Nilaya / Berserk Missing

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by Landkrabbe

About that: No plans to rescue Kiwi on rogue boat: Govt

Really?
The same article says that the stowaway's family is provided consular services by New Zealand, but that the NZ Prime Minister says they won't mount a rescue operation. Do they mean consular services vis-a-vis Russia and Norway?
This article says the NZ authorities want to talk to the New Zealander themselves to ask him if he's OK with going.

The news article also says ...

...authorities believe the New Zealander is on board of his own free will.

I'd be willing to bet that's the case. I have a hard time believing the boat pulled away from the dock so fast the guy couldn't have gotten off if he had wanted to. There's more to that story. What would you have done?

[Landkrabbe]

In an interview with NRK last week, Andhøy suggested that the vessel had permission from Russia to go to Antarctica. Specifically, he said that Russia had a good attitude to sailing to Antarctica and the Russian captain said it was OK with the Russian authorities.

According to the newspaper VG, however, Roshydromet says that they haven't approved any yachting expeditions for Antarctica this season.

[NAWWAL]

I am wondering what Andhoey's real motives for coming to the ice are?

He says he is looking for signs of his sunken ship, but there have been no reports of anything left. If there was anything, the constant air taffic of helos and twin otters would have found somtheing.

Is he going to the pole? His quad bikes and fuel caches have been sent back to New Zealand, so he does not have the resources to do such a trip, unless he brought more stuff on this boat. And he is again very late for such a lark

The channel to McMurdo is cut and is mostly free of ice, so he has a chance of getting there at least.

[pressuredrop]

who is bankrolling this guy?!?!? can only imagine that the 'stowaway' is just a publicity stunt...

this guy is an absolute joke and gives people like trevor robertson (Atom Voyages | The Ice Man of "Iron Bark" - Trevor Robertson Sailing to Antarctica) and alvah simon, and other true adventurers a bad name....

that said, good on him for not taking an epirb this time

[Landkrabbe]

Originally Posted by NAWWAL

Is he going to the pole? His quad bikes and fuel caches have been sent back to New Zealand, so he does not have the resources to do such a trip, unless he brought more stuff on this boat. And he is again very late for such a lark

According to the reports I've seen, the people at Scott Base gathered the gear left by Andhøy and Massie and put it in a locked container, but it's still there. They've said they won't be hindering Andhøy from recovering his property.

According to Andhøy, depots along the shore were also left on the fatal expedition, and they'll be looking for them on this trip.

On the insufficient application form he submitted to the Norwegian authorities last year, Andhøy wrote "+Sydpolen", so it would appear that he once planned to go there on this trip too. According to his lawyer, Andhøy is not going to the pole this year, but the lawyer and Andhøy have already been giving contrary messages twice this last week.

[NAWWAL]

I should disclose that I am here in McMurdo, and will be here when he arrives. I was here last year as well while all that transpired.

Regarding his caches and ATVs, it was all sent north on Feb 1 in accordance to the timeline Andhoey agreed to last year with the New Zealand program. It is long gone, and I assume he knows it. I will send some pictures when I get to a faster connection

I cannot speak personally about those shore side caches, but I am sure that the deceased crew would not have had time to lay those while fighting the three day blow that sank their boat. They were in the channel, just outside town less than a day before the storm hit, but I guess they could have laid caches before they arrived in the channel to offload the ATVs and such.

[Westerly33]

I can assure you that this is not a Russian flagged vessel.

[piterfm]

Originally Posted by Westerly33

I can assure you that this is not a Russian flagged vessel.

I can assure your words. No way for that under the Russian law.

[Patient]

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

They application for pleasure craft travel to antarctica on the Norwegian Polar Institutes website (which by the way, is only 1 page long) only states that the group must provide a "contingency plan" for SAR emergencies, such as insurance. I think you may be referring to a different type 'regulation', maybe for commercial ventures or something. Tourist travel and cruising boats are not so heavily regulated as you're making it sound.

Also, Jarle was not fined for "coming close to killing a few endagered species", that is pure BS. He was fined for being in too close proximity to a polar bear. And this is what is being considered "kicked out of the country" or "not welcome" by many people on this forum. His problem in canada was because the one of his crewmates was a Hells Angels (norway) member and not allowed into Canada. it really has nothing to do with Jarle "giving the thumb" to government and all this other crazyness.

You certainly don't have to like the guy, or agree with what he does. But please stop spreading misinformation.

This is not exactly sailing related, but I think kind of explains my opinion on the matter.

Svalbard is a shared permafrost landmass within the Arctic circle and is just about as close as you can get to the North Pole. The Russians and Norwegians split sovereignty.

I visited Svalbard in 1997 on a whim, I really wanted to experience that environment and also get some timelapse footage of the Northern Lights as well. To be honest, I just thought it would be an amazing tale to tell.

I decided to go when it was rather difficult, expensive and not exactly touted as a tourist destination by the Norwegians. When I flew to Tromse to book my travel to Svalbard they were not exactly forthcoming with accommodating me. A lot of the questions were, "Are you a researcher? What University are you with? Are you an employee of the mining company?" It bugged me that I was being hassled by SAS agent and her manager despite me waving cash in hand.

As I was going to be traveling to a Norwegian territory, with absolutely deadly weather conditions and frigid temperatures, they were concerned a bit about my safety, but after some convincing and paying the lofty $1500 for a ticket aboard a plane carrying researchers, mining staff and supplies, off I went to the Arctic.

When I arrived in Svalbard, before I could step outside of the small house that served as an airport, I had to sign about 10 pages of papers declaring my intentions and also waive ALL liability for any type of SAR operation unless I could provide proof of payment in advance via a insurance firm or downpayment of some kind. I also had to sign an agreement regarding the mandatory carrying of a firearm and an environmental impact summary if I planned on venturing out of the safe area, because of Polarbears. I also filled out emergency contact forms, where I would be staying, what I would be doing etc etc. It was a lot of signing.

The Norwegians were very friendly, I had a great time, got some lousy shots of the Northern Lights with help by the locals, but they were also extremely cautious about me tying up their limited resources if I became "LOST" on some personal adventure. Basically, they didnt want me to become THEIR problem and although all the hoops I had to jump through was quite exhaustive and obnoxious, after hearing about people that ventured out even with a travel agency of some kind, never to return, I started to understand why the Nords were so fussy. The don't like sending their guys out to look for other guys on their dime.

I do no think that anyone should be told where they can or cannot sail, but at the same time I do not think it is so ridiculous for a country wanting to keep its own SAR groups safe from people's adventures as well.

[ice]

Originally Posted by NAWWAL

I should disclose that I am here in McMurdo, and will be here when he arrives.

I figure Jarle should arrive end of this week.

So, what is the ice like? It has sounded like it is thicker than last year at this time (epirb was activated feb 22 last year). Any chance of a couple photos?

Recent story on his stowaway here.

[Mr B]

I wonder what type of steel his boat is made out of,

Freezing water can crack steels if it is not made from the right stuff;

I cant remember what it is, off hand, Gas plant I made for Russia had it,
And it was all flux cored welding, Thats why I was there to weld it up for them.

[singaporestrait]

Originally Posted by ice

So, what is the ice like? It has sounded like it is thicker than last year at this time (epirb was activated feb 22 last year). Any chance of a couple photos?

Found satellite images of the ice sheet here:

http://www.iup.uni-bremen.de:8084/ssmis/index.html
http://www.iup.uni-bremen.de:8084/ss..._SSMIS_nic.png

It is also possible to do a playback of the sea ice for the last 31 days. After watching this animation I figure that Jarle actually is going when the sea ice concentration is lowest. Makes good sense, but in the media all kinds of people say that it's too late and so on..

[s/y spindrift]

Nilaya was on the market here in Auckland for 5 or 6 years advertised as a Mummery design built of corten steel with oil in the voids. Having been on board I can say Nilaya was very well built with a pilot house for helming inside and a helm outside as well. In short I would say Nilaya is ideal for the task she is undertaking, that is a polar expedition. Nilaya was probably overbuilt for most other cruising which is why she did not sell for anything but a fraction of her cost to build.

[Landkrabbe]

Originally Posted by singaporestrait

Makes good sense, but in the media all kinds of people say that it's too late and so on..

If he's going to the pole - as he had indicated he would, but recently denied - then it's getting late in the season. If he's going to spend the whole winter there - as he's also indicated - then it would make sense to go now right?

Originally Posted by ice

Recent story on his stowaway here.

while in Norway he's being hailed as a sex god. (...) Last year's disaster was the subject of a documentary on TVNorge and ratings figures show it was more popular with women than men.

His fans may hail him as such, and online debates are highly split between his fans and critics, but when I talk to people here most seem to not care much about him either way.

TVNorge has expressed disappointment that the ratings figures for Berserk mot Sydpolen have been low. It's being beaten by programs like Ingen grenser (Norwegian version of Beyond Boundaries), BBC's Frozen Planet, Norsk attraksjon, etc.

[careka]

Jarle has now sailed below 60 deg. and on his way.