Originally Posted by JDiver

Since this is most likely from where your ship will depart, it's your most likely stop for souvenirs or an "Antártida Argentina" stamp for your passport.

Originally Posted by JDiver

I've been off traipsing in Europe, so I haven't had much time to catch up on things, with jumping back into work (fortunately, most Fridays are office stuff rather than being at my clients.)

The Akademik Ioffe, owned by the P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology in Moscow, is a sturdy ice-rated ship (NOT an "ice-breaker", which you would not want to be in very rough open water with its very rounded hull,) built by the Wartsila shipyard in Finland in 1988 or 1989 for Soviet "hydroacoustics" research - meaning they intended to follow and attempt to listen in to US Navy submarines. It is now an oceanographic biology research, according to the official documentation. It’s pretty new, and has been refurbished at least once – and with the Russian poverty, has been rented out for occasional research purposes and lots of tourism tours. This means it is ice-strengthened, has very long endurance (20,000 miles / 32,000 km) - and has some strange accoutrements, including an innovative but fairly useless pair of steel cylindrical sails designed to allow some maneuverable silent running. From what I understood from chatting up the crew, pretty useless. I don’t know if it’s sistership, the Akademik Vavilov, was similarly fitted. The ship is stabilized, but of course the passage south can be pretty terrific with large waves and high winds (or on occasion, it can turn into “Drake’s Lake,” and surprise everyone!)

Ioffe (iirc, named for Akademik Abraham Ioffe, but the USSR wasn't about to admit they had a valued Jewish scientist they named a boat after, so only "Ioffe",) also has, or at least had, a sailing yacht aboard! This was for the purpose of silent running and dropping eavesdropping gear into the water. I suspect that worked much better... For maneuverability, it has twin bow thrusters, and was fitted with a 600 HP motor in a pod that extends under the ship and rotates - meaning it can literally turn on a kopeck, if not a dime. For a nearly 350 foot, 6,450 ton ship, it is highly maneuverable!

Cabins were originally designed for engineering staff and scientists, who were toward the top of the food chain in the old USSR, so they are not bad, though not spacious. The lowest priced cabins are pretty tight, with semi-private baths; next are those with upper/lower twins facilities and en-suite, not much larger, but still, one does not spend their time in the cabin in Antarctica (though on a really nasty crossing, one may, but who notices the environment then? IN some US Navy circles, the activity engaged in then is what is euphimistically termed "looking for Mr. O'Roarke" - call out his name and you'll get the idea... O-ROARK, O-ROARK.. )

There are few truly spacious cabins - and they are pretty strange, since they were laid out for superior officers or officials - e.g. the Drake Suite has a small cabin, head, large "living area" with the same sized bunk as every other ship's bunk. And the superiors are not bad at all. This is not a cruise ship, but was a well-built research vessel with some of Russia's more valued scientists and "researchers" aboard. Frankly, I'd rather be aboard the Ioffe than a cruise ship (too many people, no ice protected hull, etc. etc.) in these waters. (BTW, I'd recommend your favorite anti-nausea patch or medication, and I always take plenty of candied ginger - no side effects, and pretty decent.)

Shared areas are not bad - to repeat, this is not a cruise ship, but the dining salon is spacious enough to seat everyone at one cozy seating on very long tables; South American wines are usually served with dinner, and the food has been pretty decent, though not gourmet. The salon doubles as a conference hall. The library is small, but usually well-stocked, and there is also a bar, and a small ship’s shop (usually open weird hours or by appointment with one of the South American stewardesses, who are also in charge of all things alcoholic, it seems.) There is a mud room for cleaning up upon returning to the ship. Upstairs, there is a small plunge pool outside, generally empty; there are also, iirc, two saunas – at least one! - that's a nice touch, but of course, what Finnish ship would be without a sauna, right? There’s also an exercise room, and the spacious afterdeck is great for observing some of the albatrosses and other interesting birds cruising the Southern Ocean waters – and more protected from the wind than up toward the bow. (During “warmer” days, barbecues are sometimes held on the afterdeck and fantail.)

Ship's crew are Russian, or course, and the officers are very skilled - many with multiple runs in the polar extremes. The bridge is open most of the time, so it's nice to pop up for a look. Shore excursions and “mini-cruises” are from Zodiacs or similar, reached by a boarding ladder. Everything about the ship is well maintained, and the sailors know what they are doing.

(Sometimes, ship's tours are offered - interesting, though some of the most critical listening gear etc. was removed. I had a funny experience - took the tour and was getting some really nasty glares and looks from one sailor. When I asked the Captain what that might be about, he said the guy was an Afghan war vet who didn't like the idea of the old enemy Americans poking around what had been very secure ship's spaces. I told the Captain to relay on I understood exactly how he was feeling, as I was a Vietnam veteran. Next time he saw me, he was all smiles and high fives! )

The Ioffe (usualy about 100 passengers, 56 - 58 crew) is larger by far than the two - three other ex-Soviet / Finnish-built research vessels often used for Antarctic expeditions, the Professors Multanovskiy or Molchanov, Akademik Shokalskiy, Grigoriy Mikheev, Grigoriy Mikheev etc., all generally in the mid-40’s as far as passenger capacity, but perhaps smaller than the Kapitan Klebnikov and the large nuclear icebreakers Rossiya, Sovietskiy Soyuz and Yamal (all told they have SEVEN nuke icebreakers! and are building out a new one,) all used on Arctic and Antarctic tourist cruising, along with the more passenger-like Orlova, or one that is occasionally used for tourist travel that is not stabilized, as it was built for Scandinavian fjord and ferry duty. I haven’t heard of her (can't recall the name, but she's named after a fjord, so you get the idea!) being used recently, however.

You ucan get a pretty good idea of what you are in for with a number of illustrations at http://www.travelearn.com/shipioffea...arcticmain.htm

More ship’s data at http://www.researchvessels.org/count...mik_Ioffe.html

I recommend layered clothing, mainly using newer synthetics that do not lose insulation values if they get damp / wet. Also a decent pair of high gumboots – Nokia come to mind, that’s what I used, as before the big cell phone boom, iirc, Nokia made boots for the Russian armed forces. I’ve also used Canadian boots, Baffins or Sorels, iirc – both insulated, good grippy soles and high enough on the calf you can make a wet landing from a Zodiac without fearing getting your feet soaked with 30 F / -1 C water (the salt allows it to be below freezing without actually freezing.) The best are high on the calf – I can’t emphasize this enough – and have removable insulated interiors which dry quickly. Beach landings can be less than flat-water conditions, and you can, as we did, get caught by a "williwaw" on land - the colder air can mass up and begin "falling" down a slope toward you, suddenly generating blinding snow / ice and over 50MPH / 80 kph winds. You want to be able to zip up some layers and stay warm at times like those. A wool cap and even balaclava are not bad things to take... and mittens (the ones I use have a fingertip area that can fold back, leaving your fingertips exposed for camera operation.)

For the marathon, you’re the expert; I’ll not make any recommendations.

A pair of binocs is indispensable, and cameras require a bit of special care – a salt soaking in high winds or in the drink is not recommended, and though you want to protect the camera, watch out when you remove it from inside the jacket and expose it to cold – and the lens fogs. Also, batteries have a much reduced useful life in cold; take plenty, also photo film / storage - and some ice goggles - it can get mighty white out there!

Antarctica is a beautiful, lovely place – it is indeed a special privilege to visit there, and IMO it makes a lifelong impression. Open your senses - your sight, at all hours, as you will see spectacular light shows, icebergs, coloured ice and water, whales, wildlife, deep water with truly glacial visibility... listen for the bubbles of air thousands of years old being released by the ancient bergy bits, the thunder of sagging ice falls from the glaciers... smell for the first time in years truly pristine air...

Originally Posted by obscure2k

[b[Jdiver[/b]your experiences and history very much echo my brother and sister-in-laws. Reading you account was similar to their account. My brother-in-law is also a Vietnam Vet and my sister-in-law a docent at the Smithsonian. I remember a vivid description of the enounter with penquins. It seems that they all poop horizontally, so it is best to get out of the way. Nice report. Thanks.
O2K

Originally Posted by kevinsac

But do not take a "cruise ship" which simply does scenic cruising as it passes by the continent. You'll be terribly disappointed. Take one of the former Russian ice breakers that will go into the bays, between the islands, thru the fjords......and which allow you to take daily expeditions onto land!