Pelagic 77 is one of a kind

Pelagic 77 - extreme expedition yacht. This is the last and largest project Pelagic.77 ft. Vinson of Antarctica... The boat was created in collaboration with the legendary adventurer and shipping sailor Skip Novak.

Pelagic squared his shoulders ...

Against the backdrop of this 77-foot colossus, any other yacht looks fragile and destructible. Designer Tony Castro calls his creation "the beast" ..

Named after the continent's tallest mountain, Pelagic 77 Vinson of Antarctica  was built with the harshest conditions in mind. It has everything you need to sail for six weeks to the most remote places, where there are no repair shops and no medical assistance.

The boat was built for a Chilean businessman and adventurer Nicholas Ibanez for use in science, filmmaking and sailing training. also, the yacht was designed in collaboration between Tony Castro and seafarer Skip Novak.

Dimensions (edit) Pelagic 77 complies with the MGN 280 code for small commercial vessels up to 24 meters in length. However, it can comfortably carry 10 guests and four crew members.

For Skip, the serious guy, a real expedition boat is a "taxi to the snow strip", not a yacht in the usual sense of the word. This is a simple and clean work boat. Maintenance should be as simple as possible. Visible, purely cosmetic wear is irrelevant.

However, Skip appreciates his comfort. We were always warm and dry, we ate exceptionally well and or slept well and enjoyed good conversation and fun. A boat of his type, tough and uncompromising on the outside, has everything you need for your life time. Nothing more.

Pelagic 77 and fully manual control

It takes a fair amount of grunt to lift the front and mizzen Pelagic 77... No push-button winches or hydraulics. 

“This is not my game at all. We wanted hand winches because there are no maritime services where we go, ”Skip explains. 

“Another thing is that with amateurs on board, you must not let them near the electric winches, otherwise they will“ eat ”your fingers. The boat is focused on sailing, so it has simple systems. Only for the safety of people. "

The sail area had to be divided into controllable parts. This is a feature of the hand winch. An additional advantage is that the same mainsail and mizzen are interchangeable.

"On Pelagic Australis we kept a detailed sailing log. It turned out that the time during which we had a full stroke was less than 10%, ”says Skip.

“We wanted to be able to swim up to 60 °,” he adds. "We play with the weather and don't go against the wind."

Body and Soul Pelagic 77

Aluminum was the obvious building material. In turn, the company KM Yachtbuilders in the Netherlands was the obvious choice as professionals building durable, professionally equipped yachts.

“It all comes down to maintenance. However, there is no need to paint the aluminum, it is easy to maintain, durable and suitable for custom build boats, ”Skip explains.

Comfort below deck

At sea, the deckhouse with its saloon and navigation area will become the heart of the yacht. Plus, it can accommodate six to eight people and offers panoramic views from the steering chair and sofa.

Skip once bragged that he crossed the Drake Passage on Pelagic Australiswithout taking off your slippers or wearing protective equipment. And the crew of this boat can swim in pajamas if they wish.

A warm, dry and sheltered place, and a safe place to ride on the sea. Two full-length "bars" stored in the workshop can be set to divide the space, provide handrails and sturdy panels to support the legs.

Ready for the flight!

Vinson of Antarctica Will leave the UK in June to travel north to Norway, where she will gather a team of geologists and travel to Svalbard. This expedition will be led by Skip himself, but Kenneth Perdigon is the permanent captain of the boat.

14.09.2021