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Golden Fleece Specifications

Characteristics ~ Crew ~ Equipment

Golden Fleece is a Ketch-rigged motor-sailing yacht with a strong steel hull and a spacious wheelhouse for comfort and safety of navigation in the high southern latitudes. Her powerful engine allows her to make way in any weather conditions, maintain schedules and shorten crossings of unpleasant seas such as the Drake Passage and the Scotia Sea. Golden Fleece has an average speed of 7 to 8 knots in these southern latitudes and a range of 8000 nautical miles under power. As a small and independent yacht, Golden Fleece offers an incomparably flexible way in time and itineraries to reach remote places. But you'll also enjoy on board the comfort and the comprehensive equipment of a big ship.
NB: No previous sailing experience is required of the passengers.

General Characteristics:

• Registered in the Falkland Islands
• Steel hull
• DTI Code of Practice Class 0 (unrestricted waters)
• Spoken languages: Fluent French and English, some Spanish and Portuguese
• Runs in an environmentally sound manner
• Member of IAATO: Access to Emergency Plan Evacuation from Antarctica
• UK Foreign Office Permit under the Antarctic Act, renewed every year
• French-style cuisine

Construction:

Builders: Kanter Yard Corporation, St Thomas, Ontario, Canada
Designers: Nils Lucander
Launched in 1985
Built to full Canadian Coast Guard specifications

Dimensions:

Length over all: 19,5 m (65')
Length of waterline: 15,85 m (52')
Beam: 6,19 m (20'4")
Draft (max): 2,48 m (8'3")
Displacement (gross): 65 tons (FL)

Interior and accommodation:

• 4 double passenger cabins (1 with a double bed), pillows, bed sheets and blankets supplied
• 2 bath rooms with shower, WC and sink, pressurised hot and cold water
• 1 large-capacity storage cabin (approx. 8 cubic meters and 3 tons FL)
• 1 large engine room (incl. fully equipped workshop) useful for drying wet gear
• Spacious centrally heated interior with 7ft headroom, a large saloon
• Spacious wheelhouse and navigation station with all-round viewing

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Crew:

 Golden Fleece is operated by a professional and highly experienced skipper, helped by 2 or 3 more crew generally chosen for their passion and motivation along with their experience. The service on board is hotel-like with accommodation and meals. However being in a boat together for a while does require a family or friends-like atmosphere, with a certain regard to the well-being of everyone. There is no housewife or hostess on board but a crew that will do its best to offer you a pleasant charter and share it with you. A helping hand for common tasks such as washing up and cleaning will always be very welcome.

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Equipment list:

Machinery:

• 235 HP Caterpillar Engine
• CP Scan Prop variable-pitch propeller
• 2 Diving compressors
• Air tool compressor
• Welder and all common power tools

Electrical System:

110 / 220 V AC and 12 / 24 V DC
available 24 hours a day provided by:
17 kW and 4.5 kW diesel generators and
3.8 kW and 600 W inverters

Storage and Tankage:

• 3 000 US gallons / 12 000 litres diesel
• 1 200 US gallons / 5 000 litres drinking water
• Cargo capacity 3 tons FL, 8 cubic meters
• 2 grey-water holding tanks

Navigation:

• 2 Furuno radars, 36nm range
• Weatherfax
• VHF radio (1 fixed, 3 handheld)
• HF / SSB radio
• 3 GPS (1 GPS-map)
• 2 Autopilots (Simrad & Wagner)
• 3 depth sounders

Safety:

• 2 liferafts 12 person each
• 14 lifejackets
• 2 ring buoys
• Flares
• EPIRB distress beacon
• Smoke alarms
• 8 fire extinguishers
• 6 safety harnesses
• 1 man-overboard pole
• First aid kit + Medicine chest

Communications:

• VHF radio
• HF / SSB radio
• Iridium Satellite Telephone

Entertainment:

• Television and VCR (PAL, SECAM, NTSC...)
• Internal telephone system to all cabins
• Stereo-CD player
• Comprehensive polar library + fiction books
• Diving equipment: 4 air tanks and weight belts (approx. 60 kg of lead)

Domestic

• Oil-fired cooker
• Microwave oven
• Washing machine + Dryer
• 2 Refrigerators
• 1 large Freezer
• Trash compactor
• Fully equipped galley
• Oil-fired central heating
• hot-water heaters

Tenders:

• 15 ft Zodiac Mark III with 30 HP Suzuki outboard
  
• 15 ft Zodiac Mark III with 15 HP Suzuki outboard

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Golden Fleece
Expedition Cruises
Falkland Islands