Pelagic Australis

Above all, Pelagic Australis is a sailing vessel, not a yacht. She is a go-anywhere, do-anything work boat. Pelagic Australis is 74 feet overall and displaces 48 tonnes. She is designed to take 10 passengers and 2 crew, which is about the maximum for the successful serving of pasta! Above 8-10 passengers, a boat starts to feel less like an expedition vessel and more like a tour ship. 10 knots under either sail or power is the benchmark, to allow swift transit up and down the Atlantic twice a year. The lifting ballast keel and rudder both swing up and down, to allow easy drying out and less risk from rocks and growlers. The keel can be retracted in 2 minutes, the rudder almost instantly.
The pilothouse is focal point of the vessel and features:

  • Inside steering position
  • Chart table and navigational instruments
  • Pilot bunk/settee
  • Space for 5 people on watch at sea, or in harbour to watch the world go by and get some peace from the social activity in the saloon.

The outside helm is partially protected from the elements, and 5 passengers can sit in the lee of the pilothouse, sheltered and dry. Pelagic Australis is designed to be a simple vessel, to avoid unnecessary complication and to create activity for her passengers:

  • No bow thruster, because the skipper is skilled enough not to need one.
  • No watermaker, just use streams and waterfalls to fill the huge tanks.
  • No refrigeration ~ she is a cold-water yacht, so the bilge will usually be cold enough.
  • Cutter rig, to avoid the clutter of a schooner or ketch rig.
  • Sail trimming and furling by manpower alone, with a fully-battened mainsail with batten cars to lighten the loads.
  • Heating by diesel stove/hotplate, with gravity-flow radiators ~ to be warm and dry is the only real luxury that passengers and crew need on a high latitude vessel.

Despite the complication and power demands, a computer station for two including internet access with video streaming capability is absolutely essential for revenue-earning media work. The above is just a summary of the main features of Pelagic Australis. You will find out more about Pelagic Australis and what she will be doing on the Pelagic website.