the vicinity of Jeppeberget, where you can find tundra full of geese that are flocking and foraging before heading south.
In the afternoon, you will proceed toward Kapp Lee, northeast of Edgeøya, where the Oosterschelde will anchor for the night.
Day 9: Today you will visit an old Dutch polar bear research center situated in a valley with rich vegetation and many reindeer.
After dinner, the ship will make for Diskobukta, hoping to arrive at midnight.
Day 10: In the morning, you will go ashore in order to visit a beautiful canyon with a large colony of black-legged kittiwakes near Diskobukta. A polar bear family has also been spotted in this area on a regular basis.
Lifting anchor in the afternoon, you will continue the voyage and head to Andreetangen.
Day 11: Andreetangen will be your last destination on Spitsbergen. While here, you may find walruses on the beach, the spectacle of geese during their autumn migration, and possibly even polar bears.
In the evening, you will say goodbye to Spitsbergen as the Oosterschelde sails for open sea.
Day 12: The whole day will be spent at sea. As you sail along the division line of the Barentsz Sea and Norwegian Sea, you may experience rough waves in the Barentsz Sea. It is for this reason that sailors traditionally call it “the devil’s dance floor”.
Day 13: Today you will arrive at Bear Island, a name given to the island by William Barentsz when he discovered it in 1596. It is a desolate island that measures no more than 20 kilometers (12.4 mi) by 15 kilometers (9.32 mi). The high cliffs on the south side of the island are home to thousands of black-legged kittiwakes. Weather permitting, you will go ashore at the Bjørnøya Radio weather and radio station. It is manned year-round and is the only inhabited place on the island. You will also try to go ashore at Kvalrossbukta, where a large herd of walruses used to live until the island was discovered and they were killed off. Skulls and bones are all that is left today.
In the late afternoon, you will be on course for the mainland, being in open sea throughout the night. The nights will begin to get longer and there will be a good chance of seeing the aurora borealis (northern lights). This extraordinary phenomenon is best viewed at the latitude at which the ship will be sailing.
This will also be the time for real sailboat enthusiasts to get their fill as the ship will best be able to demonstrate what it was built for. The deck watch will be at the ready for steering, adjusting the sheets, and reefing or hoisting sails when necessary. It may be cold, especially at night, so the helmsmen will be relieved at regular intervals.
Day 14 & 15: The Oosterschelde will continue its course toward the Norwegian coast. Soon you will see Fugleøya, Birds Island, and the sea will grow calmer the closer you get to the mainland.
Day 16: The last part of the voyage will take place in the calm serenity of the Norwegian fjords. You will arrive at Tromsø, known as the “Paris of the North” due to its lively center. Tromsø is situated at the 70th northern latitude and well above the Arctic Circle. If the journey progressed according to schedule, there will be time for you to visit Tromsø.
Day 17: After disembarking the Oosterschelde, you will transfer to the airport for you flight home.
The above itinerary is based on the experience of earlier voyages made by the Oosterschelde and of skilled guides that have spent a vast amount of time traveling along the coast of Spitsbergen. The description given should be used as an example of how the voyage might progress. Please bear in mind that weather, wind, and ice will determine the actual course of the journey, making it a true Arctic experience.
