SHIPS
& LANDING BOATS
antarctica can only visited via an
organised tour. all companies are linked in the
"international association of antarctica tour operators",
and have to be in line with the "antarctic treaty". sea
cruises are foremost. during the first decade, russian
ice-breaking ships, mostly built in finland around 1983,
dominated; two are shown below. in recent times, almost
all got replaced by more modern cruise ships, like the one
presented in the third photo.
when the ship sails through endless ice, cracks ice floes
and passes icebergs, amazing views are experienced. the
comfort for passengers is limited though, because
ice-breaking ships tend to 'roll' most of the time.
antarctica cruises always include landings. to do this,
rigid inflatable boats or inflatable dinghies are used
which have an engine; they are usually called "zodiacs"
(after the dominating french company). most ships carry
two or more. to get people into them, a ladder is mounted
outside the ship, and at its bottom the boat picks up the
passengers, between 6 and 10 people. at the target, people
walk through water to step on land; they need rubber boots
and water-dense trousers as there are no piers. to wear a
safety jacket is compulsory. returning to the ship is
mostly straightforward - yet not easy if the sea is rough
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