Brilliant Islands

Even if you say, "I'm going to sail to Antarctica," where exactly do you plan to go?

Antarctica is about twice the size of Australia, and its cold, wind, and ice conditions vary greatly depending on the region.

After rounding Cape Horn in South America and crossing from the Pacific to the Atlantic, I anchored Aomi in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Since I was already in South America, the closest continent to the Antarctic Peninsula, I began to think that sailing to Antarctica might be possible.

The map below shows South America as the closest continent to Antarctica. A long, narrow peninsula extends from Antarctica toward South America, with only about 1,000 kilometers between them.

As you may know, South America and Antarctica were once connected as part of the supercontinent Gondwana, several hundred million years ago.

The Antarctic Peninsula is often the first choice for a yacht trip to Antarctica—this isn't just because it's close to South America. Now, let's take a look at the ice conditions.

This chart shows the maximum ice distribution around Antarctica during winter (August) and summer (February), based on U.S. Sailing Directions data. In winter (left), Antarctica is completely surrounded by ice, making it nearly impossible for ships to approach. In summer (right), however, reaching the Antarctic Peninsula seems barely possible. Maybe I can sail there in Aomi!

But isn't Antarctica extremely cold?

The chart above shows the average air and water temperatures during mid-summer in the Antarctic. Around the Antarctic Peninsula, temperatures stay above 0°C, making sailing there possible.

To prepare for the cold, I packed mountaineering clothes, a small kerosene heater, a platinum body warmer fueled by benzene, thermal insoles for my boots, gloves, hats, various thermal underwear, and other essentials.

I also insulated Aomi's cabin walls and ceiling with Styrofoam and tuned the engine for cold-weather operation. I took every possible measure to prepare for the harsh conditions.

Later, I took this photo of an icebreaker in the port of Fremantle, Australia. I wished I could have sailed on a large ship like that—one with all the amenities, offering a warm and safe environment.

But no, that wasn't true! It was likely because I experienced the cold firsthand on Aomi—with its minimal facilities and lack of any guarantees for my survival— so that I could connect with the Earth in a way that's impossible in the city.